The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister on the Economy, Wale Edun, will deliver the keynote address at the policy dialogue on Nigeria’s Local Councils reforms scheduled for Tuesday in Abuja.
The dialogue convened by Agora Policy, a Nigerian think tank, will deliberate on how to improve the performance and relevance of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.
The theme of the event is ‘Enthroning Accountability in Local Governance in Nigeria.’
Organisers of the programme said the policy conversation is designed to review the implementation of Supreme Court’s judgment on financial autonomy to the Local Government Areas one year after the ruling.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered the landmark judgment which not only granted the Local Government Councils financial autonomy, but also the mandate for LGAs to be run by elected officials.
The case was instituted by the Federal Government.
Top policymakers, academics and members of civil society are expected to participate in the dialogue to be held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua, Abuja.
“One year is a good time to take stock and to start thinking about far-reaching reforms aimed at ensuring that our local councils are well positioned to discharge their constitutional responsibilities and meet the expectations and needs of our citizens,” says the founder of Agora Policy, Waziri Adio, said.
The policy conversation organised by Agora Policy in partnership with the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), the Cable Newspapers, and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI), is supported by MacArthur Foundation.
Other guest speakers expected at the event include Dr. Kole Shettima of MacArthur Foundation, Professor Diana Mitlin, the CEO of ACRC, Professor Remi Aiyede of the University of Ibadan, Ms. Deborah Isser of the World Bank, Ms. Cynthia Rowe of the British High Commission, and Ms. Ojobo Atuluku, the Chair of Agora Policy.
Also, the event will feature a panel session to dissect the progress and challenges with the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling and to provide pathways for more effective, responsive and accountable local administration in the country.
The panellists include Lawal Yandaki, the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); Akintunde Oyebode, the Chairman of the Forum of Finance Commissioner and the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in Ekiti State; Hajia Saudatu Mahdi, the Secretary General of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA); Mr. Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa; and Dr. Umar Yakubu, the Executive Director of CFTPI.
The overall goal is to get critical stakeholders to focus on the imperative of roots and branch reforms at the local level and how to make them happen. This is the second policy conversation by Agora Policy on local government reforms.
Agora Policy is a Nigerian think tank and non-profit committed to finding practical solutions to urgent national challenges. It conducts policy research, facilitates frank and purposeful dialogues, and builds capacity for governance, policy and advocacy.
