Comparative Resilience in Multicultural Federalism: India’s Asymmetric Model vs. Nigeria’s Centralized System- Lessons for Somalia's Federal Experiment

Abstract

This paper has compared and contrast the resilience of multicultural federalism in India and Nigeria, the two Ethnically diverse nations of the Global South, by comparing and contrasting their federal system, fiscal system and policy regime. We propose that the constitutional asymmetry of India and equitable fiscal devolution model helps achieve a greater level of stability in the process of accommodating diversity and that that centralized approach to revenue collection and elite-based policies in Nigeria increases ethnic tensions. We used a mixed-methods research design, research the constitutional documents, judicial rulings and fiscal data of the Finance Commission in India and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Nigeria, and we use thematic analysis of the parliamentary debates and party agendas. The results suggest that the mechanisms of progressive tax devolution and horizontal equity in India facilitate the subnational autonomy, and granular allocations are ethnic-group-specific are under-studied. On the other hand, the opaque revenue-sharing system which prevails in Nigeria, though allegedly founded on the principle of derivation to resource-rich states, fails to address the problem of ethnic-minority states like the Niger Delta. Additionally, they have thematic points of intersectional conflicts in India such as gender-caste relations in Kerala, yet their direct relationship with federal policies is to be doubted. The patronage politics of Nigeria, however, prevail on state elections, and the little evidence to link such trends to the larger needs of gender or religious rights.

The study has also made a contribution to the literature on federalism by demonstrating that institutional design and fiscal transparency plays a role in conflict mitigation, in ethnically fragmented societies. Its findings illustrate the need to change the structure of things in Nigeria and present viable policy recommendations to Somalia. Once the amendments to the constitution in March 2026 that facilitate more enduring federalism and a transition to a more universal-based system of vote exchanges, Somalia can build on the experience of India in asymmetric accommodations and open devolution to manage the tensions between clans and regions, but avoid the pitfalls of obscure resource allocation and elite capture that pervade the history of Nigeria on building resilient center-FMS.