- By Abdullahi Abubakar
Sir: Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not the absence of natural rellenge is a governance structure that has failed to empower the level of government closest to the people. The uncomfortable truth is that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable national development without functional and autonomous local governments
The local government system was established to bring governance closer to the people. It was designed to provide essential services such as primary healthcare, primary education, rural roads, markets, sanitation, environmental management, and community development. Unfortunately, this vision has largely remained unrealised.
Today, many Nigerians look beyond their local councils whenever they need a borehole, a classroom block, a health centre, a rural road, solar streetlights, drainage systems, or youth empowerment programmes. Instead, they turn to governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and even ministers.
This is not how a federation should function.
Every year, federal and state budgets allocate enormous sums for constituency projects. While these projects have undoubtedly improved lives in many communities, they also reveal a deeper structural problem. Most constituency projects are responsibilities that constitutionally belong to local governments.
Primary healthcare centres, community roads, markets, drainage systems, public toilets, rural electrification support, waste management, and community water schemes are all services that should ordinarily be delivered through efficient local government administration. When local governments fail to perform these responsibilities, the vacuum is filled by legislators through constituency projects.
This has gradually shifted public expectations away from elected local government officials and placed enormous pressure on lawmakers, whose primary constitutional responsibility is to make laws, approve budgets, represent their constituents, and oversee the executive arm of government.
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A genuinely autonomous local government system would reduce this burden. Nigeria’s democracy will only become meaningful when citizens experience the presence of government where they live.
The recent judicial affirmation of local government financial autonomy presents a historic opportunity to rebuild governance from the grassroots. It should not be viewed as a political contest between the federal and state governments but as a constitutional reform aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
A nation of over 200 million people cannot be effectively governed from Abuja or the 36 state capitals alone. Real development begins in local communities, where children attend primary schools, mothers receive healthcare, farmers transport produce, traders operate markets, and families depend on basic public services.
If Nigeria is serious about reducing poverty, improving security, expanding economic opportunities, and restoring public confidence in government, then strengthening local government autonomy is no longer optional, it is imperative.
Zaria.
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