AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

BY

GABRIEL FAVOUR EKE, Ph.D*

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY,
WESTERN DELTA UNIVERSITY,
OGHARA, DELTA STATE,
NIGERIA
TELEPHONE: +2348056175436
E-MAIL: ekegabrielfavour@gmail.com.

AND

MAURICE UZOCHUKWU M.
(CARE OF)
GABRIEL FAVOUR EKE, Ph.D*
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY,
WESTERN DELTA UNIVERSITY,
OGHARA, DELTA STATE,
NIGERIA
TELEPHONE: +08037390021

OCTOBER, 2017

................................................................................................................................................
*Dr. Gabriel Favour EKE is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political
Science and Sociology, Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria.

**Mr. Maurice Uzochukwu M. is a Ph.D. Student at the University of Benin,

Benin City.
 GABRIEL FAVOUR EKE, Ph.D* AND MAURICE UZOCHUKWU M.

Abstract
This paper discussed the impact of Local Government in the development of rural
communities in Nigeria. It stated how the long abandonment and neglect of the
local governments in Nigeria have affected the lives and development of the rural
communities. The paper is of the opinion that the influence of people or mad rush
of the people and the competition for scarce resources in the urban areas were as
a result of the neglect of communities by the successive governments that ruled this
country since independence. The objective of this paper is to bring to focus the
level of poverty, corruption and abandonment of the rural areas by the successive
government that ruled this country since independence The paper observed that
the recent move and emphasis on rural development is because the politicians have
discovered that development without the rural areas cannot be real. Hence there
could be no meaningful development without the contributing role of the local
government at the grass root level. The paper concluded by stating that rural
development will involve a strategy of re orientating values, reducing poverty,
creating wealth and generating employment. It recommended a conscious
reorganization and adaptation of the social and political institutions of the state to
suit the needs of the rural population, including offering farmers improved crop
varieties and provide basic services and medium size enterprises that will help to
create jobs in will help to solve the problem of the local areas.
Keywords: Local government, meager resources rural development,
Abandonment, rural communities, poverty and corruption.

INTRODUCTION

The importance of local government in the Development of rural

communities cannot be over emphasized. Despite these obvious facts, local

government has been neglected and abandoned over a long period of time

by the successive government of Nigeria. This abandonment and neglect

were noticed more during the military regimes in Nigeria except the

Babangida period which can be described as the golden period of Local

government area. It is only recently that the politicians realized the fact that

1
any development which neglects the local areas cannot be real and such

objectives cannot equally be actualized that is the reason why emphasis is

now shifted on the effective management of Local government system.

More over the politicians have seen the glaring gap between the rural and

urban areas in terms of infrastructure, resources distribution, human

resources development and employment which has made rural

development necessary (Egonwan 2004.)

It has been seen and proved that no meaningful development can be

achieved without the contributory role of the local government at the grass

root level. The major objective of putting in place an appropriate local

government framework is to forestall a situation where the achievements

of set goals by the local government functionaries become a difficult task in

area of National development. The meager resources at the disposal of

Local Government in the country make it impossible for them to meet the

yearnings and demands of the citizens of this country. This has been the

reason for the call of the local government to mobilize and encourage rural

communities through their communities self help projects without which

serious development will not succeed. The key to effective mobilization

and development of local society lies in the effective development and

mobilization of the human community in agriculture. Essien(2010)

argues that the prime objectives of integrated, local development is the

mobilization of human and material resources for the creation of a healthy

2
economy whose benefits will be shared among all the people, He therefore

recommended the following,

The expansion of human resources and extension services

 The training of personnel and general manpower development

 Greater investment in physical infrastructures

 Provision of credit and banking facilities in the rural areas

 Development of oriented structure of incentive

 Improved supervision and co-ordination of productive efforts of

small-scale rural dwellers through greater participation by local

governments.

Therefore there is the need to empower and strengthen the local

government, the rural communities and their information institutions to

participate in decision making and control, as well as in the planning,

implementation and assessment of development programmers No wonder

Egbon (2006) stated that local governments in Nigeria are enmeshed in a

vicious circle of poverty. The elements of that vicious circle include

inadequate functions of power, finance, poorly paid staff, poor

performance and transfer of functions to state and federal government and

cumbersome structures. The position of Nigeria’s today is that there is a

wide gap between the expectations of the people and what the local

government is able to offer to the people.

