The Commonwealth of the Yoruba Kingdom.

The rates of resources taking away from Yorubaland to develop non-Yoruba region in Nigeria remains shockingly high, and Yoruba people continue to face barriers in being unable to develop at their own pace. Therefore, the first and greatest reason for demanding the 'Commonwealth of the Yoruba Kingdom' otherwise known as Oduduwa Republic, is that the people of Yorubaland want and deserve democracy. Their will is powerful, clear and true every time opinion is sounded. It has been expressed calmly and consistently over a period of decades, and has strengthened rather than diminished with the passing of time.

In a responsive and effective democracy, this would-be reason enough for change. But the present unitary constitution of Nigeria denies Yorubaland responsive and effective democracy. That is the second reason for demanding for Oduduwa Republic.

Yoruba begins this decade facing a stark choice. It has a distinguished and distinctive structural heritage, evident in the Yoruba's legal system, its educational system, its social, cultural and religious traditions. These things are the very fabric of Yoruba society, yet Yorubaland has come to lack democratic control over them. Their conduct is determined by a system of government inimical to growth and development in a multicultural society, operating through a dense tangle of unelected ministers and special advisers.

These offices now run Yorubaland's affairs across the board, from Yoruba waterways to Yoruba theatre. This is a democratic deficit, which runs contrary to Nigeria's first independent constitution, which established parliamentary democracy based on distinct political identity and system. It is affecting relations with the rest of a Federal Republic of Nigeria in which most Yoruba wishes to remain, and hampering Yorubaland's ability to make its voice heard in the world, particularly within a fast-developing African Union well attuned to such voices.

Redressing the deficit is a matter of fairness and justice, and of better government. Oduduwa Republic is the means of taking back control without turning our backs on our neighbours; of determining our own strategies; of acting on issues that are important to us; of facing the challenges of a new age in our own way.

The Commonwealth of the Yoruba Kingdom's Government will be able to make a real difference to the prosperity of the Yoruba people, and to the quality of the life they lead. No modern economy can be viewed in isolation from the others with which it is entwined by ties of trade and ownership - one reason why Yorubaland needs to remain integrated with its kith and kin in Southern and Central Benin Republic and Central Togo, which are by far its biggest marketplace.

But the Yoruba economy can be differentiated from those of other parts, both in its strengths and in its weaknesses. Yorubaland has a relatively large export trade, for example, but one heavily dependent on a very narrow export base: chiefly human resources and cocoa. It has a prestigious and successful financial sector, but again skewed towards certain types of services. It has a long-standing difficulty in creating new growth companies and lasting jobs since the suspension of federalism based on regional government. It must contend with the communications challenges inherent in a population distributed unevenly across a large land mass. The Nigerian economic policy has, hardly surprisingly, failed to address these circumstances closely, systematically or effectively.

The Commonwealth of the Yoruba's Government, equipped with the sort of power of a sovereign country, will be able to do much better. This paper is a new independent campaign focused on bringing Yorubas together in critical moments, to drive change that promotes Oduduwa Republic.