LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY AND GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE CONSTRAINTS AND DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES IN OKENE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA (1999 – 2024)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between local government autonomy and grassroots development in Nigeria, with specific focus on Okene Local Government Area between 1999 and 2024, in order to illuminate broader challenges within the country’s decentralisation framework. Grounded in decentralisation theory, institutionalism, and public choice theory, the study adopts a survey research design that integrates both primary and secondary data. This methodological approach allows for an in-depth and context-sensitive exploration of institutional structures alongside the lived experiences and perceptions of key stakeholders at the grassroots level. The analysis reveals that although local government autonomy is constitutionally recognised, it remains largely nominal in practice, as state governments exercise pervasive control through the State Joint Local Government Account, centralised personnel management, and the imposition of politically motivated caretaker committees. These constraints have translated into persistent developmental shortcomings in Okene, reflected in deteriorating infrastructure, weak social services, and limited community participation. Beyond structural explanations, the study demonstrates how entrenched power relations and everyday governance practices jointly undermine the developmental capacity of local councils. The paper contributes to existing scholarship by highlighting the value of combining empirical stakeholder perspectives with institutional analysis, and by recommending reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal transparency, administrative capacity, and democratic local governance to reposition local governments as effective drivers of grassroots development.