Decentralization and Local Governance in Nigeria: Enhancing Policy Responsiveness and Service Delivery Through Local Government Autonomy

The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria establishes Local Government Areas (LGAs) as the third tier of government, with direct responsibility for frontline services like primary healthcare, basic education, and sanitation. However, LGAs remain the weakest link in the federal system, constrained by overlapping functions with state ministries, fiscal dependence through state- managed Joint Accounts, insufficient administrative capacity, and irregular elections that erode local accountability. These structural issues have resulted in chronic service delivery failures across the country. This study evaluates how devolving genuine political, administrative, and fiscal power to LGAs can improve policy responsiveness and service delivery. Drawing on comparative evidence from Kenya’s devolution and Brazil’s participatory budgeting, the analysis is grounded in theoretical perspectives of agency theory, participatory democracy, and public choice. The findings indicate that LGAs are better positioned to address community needs when equipped with clear mandates, reliable funding, professional staff, digital tools, and robust accountability mechanisms. Nigerian examples, such as Kaduna’s open budget portal and Lagos’s waste management partnerships, demonstrate this transformative potential. The study concludes with a phased 36-60 month implementation roadmap, emphasizing that decentralization is not merely a technical exercise but a political economy challenge requiring broad- based coalitions for sustainable reform.