The Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution is set to hold a National Dialogue on Local Government Reform on Monday, December 2, 2024. The Dialogue Session is being organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution, in collaboration with Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and with support from the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Local Government reform is one of the focus areas on the Constitution review agenda of the 10th House of Representatives. The recent Supreme Court decision mandating that local government councils must be democratically elected is a significant step toward reinforcing democratic principles at the grassroots level. However, to provide full meaning to this decision, there is a pressing need to amend Nigeria’s Constitution to guarantee local government autonomy, empowering them as independent and effective tier of government in their own right.
This dialogue session aims to bring together stakeholders to explore the reform needs of local government administration, discuss possible constitutional amendments, and create a roadmap toward meaningful autonomy for local governments in Nigeria.
This will involve addressing critical issues related to:
- Financial autonomy
- Administrative independence
- Democratic elections for local government officials
- Mechanisms for accountability and transparency at the local level
By bringing together diverse voices, the Committee aims to build a united effort to promote local government reform that reflects the principles of democracy, transparency, and independence.