The State of Local Government and Service Delivery in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

Local government creates an appropriate and conduciveenvironment for the people at the local level through efficient and effective service delivery. The value of localgovernment in a country is inestimable because it is an indispensable arm of government. As a result, the link between the qualities of service that citizens enjoy is very significant. The article examines local government and effective service delivery with special reference to Nigerianlocal governments. It notes that Local government is the closest government to the people at the grassroots level,so it is expected to play significant roles in providing the social services for the people in order to improve their standard of living. But in Nigeria, the impact of local government is so far limited, especially with regard to improving service delivery. The article observes that despite the strategic importance of local government to the development process through effective service delivery, there has not been much development in most local governments in Nigeria. The article recommends that local governments in Nigeria need adequate autonomy that can facilitate their operations and development of the localities through effective service delivery.