How Nigerian Governors and Local Government Chairmen Enter Deals to Bypass Financial Autonomy Order: A Hidden Threat to Local Governance

The long-standing tension between state governors and local government councils in Nigeria has intensified following the landmark Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country. This decision, delivered on July 11, 2024, marked a crucial step toward decentralising power and ensuring financial independence for local governments. The ruling directed…

Read More

Implementation of LG Financial Autonomy Put on Hold as FG, Governors Reach Agreement

The Federal Government and state governors have agreed to delay the implementation of financial autonomy for Local Governments until October. This decision was made due to concerns about salary payments and the overall functioning of these local councils. However, as of July 2024, Local Governments were still not receiving their funds directly. At a meeting…

Read More

SUPREME COURT RULING ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY: A CONSOLIDATION OF NIGERIAN UNITARY FEDERALISM

By Law Mefor Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, the nation’s attorney general, became born again after having previously supported the Nigerian governors in their quest to deny local governments (LGs) financial autonomy. Insofar as the brief is good, lawyers, you know, can represent anybody, even terrorists, bandits, rapists, and killers. By the way, local government autonomy…

Read More

Federal Government Announces Full Local Government Autonomy Implementation Timeline

In light of the Supreme Court’s interpretation regarding the full autonomy of Local Governments (LGs), it is important to recognize that LG accounts are currently not linked to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) as mandated. The Federal Government will, in due course, instruct the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the federation to…

Read More