By Christian ABURIME
In recent times, discussions on Nigeria’s federal structure and Local Government administration have grown louder, fueled by both legislative actions and judicial pronouncements. At the centre of this discourse is the question of Local Government autonomy, a concept that stirs strong emotions among various stakeholders across the country.
Anambra State, under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has joined the debate through two key legislations passed by the Anambra State House of Assembly in 2024: the Anambra State Economic Planning and Development Law and the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law. While some critics have raised concerns about the consistency of these laws with the recent Supreme Court judgment and the advocacy for Local Government autonomy, Governor Soludo’s vision is clear: these laws are progressive and designed to enhance governance at the grassroots without impinging on the Supreme Court ruling
Governor Soludo, as a seasoned economist and federalist, has long been a proponent of competitive federalism in Nigeria. For a country as complex as Nigeria, with its multi-ethnic and multi-religious makeup, a straight-jacketed approach to Local Government administration would be counterproductive. In this regard, Governor Soludo advocates the importance of state flexibility in determining the structure and composition of their Local Governments. Citing constitutional provisions, he emphasizes that Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution explicitly grants state governments the authority to establish, structure, and finance Local Governments through laws passed by their respective state legislatures. This provision, in the governor’s view, reflects a deliberate compromise by the framers of the constitution, who recognised the diverse realities across Nigeria’s 36 states.
It is worth noting that Anambra is not alone in exercising this constitutional power. States like Lagos, as early as 2004, set a precedent by passing laws that redefined the structure of Local Government administration to suit their unique contexts. Similarly, states such as Ebonyi have tailored their local governance systems to address the needs of their communities. These actions affirm the principle that the structure and composition of Local Governments should not be uniform across Nigeria but rather be reflective of each state’s peculiarities.
For Governor Soludo, the idea of “absolute financial autonomy” for Local Governments is problematic. He apparently prefers a collaborative framework where Local Governments work closely with the state to deliver development and services effectively. So, the current agitation for full financial autonomy is misplaced, as it overlooks the need for synergy between the two tiers of government. True autonomy lies in the ability to plan and execute policies that are relevant to the local realities, rather than focusing solely on financial independence, which could lead to fragmentation and inefficiency.
The recent legislations passed in Anambra reflect this philosophy. The Anambra State Economic Planning and Development Law is designed to create a more efficient framework for economic development across all tiers of government, ensuring that Local Governments are integral players in the state’s development agenda. The Local Government Administration Law similarly aims to enhance the capacity of Local Governments to deliver on their mandates, while maintaining a close working relationship with the state government.
In other words, Governor Soludo’s position on Nigeria’s evolving federalism is a reflection of his broader vision for the country, a belief in the power of cooperative federalism grounded in the reality that Nigeria’s diversity requires flexibility and adaptation, not rigid adherence to a uniform model of local governance.