The efficiency of the local government rests on the ability of human

resources element to perform their function efficiently and effectively. But

3
experiences have shown that there have been a lot of embezzlement and

corrupt practices at the local government areas. Most of the officials corner

away the funds meant for one project or the other. They connive with the

local contractors to influence budget and award of contract to themselves.

A close look at the mobilization effort in the local government areas and its

management of funds will discover the problem of scarcity of funds

coupled with its non-prudent financial management.

One of the reasons for adopting the decentralized political

arrangement as we did is to bring government closer to the people,

through the institution of local government system.

Section 7 (1) of the 1999 constitution as Amended provided for a

democratically elected local government. Odion – Akhaine (2009) posited

that local government council as distinct units in the country’s federal

arrangement has pre-occupied role to play in the success of administration

in Nigeria. The major concern derive from the need to create a truly

autonomous tier of government that would not only bring about

accelerated development to the grassroots but also give the people the

opportunity to participate in government of their area. This will involve an

effective local management strategy that will require a concrete step

towards changing the existing socio-economic system to a system that will

make room for active participation of the people. In this case social

mobilization must be seen in terms of involving the people in taking part

actively and freely in discussions and decisions affecting their general

4
welfare. Its goal is the creation of a new culture that will transcend the

multitude of negative factors in the Nigerian Nation state.

This is the reason why Tonwe (2003) gave a clear justification for the

creation of local government which includes.

(a) As an Instrument of political education which is in line with the

proponents of democratic participatory school of Jeremy Bentham

and Harold Laski.

(b) As an agent for the provision of efficient services, because local

communities are very conversant with their peculiar problems and

felt needs. This is in consonance with the views expressed by

Williams Mackenzie, as cited by (Tonwe 2003: Ibid)

(c) To decongest the federal Government of unnecessary local issues,

which again is in conformity with the developmental school,

expressed by the United Nations section of public administration,

Department of economics and social affairs (Tonwe D.A 2003).

A Cursory look at the prevailing situation in this country reveals a

multiplicity of problems arranging from rapidly increasing population, an

unstable food situation declining per capita income to unprecedented

inflation. The problems are daunting and the resultant hardship on the

local populace is crippling. A visit to some local government areas attest to

the fact that there are compelling moral, socio-cultural and economic

reasons for a serious attention to be directed to them.

5
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Every government that comes to power in Nigeria has always had

something to say about operation and effective running of the local

government. This is the reason why some reforms have been carried out to

improve the operation of the local government in Nigeria. A cursory look

at the prevailing situation in the local government areas according to

Vaicinieneu (2012) will show an unprecedented confusion. The local

government which suppose to be in the best position to understand the

needs of the grass root population and as well as to render their priorities

have been neglected. In Nigeria research has shown that local governments

have not been put in the correct position to promote development, partly

because of corrupt officials and lack of effective management of resources.

Despite all the reforms carried out to change the situation at the local

government area the situation still remains the same. Partly because of

wrong policies application and corruption or because of non commitment

of those at the top of decision making. Ikelegbe (2004) outlined some of the

problems facing the local government in Nigeria to include

(1) Lack of development projects and improved service delivery because

of excessive politicking.

(2) The issue of financial recklessness and irresponsibility, indicated in

frivolous and unnecessary expenditures including inflated contracts.

6
(3) There was also high scale looting. Most of the local government

chairmen have been accused of corruption, financial miss-

management, theft and fraud.

(4) Some have been known to perform very poorly, though some of

them complain of non co-operation and non charlant attitude of the

state governments in the area of fund control and release of fund

meant for them.

