Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has charged local governments in the state to harness the potential in financial autonomy to scale up service delivery to the grassroots.
Oyebanji, represented by his Chief of Staff, Oyeniyi Adebayo, at a three-day seminar, said local government, “as grassroots-oriented, remains a pivotal institution in the realisation of sustainable development goals and the actualisation of the true spirit of the Nigerian federal structure.”
The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, in partnership with Sunstone Place Management Consultants for council executives, legislature and top management.
He said the workshop, with the theme, ‘LG autonomy: Repositioning the local government for effective service delivery,” would expose participants to best practices, regulatory frameworks, strategic financial management and the practical challenges and opportunities associated with autonomous local governments.
Oyebanji, who described the local government as the engine of grassroots development, charged with the responsibility of providing essential services, infrastructure and governance that directly impact the communities’ lives, said their effectiveness had often been curtailed by financial and operational constraints.
“Local governments, being the closest tier of government to the people, are best positioned to understand and respond swiftly to the unique needs of our communities.
“The capacity to deliver effectively hinges on the ability to manage and control their financial resources independently.
“Financial autonomy for local governments is not merely a legal or constitutional formality, it is the bedrock of effective local governance.
“It enables councils to have control over their resources, prioritise expenditure based on local needs, foster accountability and build institutional resilience,” Oyebanji said.
The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Folorunso Olabode, said the workshop reflected the critical role that local government leaders played in promoting sustainable development and delivering essential services to the grassroots.
Olabode lauded Oyebanji’s principle that “development must not only be driven from the top but owned and implemented at the grassroots.”
The state Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, charged the participants to see the workshop as “a transformational moment that will translate into policy shifts, institutional reforms and measurable improvements in the performance of our local councils.”
The Ekiti State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Oluwasegun Ojo, hailed the governor and the local government ministry for supporting the councils, adding that training and capacity building to ensure competence and proper understanding were key to cover gaps in governance.
