The remark credited to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, to the effect that local governments should be transformed into centres of inclusive economic growth and development is not only apt but also timely and necessary.

As a matter of fact, the role of local councils as a critical tier of government in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised, considering their proximity to the grassroots in contrast to the state and federal governments.

Speaking penultimate Wednesday at the 18th Community of Practice (CoP) meeting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, the minister strongly advocated deepening local administration through the creation of governance structures at the ward level. 

The CoP includes the commissioners for budget and economic planning from the 36 states of the federation. It serves as a mechanism to support national economic coordination, enhance intergovernmental cooperation, and ensure that development objectives are aligned across federal, state, and local government structures.

Speaking on the theme of the meeting, ‘Local Government Autonomy: Imperative for Good Governance and Sustainable National Development,’ Bagudu argued that rapid national development would remain stunted unless local administration, particularly at the ward level, is structured to become a true engine of planning, investment, and transformation, where change is not just promised but made real.

He stated that the real question was not whether autonomy existed, but rather how local governance could be effective within the existing framework. 

“Rather than fixating on the control debate, we must focus on functionality,” he stated. The minister emphasised that autonomy should not be seen as an end; it should be a vehicle for development, a platform for service delivery, and a pathway to citizen empowerment.

He urged the commissioners to redefine autonomy not as detachment but as empowered interdependence. “It challenges us to think differently, plan with intent, and act purposefully.”

Bagudu contended, “True development does not trickle down, it must rise from the ground up. If we are serious about transformative change, it must begin at the very base of our society: the ward level.”

He noted that although the ward was the most foundational unit of the nation’s governance architecture, it was paradoxically the most overlooked. Bagudu explained that Nigeria must begin at that level if it is to undergo real and lasting transformation.

The ward is where the realities of poverty are most acutely felt, and where the impact of progress will be most visible and meaningful. Each ward in Nigeria mirrors the broader economy in miniature. Within them are farmers, artisans, vibrant local markets, women managing homes and enterprises, and young people brimming with potential.

They possess abundant natural resources, rich cultural heritage, and a strong human capital. What is often lacking is not potential, but structured support, targeted investment, and deliberate planning to unlock that potential and drive inclusive, grassroots-led growth.

To effectively reduce poverty, increase social protection, and ensure no one is left behind, the ward, not just the local government headquarters, must become the centre of policy planning and economic thinking.

Local governments must begin taking ownership of development by unlocking opportunities at the ward level through investing in primary education and healthcare, improving local road networks, supporting farmer cooperatives, and ensuring that small businesses can thrive.

Blueprint is in sync with Bagudu’s postulation on strengthening the local administration in the country. It is a sad commentary that despite their statutory recognition and autonomy granted by the constitution and affirmed by the Supreme Court, the 774 local councils in the country have remained dysfunctional. They have been relegated to the status of being appendages of state governors who treat the federal allocation to the councils as slush funds.

Although Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) recognises the local councils as the third-tier of government, coming after the state and federal governments, state governors have continuously frustrated every effort towards an effective and efficient local administration in the country.

This deplorable state of affairs had prompted the federal government to request the Supreme Court to affirm the fiscal autonomy of local councils, which the court graciously granted. Unfortunate, the ruling of the apex court appears to have been observed more in the breach than in its adherence.

We call on the federal government to execute the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court granting full autonomy to the local councils across the country. State governors must realise that they will be the greatest beneficiaries of a vibrant local government system.

The local councils, which are grassroots-inclined, know the peculiarities and needs of their people more than governors who operate from far away state capitals, or even Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Additionally, the council chairmen and councillors, who hail from the areas they govern, are more amenable to be held to account than state governors, who may not even be accessible or known by a vast majority of the people. Indeed, local government autonomy is the best way to go if Nigeria is to achieve the desired socio-economic and political development.