However, it has been said times without number that No

development effort can yield any success in the midst of massive

corruption, embezzlement looting and financial recklessness. No wonder

Fadia and Fadia (2009) Opine that the scandals and cases of corruption,

kickbacks, bribery, extortion lying and deception by government all over

the world in both developed and developing countries at different times,

are too many and too well-known to need any enumeration. It has its

serious effects in the local government area particularly in the distribution

of wealth and malfunctioning of institutions. Also Bello Iman (2005) was of

the opinion that official corruption in Nigeria particularly, in the local

government area is ripe and attractive because the possibility of been

caught or punished is remote as there is no risk of deterrent, essentially

because the institutions and commission established to curb them are

feeble which make it difficult to hold pubic officers and other privileged

Nigerians and those chairmen and caretaker personalities in the local

government area to any minimal level of conduct. This has given room for

7
all manner of behaviors and corrupt practices since they believe or see the

Nigerian or public laws very porous. In Nigeria the laws are meant for the

poor and the less privileged. The rich and the political class in our society

can do anything and get out of it. This in itself continues to impoverish the

rural areas. The good things and finance meant for the rural communities

are hijacked by some rich and political class in our society. Every time they

are calling for reforms and reorganization of the rural areas whenever an

attempt is made to make the rural areas and the local government area

autonomous they always fight against it hence the rural communities have

continued to remain they way it find itself.

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION

Local government involves the philosophical commitment to the idea

of democratic participation in the governing process at the grass root (UN

office 1990) The United Nations office for public administration defined

local government administration as the political sub-division of a Nation

which is constituted by law and has substantial control over local affairs,

including the powers to impose taxes or to exact labour for prescribed

purposes, the government body of such an entity is elected or otherwise

(Tonwe 2003). It is through this grassroots democracy, that the local

government teaches the local citizens the act of self-government. Through

this also the local communities pay taxes and rates to jointly provide the

local community services, which would have been impossible for the local

8
inhabitants to provide individually for themselves. By implication the

effectiveness of local government is measured by the quality and quantity

of development projects, which would be viewed as efficiency and the

social amenities it provides for the well-being of the local communities

(Aghayere 2000).

It has equally been defined as administration set up outside the main

focus of the central, National or regional government. The problem in this

is that there is a glaring absence of legal personality that is ability to sue

and be sued, which is the major characteristic of local government (United

Nations Office (1990).

For Akpan (2006), sees local government as the breaking down of a

country into smaller units or localities for the purpose of administration in

which the inhabitants of the different units or localities concerned play a

direct and full-part through their elected representatives who exercise

power to undertake functions under the general authority of the National

government. Because of this, unit of local government in a giving system is

assumed to possess a given territory and population, an institutional

structure for legislative, Executive and administrative purposes, a given

separate legal identity with a given delegated autonomy.

According to (Aghayere, 2001) in recent times, local government has

become a place of cardinal interest and intension. This is because of the

concern for grass root development, and the key role local government

plays in rural development. This has led to a number of reforms in the local

9
government areas, in which the purpose was to transform the area for the

purpose of improving the lives of those in the rural areas.

From all these, it could be deduced that the purpose of local

government and the purpose of all these reforms in the local areas is for

development, efficiency and effectiveness with the primary purpose of

bringing about transformation and better living condition in the grass root

areas. If the lives of those in the rural areas are not improved, then the

whole essence of reforms and dividing the country or state into different

units becomes efforts in futility

The 1976 reforms of the military administration of general Obasanjo

introduced uniformity in the administrative structure of the system. The

reforms introduce a multipurpose single tier local government system

(Ajayi 2000). The reforms also introduced population criterion under which

a local government could be created. Because of this a population criterion

under which a local government could be created is 150,000 to 800,000 this

was decided in order to avoid a situation in which none viable local

government area could be created. Consequent to this, the local

government was enltarged to have both the executive and the legislative

arm. In 1991 Babangida administration increased the number of local

government from 301 in 1976 to 453 in 1989. The Abacha regime finally

increased the number to 774 local commercial which we operate today

(Ajayi 2000).

10
THE PROBLEM OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
The present state of affairs in the Local government appears that the variables

responsible for poor performance in the Nigerian Local government have not been dealt

with and so the problem still lingers. It is against this background that this study seeks to

assess some of the impact of Local government on Community development in Nigeria

and factors responsible for lack of development in the rural areas and Local government

areas in Nigeria. The Nigerian Local government has been oversized and poorly

remunerated resulting in poor service delivery. Rapid public sector recruitment under

military administrations had resulted in an oversized and under skilled workforce in

whom employees often did not have the appropriate technical skills needed for their

assignments. For example, about 70 percent of workers in the local government service

were low-level staff clerks, cleaners and administrative staff with a secondary school

education or equivalent, 13 percent was university graduates and only 8 percent had

degrees related to economics or accounting.

