Nigeria's National Constitutional Summit Pushes for New People's Constitution, Submits Plan to Presidency and National Assembly

The National Constitutional Summit on the Future of Nigeria has concluded with a bold declaration that the country must adopt a new, people-centered constitution to replace the current 1999 Constitution. Convened by The Patriots under the leadership of former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the three-day summit ended on Friday, July 18, 2025 with concrete plans for implementation.

Key Decisions and Resolutions:

Constitutional Overhaul

The summit declared the 1999 Constitution fundamentally flawed, noting it lacks legitimacy as it was not created through popular participation

Proposed establishment of a Constituent Assembly comprising non-partisan delegates and special interest representatives

The new constitution would be subject to a national referendum before presidential assent

Structural Reforms

Called for immediate return to true federalism as practiced in Nigeria's First Republic

Recommended federating units (states/regions) should have autonomy to create their own constitutions

Declared the current presidential system "too expensive and prone to abuse"

Proposed streamlining the federal legislature, calling the two-chamber system unsustainable

Security Measures

Revealed shocking statistics: 614,937 Nigerians killed between May 2023-April 2024

Identified Nigeria as Africa's largest illicit arms market

Urged creation of state police to address internal security challenges

Proposed establishment of border/coastal security guards

Judicial Reforms

Recommended decentralized judiciary with court hierarchies up to Court of Appeal for each federating unit

Proposed special courts for corruption and terrorism cases

Advocated separation of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice roles

Socio-Economic Protections

Highlighted alarming statistics: 130 million Nigerians in multidimensional poverty, 20 million out-of-school children

Demanded constitutional guarantees for education, security and employment rights

Called for gender equity provisions and Diaspora voting rights (affecting 15 million Nigerians abroad)

Implementation Plan:

The summit's Joint Secretariat, led by Olawale Okunniyi, announced they will:

Submit comprehensive report to President Bola Tinubu

Present draft legislation to National Assembly

Request presidential executive bill to establish Constituent Assembly election process

Chief Anyaoku expressed optimism in his closing remarks: "The current enthusiasm across Nigeria demonstrates the urgent need for a new democratic constitution. Together, we shall see a prosperous Nigeria where no one is left behind."

Next Steps:

The proposals now move to the political arena, with the Presidency and National Assembly expected to consider the recommendations. While the summit represents a significant consensus among Nigeria's thought leaders, implementation depends on political will from the country's elected officials.

The summit's resolutions aim to address Nigeria's most pressing challenges: insecurity, poverty, and systemic governance failures, through comprehensive constitutional restructuring that returns power to the people.