Development Planning in Eastern Nigeria 1962-68: Basis for Restructuring Agenda in Nigeria

The agitation for restructuring of Nigeria has not abated. Those advocating a restructuring are of the view that the restructuring agenda will make the nation more politically stable and also trigger economic progress by encouraging hard work and competition among the federating units hence, making each unit to develop at its own pace. In other words, it has been argued by the purveyors of restructuring that the granting of autonomy to the federating units through the devolution of power would give room for creativity and make the existing states to serve as the engine room of growth and development. On this basis, each state of the federation would develop at its own pace and in line with the resources available at their disposal which would be more prudently managed. Within this context of state’s autonomy, the Federal Government would exercise supervisory role over the states, but control aspects like currency, security and external relations etc. Adopting a historical analytical method, the paper examines the process of development planning in the defunct Eastern Nigeria between 1962 and 1968, a period when the existing regions enjoyed autonomy and substantially controlled its resources. It is discovered that agriculture, industralisation and other related sectors that touched the lives of the people were carefully planned, while the Region also collaborated where necessary with the other Regions and the Federal Government. As a result of the “planned development”, the Eastern Region was an epic centre of progress in the Nigeria nation.