Local Government as a Third Tier of Government in Nigeria

An Appraisal

Abstract

The study appraises the legal-cum-institutional framework for Local Government System in Nigeria; having at the background whether or not local government is a third tier of government in Nigeria.  The research method used here is doctrinal.  That is laws, case laws, statutes, constitution which constitutes the primary source, supplemented with textbooks, magazines, journal articles and relevant clippings from Newspapers that constitute the secondary sources.  The theoretical model adopted for this paper was the Efficiency School of Thought.  The utility of this theory to the paper is that it illuminates and highlights the responsibilities of governance as continuously increasing in the modern world.  Consequently, it is essential for the central government to focus on national issues while delegating minor and local matters to the smaller units of government.  The findings from the study revealed among other things, that from the various laws and institutions reviewed, it is evident that the local government has come to stay as an independent unit of government outside the Federal and State governments.  The study recommended among other things, that the Federal Government should genuinely superintend the repositioning of the local government system in Nigeria.  This entails the return to the practice under the Babangida led administration when local governments were receiving their monthly statutory allocation directly from the Federation account. Effort should be made to amend section 162(6) 1999 CFRN (as amended) with the view of abolishing the joint State-local government account and scraping some agencies of the State government like the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that are used by the State to control local government.