Former Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said that Local Government (LG) autonomy cannot function under the current Nigerian constitution, stating that it is unrealistic to have such expectations. Fashola stated this amid growing calls for local government autonomy in Nigeria.
Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos State, expressed his views on Channels Television’s Sunrise on Saturday, arguing that the current structure and interference by state governments make true autonomy impossible. He argued that the interference of state houses of assembly in local government affairs contradicts the idea of autonomy.
He explained, “The debate we must have is whether we want autonomous local governments. It’s a debate that must be had. As it stands today, it is unrealistic to expect autonomy for local governments created by the Constitution.”
According to the former governor, the Constitution does not intend for local governments to be fully autonomous, noting that local governments’ economic activities are subject to laws made by state houses of assembly. Fashola emphasised that autonomy, by definition, means acting independently without outside influence, but “a state House of Assembly making laws for what and how a local government can function is in itself an external influence that contradicts the idea of autonomy.”
A key issue raised by Fashola was the control of land, a critical asset for local governments to provide necessary infrastructure. He pointed out that land is controlled by state governments, further limiting local governments’ ability to operate independently.
Fashola explained, “Land, which is an asset that local governments require to provide infrastructure, is controlled by the state governments… If we decide that we want autonomous local governments, those are some of the things we have to free up.”
Supreme Court Ruling and Future Prospects for Local Government Autonomy
Discussing the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, which in 2024 barred governors from dissolving elected local government councils and granted financial autonomy, Fashola acknowledged mixed opinions from legal practitioners. He noted, however, that the ruling could face constitutional scrutiny.
On a positive note, Fashola welcomed the conduct of council elections as a step towards making local governments more independent, suggesting that this development could be an important move toward improving local governance in Nigeria.