By Edward David Onoja
My recent interview with The Sun has opened up an important conversation about local government administration and Nigeria’s security challenges. It is a conversation I have consistently advocated, particularly since the landmark Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2024, affirming financial autonomy for local governments.
The truth is simple: we cannot secure our communities if we neglect the government closest to the people.
The Renewed Hope Government’s efforts to establish State Police and strengthen regional security structures are commendable. However, we must equally confront the urgent need to rebuild our 774 Local Government Areas and restore grassroots governance to its rightful place in our national development architecture.
The rise of terrorism, banditry, highway kidnappings and attacks on communities should compel us to ask a fundamental question: What happened to our local governments, and how did we allow the very foundation of grassroots governance to become so weakened?
I have maintained that the gradual suffocation of the local government system in this Fourth Republic has coincided with the deterioration of community security and the decline of grassroots development. We must interrogate this connection and summon the political will to reverse it.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a historic step through the Supreme Court judgement affirming financial autonomy for local governments. This is a watershed moment. But the judgement must transcend legal pronouncements and translate into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Autonomy must mean responsibility. Financial independence must translate into accountability, transparency and measurable development. Our institutions must ensure that public funds are protected, properly managed and deployed for the purposes for which they are appropriated.
Think about it. Insecurity happens in our communities. Our roads, schools, primary healthcare facilities and other essential infrastructure are located in our communities. Even the intelligence required to prevent crime and apprehend criminal elements often begins with the people at the grassroots.
This is why the solution must begin there.
A functional local government system is not merely an administrative necessity. It is a strategic instrument for national security, human capital development and economic prosperity. Properly empowered local governments can strengthen community intelligence, improve access to primary healthcare, revitalise basic education, develop rural infrastructure and create opportunities for our young people.
It is, in many respects, a one-blow solution to multiple national challenges.
The media has a critical responsibility to make this the real national conversation. Beyond the headlines and daily political exchanges, we must sustain a conversation about the institutional reforms capable of fundamentally changing Nigeria’s security and development trajectory.
As we look towards 2027, any presidential candidate with a serious agenda for Nigeria must articulate a clear, practical and measurable plan for the comprehensive rebirth of local government administration. The constitutional foundation has been laid. What we need now is commitment, implementation and results.
If we want a safer, stronger and more prosperous Nigeria, we must start by making our 774 Local Governments work again.
As we approach the polls, let the total rebirth of our local government system become the centre of our national conversation. This is not about political expediency. It is about the survival, security and prosperity of our nation.
The question before us is simple: Can we truly secure Nigeria without first securing and rebuilding the 774 Local Governments that hold our nation together?
– Chief Edward David Onoja is former Deputy Governor, Kogi State
