POLITICS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CREATION

IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The expediency for the creation of Local Government anywhere in the world stems from the need to facilitate development. It is one of the models through which development can be fostered across all regions. It is an instrument of development aimed at bringing government nearer to the people for greater and equitable participation in the process of governance. However, tremendous changes have taken place at the Local Government level prior to the reform of 1976. The number has increased from 301 in 1976 to its present number of 774. This paper examined the demographic changes which were intended to bring about national development. It begins with the introduction which focused on the nature of the creation of local governments in Nigeria. Followed by an examination of the population of the country and the distribution of the present Local Governments according to geo-political zones, using the elites theoretical framework of analysis. The study found that military efforts in Nigeria's development through the creation of more Local Government councils have been fraught with diverse challenges of ethnic favouritism and outright looting of the national treasury by the ruling elites. The paper therefore, recommends among other things that other development options such as economic viability should be explored if indeed we want to achieve national development when considering Local Government creation in the future.