Nigeria's restructuring debates.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, a potential presidential candidate for the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) in next year's elections, has publicly backed restructuring Nigeria's centralised, federal system. His comments follow shortly after a committee from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) produced a report that proposed giving each of Nigeria's 36 states control over mineral resources, decentralising the security forces and reviewing the states' revenue allocation formula. Despite advocating for restructuring during his 2015 presidential campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari has recently dismissed calls for greater devolution.
Significant national restructuring would likely necessitate a census, something there is currently little political appetite for.
Police force devolution is one of the APC restructuring proposals most likely to find favour with Buhari's government.
Ending a Senate-presidency impasse over central bank nominations will bring short-term investor relief, but divisions will likely linger.
