…Section 21 of Constitution holds the key to national rebirth
Analysts have identified what they describe as one of the major reasons Nigeria has struggled for decades to transform its vast cultural heritage into political stability, economic prosperity and global influence.
According to them, the answer lies in the largely neglected Section 21 of Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution.
The debate gained renewed attention following the declaration by the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, that implementation of Chapter II of the Constitution would form the foundation of his political programme.
Speaking at the SDP National Convention in Bauchi on May 9, 2026, Adebayo argued that Nigeria’s future depends on fully implementing the “Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy” contained in Chapter II of the Constitution.
At the centre of the conversation is Section 21, which mandates the Nigerian state to protect, preserve and promote Nigerian cultures while encouraging scientific and technological advancement rooted in cultural values.
However, political scholars contend that Nigeria misunderstood the true meaning of culture.
Rather than viewing culture as a living system of governance, accountability, ethics and social organisation, successive administrations reduced it to festivals, dances, exhibitions, tourism and ceremonial displays.
Analysts say this misunderstanding partly explains why Nigeria failed to replicate the remarkable economic transformation achieved by countries such as China, India, Singapore, Japan and South Korea.
Global affairs commentator Fareed Zakaria famously described the rise of these nations as the “Rise of the Rest”.
But experts insist that their success was not driven by capitalism alone.
Instead, they combined ancient civilisational traditions with modern political and economic systems to build strong developmental states.
China’s “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” introduced under former leader Deng Xiaoping, blended Confucian traditions of discipline, moral authority and social order with market reforms and industrial expansion.
India also strengthened local governance through constitutional reforms inspired by its traditional Panchayati Raj system.
Singapore, Japan and South Korea pursued similar paths, combining strong cultural ethics with modern governance structures and capitalist enterprise.
Observers say the outcome was economic transformation reinforced by social legitimacy, institutional discipline and national cohesion.
Nigeria, however, took a different route.
Although FESTAC ’77 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo projected African culture to the world, critics argue that it largely celebrated culture as entertainment and symbolic heritage.
The festival showcased music, dances, fabrics and artistic performances, but failed to integrate indigenous governance traditions into Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
Traditional institutions such as emirates, obaships, village councils and councils of elders were retained mainly as ceremonial structures without meaningful constitutional authority.
Analysts warn that the result has been the emergence of a modern state disconnected from its own civilisational foundations.
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka once described the contradiction as “glamourised fossilism” — a condition in which culture survives only as spectacle without political relevance.
Today, experts argue that global politics has entered the era of “civilisational states”, where nations derive influence not only from military or economic strength but also from the depth of their cultural identity and constitutional traditions.
They insist that Section 21 must therefore evolve beyond cultural preservation and become an instrument for constitutional and administrative reform.
According to them, indigenous principles such as communal accountability, consensus-building, moral leadership and social responsibility should be integrated into governance structures, especially at the grassroots level.
Without such reforms, analysts warn that Nigeria may continue to remain rich in heritage but weak in national power and global relevance.
Supporters of Prince Adewole Adebayo believe his emphasis on Chapter II offers Nigeria an opportunity for genuine national renewal.
For them, the challenge before the country is no longer merely preserving culture as memory, but transforming it into a living constitutional force capable of driving development, legitimacy and national progress.
Until then, analysts say, Nigeria may continue watching the “Rise of the Rest” from the sidelines rather than becoming part of it.
By Olusegun R. Babalola
