POLITICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ECONOMIC GAINS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT AREAS (LCDAs) IN NIGERIA (ONDO STATE IN PERSPECTIVE) SPEECH, DELIVERED BY OLUMIDE ASERE, Ph.D., FCIPAN, MNIM, MCIPM, AT THE ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE POWERED BY THE DEMOCRAT NEWS MAGAZINE AT THE NUJ HALL, ALAGBAKA ON 10TH DEC. 2023
Introduction
Let me start by stating that, the creation of Local Council Development Area (LCDAs) is one of those ingenious homegrown solutions adopted by our political elites to resolve some of the palpable contradictions of our nascent democracy.
For me, it certainly epitomizes the intellectual crafting designed to resolve the endless intrigues and bickering associated with our political space in the last six decades. You will recall that, the 1979 Constitution had articulated Nigeria’s federation as a tool of unification with a view to solving problems of marginalization, the federal character and ethnic minorities.
Surprisingly, shortly after take off, there were manifestations that constituted albatross for the new republic. These impediments and their attendant complications which were once described as the ‘Nigerian Question’ were the perpetual quest for the rightful definition of Nigeria’s federal system, compounded by problems of ethnic minorities, structural deficiencies and corruption. I therefore posit that the inability of the Nigerian state to resolve these intractable contradictions have led the country to a gradual eclipse and near disintegration. What was initially, a seeming innocuous political discourse had, gradually metamorphosed to a humongous and unstoppable cataclysm.
Today, ‘these questions’ are, at the heart of the social restiveness, ethnic insurgence and other security lapses threatening the nation’s unity and practically rendering her ungovernable. Devolution of Powers in a federation.Going forward, many scholars, literally agree that, the only solution to the crisis of governance rests squarely on devolution of powers to local entities to give the ethnic minorities in the federation a voice. The creation and recreation of multiple local government councils is therefore, a step to assuaging the cravings and desire for self-governing status among demographics in a democracy. The word LCDA was merely an appellation coined by states to evade constitutional conflicts arising from the creation of new local governments. It is therefore, a necessity to address the inherent conflict between two federal entities. We may therefore, need to find a meeting point between the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Area.
The Local Government, according to the United Nations office for public Administration (1976), “is a political subdivision of a state (in a Federal System) which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs including the power to impose taxes and exert labour for prescribed purposes.”…
The guidelines for the reform of Local Government (1976) defined it as “Government at the local level exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within a defined area”. The Local Council Development Area on the other hand, is a body created by some Nigerian state governments, to pursue state specific development agenda and administrative convenience.
All LCDAs like Local governments have three branches, they are: the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The first LCDAs were successfully created by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was the governor of Lagos state between 1999 and 2003. Since then, other states in the South west including our dear state have adopted this strategy to address the problems of political inclusion and minority interest. Many pundits have attributed the lopsided nature of the Nigerian state as catalyst for potential crisis. They have also expressed doubts about the integrity of our institutions and their sustainability in the face of open hostilities from resurgent forces from across nationalities. Despite this, however scholars have expressed confidence in the local government as an institution. Akindele, Obiyan & Owoeye (2000) have re-echoed the fact that a Local Government is a subordinate administrative system by means of which the affairs of a particular division and subdivision of a country or state are managed. Mackenzie, (cited in Gboyega 2000) posited that Local Government serves as a vehicle for training in national governance.
