US Experience and Federalism in Nigeria

Nigerian constitution is said to be fashioned after the US document, its principles and institutions but in my years of observing the two nations closely I have found more disparity than similarity in the two nations. First, Americans refer to their system as republican system of government, a democracy in which the people have ultimate say. In Nigeria, the President and his leading elite of ministers and hangers on hold ulitmate power.
Not only does the President control security forces, he also controls the finances of the nation. This is not so in the US where internal security authority is vested in the states which provide police and finances are controlled by whomever generates it. The US has no federation account that allocates money to states and local governments on a regular basis. There is no revenue allocation formula which continues to be contentious in Nigeria. Each State generates its own funds and only receives aid from the Federal government in specific areas dictated by national needs such as education and homeland security in this era of terrorism.
The US Congress determines which area of national interest such as defence, health, education, foreign relations etc gets what in the budget and, in most instances, even provides guidance on the details of how the funds so given are spent. States do not wait for these funds to operate because nothing is given to the state as its share of federal money. The money is allocated to federal projects and programs managed by federal agencies. States do not depend on these funds for survival. Each has an internal system of taxes that provides its needed funds. Worthy of note is that government owns virtually nothing in the US. Private entities own all the businesses, mines, refineries et al.. Only recently has the govenment taken temporary stakes in some major corporations; General Motors,Citibank and a few corporations to prevent their collapse in the current crisis.
If Nigeria wants to copy, it should at least be good at it. The US is a capitalist experiment that has worked for over 200 years and its population is as diverse as Nigeria's defeating any argument of homogeneity as a precursor of success.