AJAG Article

Abstract

Local government is one of the oldest forms of governance in Nigeria, evolving under various names and
administrations. It is fundamentally designed to enhance governance at the grassroots level and drive local
development. Despite its long history and numerous reforms, local government has not succeeded in bringing
the anticipated development to rural communities. This paper examines the administration of local government
and explores ways to reposition it for sustainable grassroots development. It emphasizes the legal framework,
performance, challenges, and prospects of the local government system, relying on secondary data for analysis.
The findings reveal that inadequate financing, undue interference, lack of resident participation in policymaking
and development programs, corruption, and other related issues have hindered local governments from
being effective instruments of positive change. The paper concludes that genuine reforms and repositioning of
local governments are essential to enhance their capacity as reliable agents of transformational development

Interrogating the Performance of Local Government Administration in Nigeria, 2023, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 15-22. PDF