In Nigeria today, we have different states and capitals which are often control by different government officials and if not for the sake of local governments most administration would have crumble and crash. Some of these states and capitals are divided into the variable region, local government, and streets.

All these are to further enhance smooth administration and ensure well-coordinated society. In a different part of the world, there are various states and County, Nigeria makes use of a local government in place of County used by other nation, other nations take for example Africa nations mostly make use of local government in their government division. Today we will be writing chiefly on the type of local government in Nigeria, how it comes to existence, function or duties of this local government.

TYPES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA 

In Nigeria today, we have types of local government, nevertheless, they are not well divided and well categorized.

  • Based On Districts: We have the type of local government which is based on district, they are usually controlled by the district coordinators.
  • Based On Township: Also, we have the type of local government by the township, this type of local government is most often overseeing by the traditional rulers but are subjected constitutionally to the local governments, the chieftaincy and king’s affairs division are responsible for this type of government.
  • We have the other types which are the street government, some street is group together, and are most time coordinated by the counselors which give a report to the local government chairman and other authorities of the local government.

  • WHAT IS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT?

We can generally see local government as the sub body in a state which oversee the affairs of the people and government properties in her jurisdictions. This type of government is always getting and pipping from a central body which is either the state government or the federal government. Taking a look at the local government in Nigeria, it can be ascribed as the 3rd tier or wing of the government which is usually seen as a town, district, village, state, region or province.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA

The local government in Nigeria is the known to be the last level of government in the cadre of government while discussing or writing on government structure in Nigeria. This was allowed all because this type of government is the first and closest to the general masses of a particular nation. Currently, there is 774 local governments area in Nigeria. Kano has the highest number which is 44 while Bayelsa has the smallest number of 9.

In every of these local government areas, it is managed and control by local government council which is all constituted in every state in the nation. This council encapsulates the following the local government chairman, who is in control of the council, his Councilors, and other elected members. They all work together to ensure the smooth running of the council and ensure that dividends of democracy are delivered to people at the grassroots.

These leaders are elected through election officially and are inaugurated to saddle the affairs of the government council for a particular period.

HISTORY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA

Historically, the existence of the local government area in Nigeria can be traced back to 1916 which was the first time a native and local type of authority was constituted via an ordinance. This type of authority was proposed to set in place a form of legal framework via the British so as to establish a form of indirect rules, nevertheless the people of the land then resist this type of government with all vigor this was as a result of the problematic coexistence of different regions and autocratic form of leadership this type of system is having but it is important to know this was the first traces of local government in Nigeria.

The federal system of government that is been practice by Nigeria today commences with the reforms of government in the year 1976, and what this government reform then was for was to restructure the state of the local governments and to decentralize one of the forms of rulership in the country. In the year 1988, there was another government reform which was to set a standard and acceptable ethics a local government should operate with. Happily, this reform really transforms the face of local government area today which was the result for all set of attributes seen them in local government seen today all over the country.

DUTIES OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN NIGERIA

The local government are not just instituted to serves as government branch office or tier but they also perform some outstanding functions which include: 

  1. Birth and death registration
  2. Marriage registration
  3. Public road maintenance
  4. Building and erection supervision
  5. Taxes collection
  6. The naming of roads, streets, and numbering of houses.
  7. Provision of homes for destitute and infirm, cemeteries and burial grounds.
  8. Construction and maintenance of roads, street drains, street lighting, parks, open spaces, and other public highways.
  9. Establishment, maintenance, and regulation of markets, motor parks, etc.
  10. Maintenance and provision of refuse disposal and public conveniences.
  11. Control and regulation of shops, restaurants, kiosks, and other venues for sales of food.
  12. Economic planning and development.

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CONCLUSION

In Nigeria today, the diversity and composite systems make the control and administration of the nation difficult, but the establishment of the third arm of government which is the local government has made control of most region easier for different government leaders, we have discussed on history of local government, duties, and types of local government in Nigeria. Further emphasis cannot be placed on local government in Nigeria outside the one discussed earlier.

Tags: History Of Local Government In Nigeria, Types Of Local Government In Nigeria

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