Local government staff generally received low pay, weak management and

oversight also meant that there were problems with ghost workers on the government pay

roll; while personnel and pension registers often were unreliable. Moreover, a weak

incentive structure in the local government service, which did not foster good

performance, resulted in a weak work ethics and poor service delivery by many

government institutions, often characterized by hidden or outright corrupt behavior on the

part of many local government workers. Reforms were therefore needed to re-

professionalized the Local government and increase its focus on service delivery. And the

11
impact which the implementation of these reforms had created in the Nigerians economy

therefore becomes necessary.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF ANALYSIS Neoclassical structural

change model according to Rostow (1960) as quoted in Todaro (1986)

focuses on the mechanism by which underdeveloped economic structures

move from a heavy emphasis on traditional subsistence agriculture to a

more modern, more urbanized and more industrially diverse

manufacturing and service economy. It employs the tools of neoclassical

price and resource allocation theory and modern econometric to describe

how this transformation process takes place. However despite all the

benefit of this theory it has not worked well in Nigerian setting. The

transformation has not led to the development of the rural areas

economically due to corruption and the wicked activities of the political

class and elite that inherited the political position in Nigeria after

independence and even to this present time.

Another theory is the International Dependence theory, this model

has gained increasing support especially among the third world

intellectual, as a result of a growing disenchantment with both the stages

and the structural change models. Essentially, international dependence

model viewed the third world countries as beset by institutional, political

and economic rigidities, both domestic and international and caught up in

a dependence and dominance relationship to rich countries. This is in

12
contradiction with the Neo classical dependence model which is an indirect

outgrowth of the Marxist thinking. It was of the opinion that the existence

and continuance of the third world underdevelopment has a historical

evolution which is due to unequal international capitalist system which

created a relationship of the rich and the poor. This situation has created

and renders useless and nothing every attempt by the poor nations to be

self reliant and independent in their development effort different and

sometimes even impossible.

However, Egonwan, (2004) was of the opinion that comprehensive

approach to rural development involves detailed planning based on a

careful definition of the needs and resources of the target population and

the setting up of appropriate institutions for implementing rural

development. Another approach is the mobilization process of pooling

together harvesting, activating, actualizing and vitalizing potential human

and material resources for the purpose of development. This is a process

whereby human beings are made aware of the resources at their disposal

and also motivated and energized to collectively utilize such resources for

improving their spiritual and material well being.

In all these, the need for rural development are not in question what

is in contention is the strategy to bring about the expected development.

Rural development has been defined by the economic commission for

Africa (1971) as the outcome of a series of a quantitative and qualitative

changes occurring among the given rural population and whose

13
converging effects indicate in time a rise in the standard of living and

favourable changes in the way of life of the people concerned. However, all

these efforts and theories have not made any meaning in the area of

development in the rural areas. I am of the opinion that no matter the

strategy and reforms put in place to change the present situation in the

Nigerian rural and local government area will not work unless the issue of

corruption is dealt with in Nigeria. The reforms have not really helped

because the same corrupt officials are the same people calling for reforms;

they are the same people implementing the unworkable plans and reforms.

Until there is a change in this regard nothing will happen.

Meanwhile the Democratic participatory school according to

Mackenzie 1964 believes that local government is necessary for political

education and as a training ground for potential politician for the National

parliament. According to Izueke (2010) democratic participatory implies

nurturing the people of the grassroots level about the tenets of democracy,

which is based on fair play and the right of the people.

