NIGERIA’S LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM: THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Local government administration is heavily influenced by the people’s historical, geographical, social, political, and economic lives, regardless of where it is performed. This is especially true in Nigeria, where slavery, colonization, and civilian and military regimes have all influenced the Nigerian system of local government administration to this day. In this paper, we will look at the many changes that have occurred in Nigeria’s local government system since 1914. (Oyediran 1988).
The Native Authority (NA) system, according to Onyekan (2014), was the first colonial local government administration system based on indirect authority and exploitation. Northern Nigeria was the first to establish a unified local government structure, which was then replicated with varying degrees of success in Southern Nigeria. The
Native Authorities’ form of local administration did not meet the demands and desires of the local people, resulting in widespread protests from local individuals, particularly educated elites in Southern Nigeria, who desired greater involvement in their own affairs.
The first change was prompted by the colonial local government system’s inability to meet the needs and ambitions of the people. As a result, following WWII, colonial policy on local government shifted in tandem with calls for greater involvement, resulting in the 1950s establishment of the representative or liberal democratic system of local government. At the time, Nigeria had established self-government, and the Macpherson Constitution of 1951 established a federal system of government (Adewumi, 2008). As a result of this,
Each region had its own form of local government. The reforms in the south were widespread, whereas the gradualist strategy was used in the north. The new reforms quickly ran into major challenges, particularly in the south, due to a variety of factors. However, due to a lack of funding and personnel, as well as intense politicking, no changes could be implemented until the military seized control in January 1966, effectively ending the First Republic (Adewumi, 2008).
The third reform began in Nigeria in January 1966, when military commanders took control, and lasted until 1975. The changes were intended to address flaws in the local government system that they inherited. The military had established 12 states by this time, and the various state governments
They had chosen the best system for them. It is worth noting that the revisions made no significant changes to the existing structure. The local government systems of the various state governments, however formed and administered, were more akin to dispersed state government entities (Audu, 2015).
The fourth and most significant reform was implemented in 1976 by General Murtala Muhammed and General Olusegun Obasanjo. This was the most radical change in Nigeria’s history of local government reforms. Local governments were given broad objectives and responsibilities. It provided local governments with a high level of democratic participation and autonomy. Throughout the Second Republic, the Local Governments were managed by various state administrations under caretaker arrangements under President Shehu Shagari. There were no local government elections during this time period. When General Mohammadu Buhari took office,
When the Communist Party came to power in 1983, there was a significant proliferation of Local Governments, which were eventually disbanded due to their unviability. In response to the Dasuki and Coker Reports, General Ibrahim Babangida made minor changes in the 1980s to address some of the flaws in the 1976 Reforms. The underlying foundation of the changes remained largely unchanged from the 1976 reform (Ahmed, 2013).
The fifth reform occurred in the 1990s, during General Ibrahim Babangida’s presidency, when he introduced presidentalism to Nigeria’s local government system for the first time. This meant dissolving local government ministries across the country to give the third-tier system more autonomy. This system was in place for a while until General Sani Abacha took control and restored it.
Local governments will use the parliamentary system.
The sixth and current reform was implemented following the restoration of democratic governance in 1999. Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution firmly placed local government councils under the jurisdiction of the states. As a result, many state governments have adopted presidential governance in their respective states. This necessitates the formation of two municipal arms, namely the executive and legislative arms, each with their own set of responsibilities. This system has been in place for 13 years, but it appears that, like previous reforms, it is due for a thorough examination due to its numerous flaws (Ahmed, 2013).
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Local government reforms are a positive step forward.
in Nigeria, because they tend to evaluate the performance of local government administrations and, as a result, develop new policies that favor local governments in order to achieve socioeconomic growth. However, based on all evidence, it appears that the problems with the various reforms have more to do with the system’s operators than with the system itself (Olusegun 2016). This study, Nigeria’s Local Government Reform: Challenges and Opportunities, arose against this backdrop.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this research is to investigate Nigeria’s local government reform: the challenges and opportunities. This study specifically aims to:
i. Investigate the impact of local government reforms on political stability and growth in Nigeria.
ii. Determine whether there is a link between
Policymakers and system operators.
iii. Determine how changes in political administration affect the rate of transformation in Nigeria’s local governments.
iv. Examine the challenges associated with changes in local government and national growth.
v. Consider the implications of local government changes and national growth.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The following research questions related to the study’s objectives will be addressed:
i. What effect do local government reforms have on Nigerian political stability and growth?
Is there a connection between government policy and system operators?
iii. How do changes in political administration influence the rate of transformation in Nigeria’s local governments?
iv. What are the challenges associated with changes in local government and national growth?
v. What are the prospects for changes in local government and national growth?
1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
The study on the challenges and prospects for local government reforms in Nigeria will be extremely beneficial to local governments in Nigeria, as well as the state and federal governments, because the findings will educate the entire population on how to implement effective local government reforms that promote socioeconomic development. Furthermore, the study will look at the factors influencing Nigeria’s local government reforms. The study will serve as a data repository for future scholars interested in conducting similar research on the aforementioned topic. Finally, the study will contribute to the corpus of current information and literature in this field of study, as well as serve as a foundation for future research.
Future research.
1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES
This research will look into Nigeria’s local government reform: the challenges and opportunities. This study will specifically examine the impact of local government reforms on Nigerian political stability and growth, determining if there is a link between government policy and system operators, determining the extent to which changes in political administration impact the pace of transformation in Nigeria’s local governments, examining the challenges associated with local government changes and national growth, and examining the prospects associated with local government changes and national growth.
Staff from selected Anambra State Local Government Areas will be enrolled as survey participants for this study.
1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
This research will be limited to
Examining the challenges and opportunities of Nigeria’s local government reform. This study will be limited further to examining the impact of local government reforms on Nigerian political stability and growth, determining if there is a link between government policy and system operators, determining the extent to which changes in political administration impact the pace of transformation in Nigeria’s local governments, examining the challenges associated with local government changes and national growth, and examining the prospects assuring local government reforms.
Staff from selected Anambra State Local Government Areas will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study, so the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, so the results cannot be generalized.
be extended to other secondary schools outside of the state.
1.8 TERM DEFINITION
Local Government: The term “local government” refers to the lowest levels of government within a sovereign state. This definition of government refers to a level of administration that is both geographically localized and has limited powers.
Reforms: The improvement or modification of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, and so on.
A challenge is a request to prove or justify something.
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