Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria needs patriots, including citizens, leaders and institutions, ready to be counted to establish a federation that serves the people.

Shettima said this on Tuesday in Abuja during the seventh edition of the Annual Leadership Conference and Awards, held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.

He said the problems attributed to the current federal system often stem from the poor management of resources rather than from any inherent flaw in the country’s constitutional architecture.

Mr Shettima stated, “The Nigerian challenge, when carefully considered, lies less in the structure of our federalism and more in the deficit of our collective fiscal responsibility.

“To improve our federalism, we must not lose sight of the dysfunctions that have been allowed to fester under the current system.

“If we at the national level deliver on our promises, if our governors manage their allocations with prudence if our local governments are truly autonomous and accountable and if every kobo is deployed with the people’s interest in mind, then the structure will serve us well.”

The vice-president said rather than mould Nigeria’s federal system after the ones in Canada and parts of Europe, efforts and attention should be focused more on reforming to meet the country’s unique realities.

Mr Shettima urged Nigerians to resist the temptation “to romanticise foreign systems or prescribe imported solutions that fail to account for our distinct social, ethnic, and demographic complexities.”

He added, “What we seek, therefore, is not a photocopy of another country’s model, but a federal structure tailored to our aspirations.

“It must reflect our values, ensure accountability, and foster development at all levels. The only road to such a destination is through sincere dialogue.”

(NAN)