Amid rising demands for local government (LG) autonomy in Nigeria, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has argued that achieving true independence for the country’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) is unrealistic under the 1999 Constitution.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise program on July 19, 2025, Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of Works and Housing, emphasized that the Constitution’s structure inherently limits LG autonomy due to the significant influence of state governments.
Fashola highlighted that Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution grants state Houses of Assembly authority to make laws governing LG operations, creating an external influence that contradicts the concept of autonomy.
He noted that even land, a critical resource for LG infrastructure development, is controlled by state governments, further undermining local independence.
“The legal and ordinary meaning of autonomy suggests acting independently without outside influence. A state House of Assembly making laws for how a local government can function is in itself an external influence,” he stated.
He also pointed to historical context, explaining that the State-Local Government Joint Account, mandated by Section 162(6), was introduced due to LGs’ failures in the early democratic era post-1999.
Many LGs defaulted on basic obligations like paying salaries and pensions for primary healthcare workers and teachers, leading to debts that states had to address.
Fashola, drawing from his experience as Lagos governor (2007–2015), recalled inheriting such debts, which shaped the joint account system to ensure financial oversight.
Fashola’s comments come in the wake of a July 11, 2024, Supreme Court ruling that granted financial autonomy to LGAs, mandating direct federal allocations and barring governors from dissolving elected LG councils.
Despite this, implementation has faced hurdles, with the Central Bank of Nigeria diverting ₦361.754 billion in LGA funds through state governments in January 2025, citing audit requirements. Fashola argued that a broader debate is needed to clarify whether Nigerians truly want autonomous LGs, given the constitutional constraints.
His tenure as governor faced similar challenges. In 2019, Segun Aka-Bashorun, a former Kosofe LGA vice-chairman, revealed that Fashola attempted to enforce transparency in LGs but was stifled by political “godfathers” who pressured him to focus on state affairs.
Fashola maintains that LG autonomy remains an impractical expectation under the current legal framework.
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