Devolution of Power to Local Government: Appraising Local Government Autonomy under Nigerian Federation

Abstract

There are typically three levels of government: the national, the states or sub-national and the local governments under the Nigerian federation. Over the years the ideal position and status of the local government as a third tier government have been of constant debates. These debates hinge primarily on the autonomy status of the local government. This article critically examines this pertinent issue of local government autonomy under a federal structure. The critical issues of the relations between the federal government at the centre and the local governments at the grassroots and between the sub-national governments and its local Governments are the central subjects of this work. The doctrinaire research methodology was adopted herein as the work examining the Nigerian Constitution and other legal framework pertaining to local governments in Nigeria. This work finds that the Nigerian constitutional provisions pertaining to local governments laid the basis for the unhealthy interference of both the federal and states’ governments over local government’s administration. Constitutional amendment aimed at freeing the local government system from federal control and interference and allowing it to be under the control and management of their respective states’ government is herein advocated. In conclusion, federal system of government accommodates local governance under the control and management of the sub-national government. The idea of further devolution of full political autonomy to a local government within a sub-national territory is a myth and a mirage.