CHALLENGES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA: A CASE OF THE OLD NNEWI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, 1979-2014

Abstract

The modern form of local government as the third tier of Nigeria’s political system had its uniformity in 1976. Since then, it has continued to exist and function with its executive and legislative arms of government at the grassroots level, to improve participatory democracy, service delivery, and sustainable development. However, in dispensing such roles attributed to it, local government had over the years been cut up with a lot of challenges, although the different local government reforms enunciated and further enshrined into the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria for a smooth operations. This study will examine such challenges that affect the Nnewi Local Government Area which was one of the Local Government Areas created in 1976 and has further split into three local government areas, namely; Nnewi North Local Government Area, Nnewi South Local Government Area, and Ekwusigo Local Government Area, which are the focus area of this study. The study is presented in a thematic approach, with historical data presentation and analysis; it relies on information generated from both primary and secondary sources of data. The study finds that corruption, shortage of manpower, lack of political and financial autonomy of Nnewi Local Government in particular and other local governments in general need to be addressed urgently through local government reforms to enhance its effectiveness.