The search for viable local government system in Nigeria: an interrogation

Abstract

The history of the Nigerian local government system has been one long episode of trails and errors aimed at achieving viable local government institution without much success. Local government in the country began its long series of reforms from the colonial period when the colonial government attempted to de-concentrate the local administration as a basis for socio-economic development of the Nigerian state. With the shift in the mandate of local government from being primarily extractive, law and order agency to one engaged in grassroots development, the objective came to be re-defined as comprising bringing government closer to the people. However, the success of the local government as a veritable tool for grassroots development is largely dependent on its viability. This paper was thus inspired by the desire to interrogate why the search for viable local government system in Nigeria has been futile since the country’s political independence with a view to proffering the pathway to sustainable viable local government system capable of ensuring effective grassroots development and transformation in the country.Keywords: Local Government, Search, Viable, System, Interrogation, Development, Transformation