LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT (A CASE STUDY OF DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT)

Local Government (LG) is the closest tier of government to the people, and the quest for local government autonomy still generates exciting and healthy debate in Nigeria. This study examines critically the opportunities and problems, which confront the Nigerian local government system in its efforts to establish itself as a true tier of government. The objectives of the study were aimed at achieving some specific goals which were to find out why the practice of complete local government autonomy is difficult in Nigeria; to examine the existing grassroots development initiatives in the local government, to identify the challenges hindering effective grassroots development in the local government and to provide recommendations for enhancing local government autonomy and promoting sustainable grassroots development. One hundred (100) questionnaires were distributed to the staff in Dekina local government area and one 100 questionnaires were properly completed and returned. Tables and simple percentages were used for the data analysis. The findings revealed that administrative inefficiencies emerged as significant challenges hindering the effective implementation of grassroots development projects. However, the findings also revealed that the respondents acknowledged the necessity of increasing fiscal autonomy for local governments, suggesting a consensus on the importance of financial empowerment. Recommendations were made that Dekina local governments should implement mechanisms to actively involve communities in the planning and implementation of development initiatives, ensuring their voices are heard and valued.