ONYEMACHI VIVIAN CHINASA

This study is to investigate the issues and prospect in federal character principle and national integration. The study objectives includes federal character principle impacted the different aspects of the Nigeria polity,the issues with the federal character principle in University of Benin, the challenges of the federal character principle in University of Benin, and the prospects of the federal character principle in University of Benin. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design, which is a non-experimental method. This study used stratified sampling technique to select 13 respondents from the fifteen (15) faculties in the University of Benin resulting in a total sample size of 195 respondents. The study find out that Nigeria is a plural society with different cleavages; ethnic, religious, cultural, linguistic, as well as geo-political, social and economic challenges. Ethnic heterogeneity is inarguably, the most pervasive of them all. The study find out that there is mutual suspicion existing among the various social groups.The finding from the study indicated that the method of application of federal character principle is very doubtful. The study finds out that the application of the federal character principle in Nigeria has encountered several difficulties. The finding showed that the University of Benin has a mechanism put in place for promoting ethnic balancing. However, the mechanism put in place by the University of Benin for promoting ethnic balancing is not working. Finding showed that the lack of application of federal character principles is one of the challenges of the principle. The study recommends that the federal character principle should not be applied in employment processes into government established institutions. Everything regarding employment should be on merit and not sentiment. A constitutional amendment is recommended to establish true federalism, allowing Universities to control 50% of their resources.