Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, Leads Critical Conversation on Local Government Autonomy at NBA’s State of the Nation Discourse 2025
WELCOME ADDRESS BY MAZI AFAM OSIGWE, SAN:
Distinguished guests, Your Excellencies, Governors of State, Represented Attorneys General, Senior Advocates, Honorable Justice Agent Biaku, JSC (Rtd.), our esteemed keynote speaker, and all present, I am honored to welcome you to the Nigerian Bar Association’s State of the Nation Discourse on local government financial autonomy.
Today, we gather not merely to discuss legal frameworks but to reflect on the state of our nation through the lens of local government autonomy. This conversation is imperative given recent developments in Osun State, where reports indicate that up to ten persons have lost their lives due to a supremacy battle between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over control of local governments. Such events highlight the critical need to address governance at the grassroots level to avert further loss of life and political unrest.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a decisive judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local government councils. Yet, despite the clarity of this ruling and the provisions of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee democratic governance at the local government level, disagreements persist. Some argue that granting financial autonomy to local governments undermines the structure of our federal system, while others assert that it is a constitutional right that must be respected.
In response to the Supreme Court’s judgment, several state governments, including my own home state, have enacted laws requiring local governments to remit portions of their revenue to the state. Their rationale lies in concerns that unchecked financial independence may disrupt essential services such as primary education and healthcare, which are coordinated at the state level.
The Nigerian Bar Association has convened this discourse to provide a neutral platform for meaningful engagement. We have invited representatives from the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), state governors, and legal experts to deliberate on these pressing issues. I am hopeful that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State will contribute his insights to this crucial conversation. Furthermore, while the Attorney General of the Federation could not be physically present, he is ably represented by T.A. Gazali, Esq., Director of Civil Appeals at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
As we proceed, it is vital to confront several difficult questions: Are we comfortable with a future where political rivalries escalate into violence over control of local government finances? Why do state governors secure near-total victories in local government elections while facing tougher contests at other levels? Is the state-independent electoral commission complicit in suppressing true democratic processes at the grassroots?
I do not claim to hold all the answers, but I firmly believe in the sanctity of democratic governance at every level. Local governments, as the tier of government closest to the people, must be empowered to operate independently. The Nigerian Constitution must be respected, and all stakeholders must allow the local government system to breathe.
Our conversation today is not merely academic; it is a moral and legal imperative. If we fail to address the dysfunction at the local government level, we risk enabling broader systemic failures that could destabilize our nation. We must work together to ensure that democracy thrives from the grassroots to the highest echelons of governance.
I encourage all speakers and panellists to share their perspectives candidly and constructively. Our collective goal is to promote peace, security, and democratic governance across Nigeria. This discourse is a step toward shaping a future where local governments can fulfil their mandate without undue interference and where the law is not merely an abstraction but a living reality.
Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all again and invite you to engage in this critical dialogue. Let the conversation begin, hoping it will pave the way for a stronger and better Nigeria. Thank you.
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN
NBA President.
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