Nigeria's Sovereignty, Niger Delta and Imperatives of State Reconstruction

This article focuses on the constitutive elements of Nigeria's sovereignty. Its opposing dynamics are the definitional and contextual problems that lace the concept as revealed by the extant literature on sovereignty. The article argues that the tendency of the Nigerian state to exert full sovereignty through over- centralization is the heart of the resistance/militancy in the Niger-Delta, which has taken the dimension of armed conflict. The resistance, it further argues, has undermined the country's sovereignty by its capacity to weaken oil exploration in the region and the resultant short-fall in revenue accruing to the central government. In addition, the consequent meddlesomeness in the crisis by foreign actors imposes a negative sovereignty on the country. In conclusion, the paper calls for autonomous regions that are vested with the power over their resources. This can be achieved through a Sovereign National Conference.