CONCLUSION

There is evidence to prove that over the years the past government

had not taken the issues that concern local communities very seriously

(Ogundiya 2010). This led to the decline of local government controls. As a

result of this decline most of the powers allotted to the local government

councils were transferred to the regional governments partisan politics

14
prevailed and these adversely affected local communities. Rural

development according to Claude Ake (2001) involves the focusing of

development effort on the transformation of the rural society. It means that

all aspects of development are co-ordinate and flow together to form an

unbroken whole. But in Nigeria all sorts of activities went on in the name

of development this was interpreted to mean improved agricultural

extension services and the encouragement of community development

efforts, these strategies made no impact on the life of the rural people.

People cannot be mobilized for development unless their needs and

aspirations are taken care of and they must be sincerity and commitment of

their leaders towards actual improved development.

According to NEED (2004), rural development will involve the

strategy of reorienting values reducing poverty, creating wealth and

generating employment. It is based on this notion that these goals can be

achieved only by creating an environment in which business can thrive.

The Government should be redirected to providing basic services and

people should be empowered to take advantage of the new livelihood

opportunities to achieve better life for all. This will include offering farmers

improved irrigation, machinery crop varieties which will help boost

agricultural productivity and tackle poverty head on, since most of the

Nigerian population work on agriculture, supporting small and medium

size enterprises this will help create jobs.

15
THE WAY FORWORD

For Development to take place in the rural areas the federal statutory

allocation to Local government should be increased from the present 24%

to 30% to enable the local government have enough fund to perform,

secondly, the method of sharing and disbursing local allocation should be

reviewed and up graded.

In the relationship between the federal, state and local government

revenue sharing, greater part should be given to the local government since

majority of the people reside in that area, and this could reduce the large

influx of people from the rural to the urban areas.

Part of the reasons while our local communities are not developing is

due to corruption, the funds meant for the development of the rural

communities most times are embezzled by the leaders both the state and

the leaders in these local communities, if these are reduced and

accountability ensured there will be development.

The most dangerous factor that tends to destroy the local areas is the

party politics most times, the wrong people are presented against the

wishes of the people, when such persons get there instead of them to

pursue the interest of the people, they will be there to satisfy the interest of

the godfathers who presented them and made sure they captures the

political power to the detriment of the Electorates. To the efficient service

school, which is represented by Mill (1975) the local government exists to

provide services that are beneficial to the people within the areas of their

16
jurisdiction. To them local government will be judged based on success in

providing those services expected of them up to a standard measured by a

National inspectorate. Hence these Services will be better provided by local

government in active participation with the community because they know

their need.

The development strategies should be employed in the rural areas to

improve the conditions of live in the rural communities, while varieties of

crops should be provided to boost agricultural production.

Finally, there should be promotion of private enterprises that will

become an engine of economic growth and development. This will involve

proper implementation of programmes that will ensure greater

transparency and accountability.

It is therefore the contention of this paper that the most important

prerequisites to successful rural development are the creation,

reorganization and adaptation of the social and political institutions of the

state to suit the needs of the rural population.

At Independence in 1960, when Nigerians took over the leadership of the country,

the local government structure was left the way the colonial master kept it. Much was not

changed in the activities and roles of the Nigerian government. The Nigerians in service

replaced the colonial masters and adopted their style of management for self-

aggrandizement and exploitation of the masses. This was between the periods of 1960

and 1966, consequently, Nigerians clamored for Nigerianization policy. The introduction

of the Nigerianization policy in the Local government was meant to reduce and
17
ultimately end the expatriate predominance in the Local government in Nigeria but it

rather brought with it the problem of the regionalization of the Nigerian Local

government, where Nigerians of Northern extract adopted the Northernization policy in

which northerners were given priority attention in the area of recruitment in the service

whether they were qualified or not. The same thing went for the Eastern and Western

regions of the country. This led to segregation and sectionalism in the Nigerian Local

government. In the same vein, the military also disbanded the legislative and elected

representatives of the people.

. The military co-opted former politicians, academics and top Local government to

ministerial posts thereby giving them enormous powers to initiate economic, social, and

political policies and at the same time executed them. This led to the lack of

accountability and probity in the service. During this time, grand corruption was

pervasive among the Local government and others who had access to political power.

Okigbo reported that between 1988 and June 1994, the sum of $12.5 billion government

revenue in extra ordinary ‘Special Accounts’ were unaccounted for and this loot has

continued up till today.

18
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