Decentralization and Local Government Autonomy: Quest for Quality Service Delivery in Nigeria

Decentralization implies the existence of local government units with bodies that are democratically elected and structured, having broad autonomy and authority as well as indispensable legal, administrative and financial tools for fulfilling their mission. This paper starts by outlining the philosophical and theoretical foundation of decentralization of local administration. Drawing on historical inferences, the paper traces the national decentralization strategies and compares their impacts on public service delivery in Nigeria. The evidence in this paper suggests that local government in Nigeria is too tightly controlled from the State and therefore lagging behind in carrying out the duties allotted to it by the constitution. The paper, among others, identifies lack of autonomy as one of the biggest challenges facing Local Governments in Nigeria making them neither democratically accountable nor territorially viable. The paper concludes by suggesting that unless the Local Government is given a considerable degree of autonomy, the objectives of decentralization (especially quality local service delivery) may be difficult to realize.