DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2022.v10i06.009

Pages: 299-313

Nigeria is a heterogeneous State whose many ethnic groups were outlandishly merged by Britain purely for administrative purposes during the colonial era and without regard for their characteristic diversities. The amalgamation gave rise to the adoption of federal system of government by Nigeria in 1954 as well as the subsequent evolution of federal character principle, all with the aim of managing the diversity for the sake of national survival. Regardless of the efforts, the practice of federalism in the country has continued to be plagued by various challenges. How these challenges affect the international image of Nigeria was the major task of this study. The study was anchored on the Group Theory while the qualitative mechanism of data collection and analysis was applied in this study. Among other things, the study found out that among the challenges confronting the practice of federalism in the country was the ineffective application of the federal character principle. It also found out that the international image of Nigeria suffers unthinkable damages as a result of the challenges associated with the practice of federalism. In view of the findings, the study therefore recommended the need for the political class to show commitment to the practice of true federalism by way of promoting national, rather than ethnic and divisive interests. It equally recommended that the National Assembly must amend the constitution to request any president who disrespects federal character principle in allocation of benefits to resign his or her position.