Local Government Financial Autonomy: A Veritable Tool for Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Rural Communities

Résumé

For quite a long time, the demand for local government autonomy has been deafening. Such demands have been hinged mainly on financial autonomy. These calls became imperative and needful because the state/local government joint account renders local councils almost financially impotent and handicapped since the state czars determine and dictate what goes to local councils. This is against the spirit of federalism. Considering the position of Local Councils in Nigeria Federalism, one can emphatically state that for the much-talked-about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to make any headway in terms of achievement, their financial autonomy is very central and strategic. This study, therefore, examined how financial autonomy of local government councils can help in realising the laudable Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programmes in rural communities vis-à-vis what SDGs stand for. The study made use of qualitative data collected through secondary sources. The study was anchored on van der Ploeg and Marsden’s Rural Web model as the framework of analysis. The study found that the overbearing powers of the state governors and the ambiguities in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) constitute impediments to the financial autonomy of local government councils. The paper therefore recommends among others, that provisions that constitute impediments to the realisation of local government autonomy should be expunged from the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to pave the way for thorough local government autonomy; the rural web model should be adopted by all the LGs across the country in order to engender integrated developments in the rural areas; and any state governor that interferes in the financial affairs of the Local councils or fails to conduct credible local council elections should be impeached by the legislature.