LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY IN NIGERIA: THE CHALLENGES, PROSPECTS AND EXPECTATIONS
Preamble
Local government autonomy in Nigeria is crucial for fostering effective governance at the grassroots level. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution acknowledges local governments as the third tier of government, emphasizing their role in ensuring decentralized governance. However, despite this constitutional recognition, local governments in Nigeria face significant challenges, including financial dependence on state governments and political interference. These challenges undermine the autonomy of local governments, limiting their ability to address local needs effectively. Local government autonomy, when fully realized, can enhance service delivery, promote grassroots democracy, and drive localized economic development. It is expected that with greater autonomy, local governments will become more accountable and responsive to their citizens. This autonomy is vital for empowering local leaders and ensuring that resources are used efficiently to address community-specific issues.
The Challenges
Local governments in Nigeria are often seen as extensions of state governments, lacking genuine autonomy. They are created by state laws rather than the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic, leading to a dependency on state governors for funding and decision-making. In fact, the current constitutional provisions, specifically sections of the 1999 Constitution, have been criticized for being cumbersome and contradictory, which has prevented effective local governance. Key sections like 162, which relate to financial allocation, have led to a reliance on joint accounts that diminish local government autonomy.
State governors also frequently exploit the existing constitutional framework to control local governments. Many local government chairpersons are viewed as political appointees rather than elected representatives, resulting in a lack of accountability and an erosion of democratic governance. In addition to this, there is a high level of corruption at the local government level, exacerbated by the joint state-local government accounts that allow state governors to withhold funds.
This results in misallocation and mismanagement of resources meant for local developments.
Furthermore, elections at the local government level often lack transparency and fairness, with state independent electoral commissions being criticized for facilitating rigging and manipulation. There have been many allegations of “kangaroo elections" where the ruling party dominates.
Lastly, there is also poor service delivery due to corruption and lack of resources. Consequently, local governments struggle to deliver essential services to the grassroots, leading to public disillusionment and a lack of trust in government. The outlined issues impede the autonomy of local governments in Nigeria.
Hence there is a need for these issues to be further evaluated and tackled in an attempt to provide an avenue for the effective functioning of the third tier of government. That is the motivation for this appraisal.
The Prospects of Local Government Autonomy
The Supreme Court’s ruling on July 12, 2024, granting financial autonomy to local governments is seen as a significant step towards recognizing them as the third tier of government. This ruling provides that local government funds should go directly to them, potentially increasing their operational independence. This enhanced autonomy should be leveraged upon to create opportunities for comprehensive reforms that could redefine the relationship between local governments and state authorities to prevent political encroachments and promote genuine autonomy and accountability. This is to ensure the emergence of a framework for active, competitive, and cooperative intergovernmental relations to foster better governance.
Moreover, with adequate autonomy, there’s potential for local councils to initiate grassroots projects and allocate funds effectively based on local needs. People-oriented programmes could also be used to address grassroots needs effectively.
The local governments can also enhance their financial independence by improving their internally generated revenue (IGR) through effective tax collection and local resource management. In short, the prospects for local government autonomy are not limited to this, and are crucial for local government autonomy are not limited to this, and are crucial for sustainability and ensuring that local governments are less reliant on state resources.
The Expectations
Citizens, at the forefront of expectations, demand that the local government effectively address their needs. They believe that autonomy should result in tangible improvements, such as better infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Additionally, the public expects local government officials to be elected democratically, ensuring that they are accountable to their constituents rather than to state governors. The push is for local governments to be run by qualified technocrats rather than political loyalists as this could improve service delivery.
Secondly, other stakeholders to the local government will anticipate a shift towards genuine autonomy that includes administrative independence, allowing local governments to operate without undue influence from state authorities. Local governments should also be staffed with qualified personnel to deliver essential services more effectively, improving the quality of life at the grassroots level.
Without a doubt, meaningful local government autonomy is expected to come with fiscal independence, enabling councils to manage their resources effectively. As a result, establishing independent bodies to monitor local government expenditures is crucial for transparency and accountability. In fact, citizens expect mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency in local governments, particularly around the management and utilization of funds.
Therefore, there is a need for constitutional amendments to address ambiguities in the governance framework, especially regarding the powers and responsibilities of local governments. This is to ensure that these expectations are adequately met.
Recommendations and Conclusions
It is recommended that the Nigerian constitution be amended to provide a clear framework defining the autonomy and powers of local governments, thus reinforcing their status as a third tier of government. It is believed that a decentralization of powers from state governments to local governments could foster more responsive governance structures, improving service delivery. Next is the abolition of joint state-local government accounts that is also deemed crucial to ensure that local governments receive their allocations directly and can manage their finances independently.
Besides this, creating a national independent electoral body for local government elections is vital to ensure free and fair elections reducing the manipulation currently seen in state. level commissions. Likewise, encouraging citizen involvement in local governance is crucial. Community education on governance and rights can empower residents to demand accountability from local officials.
In addition to this, implementing robust auditing and oversight frameworks within local governments will help curb corruption and ensure that funds are utilized for the benefit of the community.
Furthermore, development plans should prioritize long-term objectives over immediate political gains, making sustainable development the core mandate of local governments post-autonomy.
In conclusion, by addressing these key challenges, enhancing prospects through legal reforms, aligning expectations with reality, and committing to systematic improvements in governance, local governments can evolve into effective entities that significantly improve the welfare of Nigerian citizens at the grassroots level.