Local Government Financial Autonomy in Nigeria: A Lip Service or a Pragmatic Service
Authors: Aduma, Aloysius Tochukwu, Okeke, Ego Kate, Etalong, Thomas Alama
Journal: International Journal of Economics and Public Policy (IJEPP), ISSN 2766-2640
Citation: IJEPP 5(3), 2021-12-26.
DOI: 10.70878/ijepp.2021.2e10febe
PDF: Download full-text PDF
Type: Original Research
Abstract
There has been a debate on whether local governments have financial autonomy in Nigeria. Some school of thought believe that superior authorities have granted pragmatic autonomy including financial autonomy to local governments but some others are of the view that the autonomy is only but a lip service. This research investigated the reality or otherwise of the autonomy. Descriptive research was employed in the study and the findings show that lip service is being paid to the financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria. In spite of federal government’s commitment to realizing financial autonomy to local governments, state authorities have been a clog in the wheel. There are also some constitutional constraints to financial autonomy of the councils. The research recommended a committed constitutional review towards granting full financial autonomy to local government councils in Nigeria.
Keywords
Local Government, Financial Autonomy, Lip Service, Pragmatic Service, Constitution Review Authorship Aduma, Aloysius Tochukwu Ph.D. 1, Okeke, Ego Kate 2 & Etalong, Thomas Alama 3
Full Text
There has been a debate on whether local governments have financial autonomy in Nigeria. Some school of thought believe that superior authorities have granted pragmatic autonomy including financial autonomy to local governments but some others are of the view that the autonomy is only but a lip service. This research investigated the reality or otherwise of the autonomy. Descriptive research was employed in the study and the findings show that lip service is being paid to the financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria. In spite of federal government’s commitment to realizing financial autonomy to local governments, state authorities have been a clog in the wheel. There are also some constitutional constraints to financial autonomy of the councils. The research recommended a committed constitutional review towards granting full financial autonomy to local government councils in Nigeria.