Agora Policy, Others Host Policy Dialogue on Enthronement of Accountability in LGs 

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja 

In a bold move to deliberate on how to deepen accountability, democracy and good governance in the nation’s 774 local governments (LGs), Agora Policy and five partners are Monday (today) hosting a policy conversation with an array of critical stakeholders in Abuja. 

The policy conversation, which will feature special interventions from experienced stakeholders, comments from participants and a drama presentation, will be held at the main auditorium of the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. 

The event is in response to the July 11, 2024 ruling of the Supreme Court, which authorised direct disbursement of federation allocations to the local councils, and affirmed that it is illegal for local governments to be run by caretaker committees appointed by state governors. 

Put together with the support of MacArthur Foundation, the policy conversation is designed to tease out practical ways of ensuring that the implementation of the decision of the apex court translates to positive change in local government administration across the country and ultimately, to significant improvement in citizens’ welfare.

Organised by Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, in partnership with the BudgIT Foundation, Yiaga Africa, the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Premium Times and The Cable, the theme of the event is ‘Enthroning Accountability in Local Governance in Nigeria.’

Commenting on the event, the founder of Agora Policy, Waziri Adio, said: “Our considered view is that while financial autonomy to the LGAs is not a bad thing, that by itself might not change much if it is not undergirded by robust accountability mechanisms.

“Financial autonomy should not be an end by itself but a means to more effective governance, deeper democracy and better service delivery at the local level. 

“However, there does not appear to be an automatic link between direct federation allocation to the LGAs and the improved performance that we expect. It is therefore important to spend time in identifying and thinking about how to emplace the other things that are needed to achieve more effective, more responsive and more impactful governance at the tier of government closest to the people.”

The policy conversation will feature dissection and deliberation on issues such as the state of local government administration and elections, the constraints and pathways to optimal performance in local councils, mechanisms for deepening participatory, accountable and inclusive governance at the local level, and best practices from within and outside the country on local governance and citizens’ engagement.

At the core of the deliberation will be a panel session, featuring the National President of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Aminu Maifata; a professor of political institutions, good governance and public policy at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Remi Aiyede; Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo and the Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Ms. Bukky Shonibare.

The session will be moderated by Ms. Nabilah Usman of Radio Now. 

The policy conversation is expected to be followed by a series of interventions by the partners and other key stakeholders on how to improve governance in Nigeria’s local councils.