Zoning in Nigeria

First, we must congratulate Nigeria. In 1999, after year of military rule, it returned to a democracy. It has had three civilian presidents in a row - and not thrown out by the army.

However, the democracy was set up on the notion of "zoning": a rota where candidates for many public positions are alternated between the Muslim north and the Christian south. This includes the presidency.

Although this sytem was intended to quell Christian fears that they were being shut out politically, it is nevertheless flawed. Candidates, are chosen more on their place of birth than their competency. Nigeria could do with a fully meritocratically chosen president - life expectancy lies at a meagre 49 years and most oil revenues end up in the wrong hands.

Equally important is that zoning accentuates the rift between north and south. In the long term, it does not unite Nigeria - it merely emphasises the difference. This is not the way forward. Policy debates are more likely to be seen through the prism of region and religion.