Who owns Nigeria’s offshore oil wealth: the states along the coastline or the federation itself? This #Casefiles entry examines Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Ors. (2002), the landmark Supreme Court decision that reshaped derivation, resource control, and fiscal federalism in Nigeria.

Nigeria may soon expand from 36 to 42 states, but will more states deliver better governance? This article examines the latest state creation proposal, tracing the history of state formation in Nigeria and questioning whether political fragmentation addresses the country’s deeper challenges of accountability, development, and fiscal sustainability.