Nigeria, July 14 -- Nigeria's federal system presupposes an implicit alignment among the three tiers of government in the pursuit of coordinated growth and national development. Yet alignment is never automatic. In public policy, as in life, very little happens spontaneously. Every enduring system is built on relationships of cause and effect-authority and responsibility, action and consequence, effort and reward, incentives and sustained commitment. Development is not Spontaneous.

Communities invest because they expect returns. Businesses innovate because incentives reward productivity. Individuals acquire skills because opportunities exist to improve their livelihoods. Governments pursue reforms when institutional arrangements encourag...