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1St June 2012 Publisher: Asian Economic and Social Society Local Online Publication Date: 1st June 2012 Publisher: Asian Economic and Social Society Local Government and the Challenges of Community and Rural Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward Akhakpe Ighodalo (Department of Industrial Relations and Public Administration (Public Admin Unit) Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State University, Ojo -Nigeria) Fatile Olufemi Jacob (Department of Industrial Relations and Public Administration (Public Admin Unit) Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State University, Ojo -Nigeria) Igbokwe-Ibeto Chinyeaka Justine (Department of Industrial Relations and Public Administration (Public Admin Unit) Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State University, Ojo -Nigeria) Citation: Akhakpe Ighodalo, Fatile Olufemi Jacob, Igbokwe-Ibeto Chinyeaka Justine (2012): “Local Government and the Challenges of Community and Rural Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward” International Journal of Asian Social Science, Vol.2, No.6, pp.803-819. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2(6), pp.803-819 Local Government and the Challenges of Community and Rural Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward Abstract One major index of social change and development today is indeed rural development. No nation can boast of having achieved Author(s) development if a large percentage of her rural inhabitants are still wallowing under abject poverty, want and adepth in socio- Akhakpe Ighodalo economic penury. However, in Nigeria, empirical evidence shows Department of Industrial Relations that underdevelopments have continued to wage on as people are and Public Administration (Public either ignorant of, or indifferent to the reasons for which local Admin Unit) Faculty of governments are created. This paper examines the impact of local Management Sciences, Lagos State University, Ojo -Nigeria government on community and rural development in Nigeria, E-mail: [email protected] challenges and the way forward. To scientifically and analytically interrogate the issues raised, the paper traversed conceptualizations Fatile Olufemi Jacob and theoretical terrain; utilizing system and rural development Department of Industrial Relations theories. Yet, because of the dearth of data, it did content analysis and Public Administration (Public Admin Unit) Faculty of of 466 newspapers and magazines in Nigeria published between Management Sciences, Lagos State 2007 and 2011, to determine people‟s feelings about the local University, Ojo -Nigeria governments‟ development efforts in communities. It is the position of this paper that the creation of local government in most Igbokwe-Ibeto Chinyeaka cases were not based on viability and developmental purposes as Justine required by the constitution but on administrative conveniences to Department of Industrial Relations score cheap political goals and legitimacy especially by the and Public Administration (Public Admin Unit) Faculty of military rulers. The paper concludes that while the basic rationale Management Sciences, Lagos State behind the creation of local government is to meet the peculiar University, Ojo -Nigeria needs of the people at the grassroots, it is however pathetic to note that local government has demonstrated incompetence in this regard. Given the catalogue of challenges facing local government, it recommends among other measures, that while local government should remain as a third tier of government, it should be given more powers, resources and enabling environment for the development of localities. Key Words: Local government, Community, Development, Challenges, Effectiveness Introduction development if a large percentage of her rural inhabitants are still wallowing under abject No society can be said to be genuinely growing poverty, want and adepth in socio-economic unless the vital indicators of better living penury. The index of this mode of growth lies conditions, greater control of both the physical in rural development since up to 80% of and social environment and a greater ability, Nigerian reside in rural areas (FOS, 1999), it is capacity and a positive change in the way of life therefore appropriate that effective and efficient and doing things are evident and present in the local administration will aggressively and rural areas – a vital sub-sector of the society. invariably engender rural development. Local Indeed, one major index of social change and government administration in Nigeria has come development today is rural development. No of age, not so much because of its efficiency nation can really boast of having achieved and effectiveness, but primarily because of its 803 Local Government And The Challenges….. longevity and resilience of its relevance in the to compliment the activities administration of the country. The expediency of the state and federal for the creation of local government anywhere government in their areas in the world stems from the need to facilitate and to ensure, through development at the grassroots. devolution of functions to their councils and through The importance of local government is a the active participation of function of its ability to generate sense of the people and traditional belongingness, safety and satisfaction among its institutions, but that local populace. All forms of government, regimes or initiative and response to political systems have so far ensured the local needs and condition are attainment of this goal. Such strategy for maximized (FRN, 1976). ensuring national administrative development and political efficacy is found in the concept This definition is exhaustive and tries to cover and practice of local government. Whatever is much ground in explaining the meaning of local the mode of government; local government has government administration. The 1976 local been essentially regarded as the path to, and government reform and the entrenchment of the guarantor of, national integration, vital provisions of this reform in the 1979, administration and development (Aghayere, constitution set the stage for increased concern 2008). and the awareness of local government administration as an agent of rural development In Nigeria‟s socio-political context, with in Nigeria. multiplicity of culture, diversity of languages and differentiated needs and means, the The definition of local government by the importance of such an organisation in fostering Nigerian 1999 constitution leaves no one with the needed national consciousness, unity and doubt that it is largely both theoretically sound relative uniformity as well as preservation of and service oriented to the people. It talks of peculiar diversities cannot be over-emphasized. representative councils with substantial control Central to the creation of local government, over local development area affairs, for the however, is its ability to facilitate an avenue provision of services and implementation of through which government and the people projects in their areas, to complement the intermix, relate and more quickly than any other activities of both the State and Federal means resolve or dissolve issues that may have governments. The definition also amply heated the system (Ikelegbe, 2005). recognizes the need for local government autonomy as the substantial control of local Local government could be defined as: governments is aimed at staff, institutional and financial matters, among others (FRN, 1999). Government at local level exercise through In addition to the above, the Nigerian Federal representative council Government is one of the few governments in established by law to the world perhaps in addition to Brazil (Erero, exercise specific powers 2008) that have elevated local governments to a within defined areas. These third tier of government. By so doing, the State powers should give the governments do not exercise absolute controls council substantial control over local governments. As we shall also over local affairs as well as observe later, there are many checks and the staff and institutional and balances that have been formulated by the financial powers to initiate Nigerian Federal Government, to facilitate the and direct the provision of effective operations of the local government services and to determine councils. Some of such checks and balances are and implement projects so as guaranteed existence of local governments in 804 International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2(6), pp.803-819 section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, financial Local government has been perceived as a allocation from the Federation account and panacea for the diverse problems of the diverse involvement of local governments in economic people with diverse culture. The means of planning of the State governments (FRN, 1999). achieving rural development which would have engendered national development was not Rural areas are usually referred to as small, visibly seen in Nigeria, from the colonial period inward-looking, and idyllic communities held to the year 1975. Thus, during the colonial rule together by kinship relations and supporting in Nigeria, the colonial masters concentrated on basic agricultural occupations (Ekong, 2003). the welfare of a minor elite population which The characteristic features that differentiate lived in the cities (Igbokwe-Ibeto, 2003). rural from urban areas include: size, particularly areas inhabited by the people, low population Several attempts and approaches have been density, homogeneity, presence of few social adopted since the 1976 local government classes, low standard of living, presence of reforms to bring about genuine
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