By Comfort Olayinka
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for urgent reforms to strengthen local government systems in Nigeria.
The speaker who was represented by the Majority leader of the house Hon Julius Ihonvere made this call during the National Dialogue on Local Government and Constitution Amendment, Tajudeen highlighted the vital role local governments play in fostering community development, delivering essential services, and ensuring citizens’ voices are heard.
The event, supported by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming that local governments must be democratically elected and directly receive their statutory allocations.
However, he also acknowledged the significant challenges hindering effective local governance, including inadequate funding, lack of autonomy, and corruption.
Tajudeen advocated for comprehensive reforms to address these challenges, urging for greater financial autonomy, enhanced decision-making powers for local government officials, and capacity building initiatives to empower local leaders.
He also emphasized the importance of free and fair local council elections and praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for recent efforts, including the Supreme Court ruling mandating elections and direct fund disbursements to local councils.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu,who is also the chairman house committee on Constitutional Review echoed call for reform, emphasizing the need for stronger, well-funded local governments to drive sustainable democratic progress.
Today, we chart a clear and actionable path towards local government autonomy,” said the Deputy Speaker. “Achieving these reforms requires a coordinated effort at every level of governance, ensuring that local governments are truly independent and effective partners in our national governance structure.”
The Deputy Speaker concluded by calling for a collective commitment to building a future where local governments are pillars of democracy and agents of positive change in communities nationwide. “Let us work together to ensure that the outcomes of this dialogue resonate far beyond these walls,” he said. “May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!”
Ultimately, the National Dialogue aims to produce a roadmap for constitutional amendments that will improve local government administration, increase accountability and transparency, and empower citizens at the grassroots level.
This landmark decision, the Deputy Speaker noted, offers a unique opportunity to address long-standing issues within local government administration.