The powers to established local government is well entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic which states thus: “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every state shall subject to section 8 of this constitution, ensure their existence under a Law. The creation of LCDAs in the South West was in difference to this provision as it commits wide powers to governors to execute state creation within their territories. How did we get here?It is interesting to note that whatever Nigeria has become today was built on a foundation provided by the Indirect Rule system of administration established by the British colonial government and that the diversity and demographics of Nigeria was a natural attraction for the establishment of a federation. According to Madu. et all, the Nigerian federal structure arose from her colonization by the former, British Colonial Master, “an imposition that eventually came up with a somewhat artificial geopolitical synthesis”. For me, like Awolowo, the Nigerian federal structure was experimental, designed by the British authorities to sustain the economic configuration of colonialism. Colonial territories were maintained as purely commercial enterprises of the colonial government, hence, the structure and institutions that emerged from this arrangement were meant to support this falsehood. It must be stressed that, this atavistic notion of governance is the root of our democratic failure. Therefore, If Nigeria is truly desirous of development and restoration of democratic values, this perception that government institutions must serve the interest of a few privileged class, a seed sown by the colonial government must be tempered with. So far, there is no action on the part of the political class to suggest this.As a student of history, it is my responsibility to undertake a retrospective view at the genesis of the creation of LCDAs. The Yorubas often say, if there is no reason, a woman does not bear certain names like Kumolu, This, taken literally means, every action is embedded in a reason. I will proudly say that our amiable governor, Arakunrin, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, CON. will be justified by posterity because, like his contemporary, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, he has carved a niche for himself by following the steps of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of the founding fathers of Nigeria. Awolowo had envisioned a very complex nation and on the premise of an imperfect amalgamation pushed for full federalism at the inception of independence based on the need to correct the phantom assumption of a united nationhood. The colonial powers had, acting on a misguided premise committed the irreversible mistake that perhaps led the former Western Nigeria Governor, to call Nigeria a mere ‘geographical expression”. Permit me to state therefore that, it was in a bid to correct the absurdities of an incongruous political structure that successive administrations have attempted to bifurcate the federation into distinct units, first, as regions of three, and now 36 states.We must be reminded that new and unexpected challenges did emerge after the civil war that brought the minority interests to the front burner of discourse. Increasing social restiveness in Nigeria also meant that, as new state were created, there were agitations for more because, creation of new regions and states were perceived as panacea to the festering wounds inflicted by the civil war. Proceeding from this trajectory, it would appear that the post-civil war years had increased the propensity for bigotry and individualism as it significantly exposed the inherent ethnic discontent and the disunity of the diverse elements of the Nigerian state. Since then, the nation faced the problem of constant agitation for new states and local government, a mission which fulfillment had mostly been found during the Military administrations as summarized here: 1954 – 1963: Three (3) regions 1963 – 1967, Four (4) regions;1967 -1975; Twelve (12) states; 1975 – 1987: Nineteen (19) states; 1987 – 1991: Twenty-one (21) states; 1991 to date: Thirty-six (36) states. The emergence of Local government administration in Nigeria followed a similar design of state creation. Local governments proceeded from the desire to expand the frontiers of development through creating local initiative and opportunities. It was thus, a complementary move to strengthen the states and give impetus to true federalism.
TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORN
One noticeable fact in the crystallization of State and Local government creation was that, the Military were most successful in in these efforts than the civilian administration. The reason for this would be seen as we proceed in this discourse. As at today, we have a total 774 local governments created across the country all by the Military. Perhaps one of the many bold moves ever made by any civilian administration, was taken by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu as governor of Lagos state and since then other states in the South west has followed. Arakunrin, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, in his usual characteristic boldness and assertiveness, had on September 2023 signed the bill on establishment of 33 new LCDA in all the senatorial District of the state. This, as earlier stated was in tandem with the position of the South west governors’ forum submission to the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional review and it was complementary to actions already taken by the other South West states, namely: Lagos; Osun; Ekiti; Oyo and Ogun that have announced similar decisions. Taking a critical look at the newly birthed LCDAs, you will agree with me that Ondo state has finally taken a leap forward in development. Therefore, the decision of the Arakunrin Akeredolu’s administration to follow the steps taken by other states is in order. For all intents and purposes, this government has succeeded in resolving an age long conundrum of structural reforms at the subnational level. The former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Olurunimbe Mamora, while speaking after 30 lawmakers voted in support of the 37 LCDAs creation on June 18, 2002, commended his colleagues for taking the step, saying that the newly created entities would bring government and development closer to the grassroots. By this action, the Lagos state government succeeded in setting a new paradigm in governance. The creation of additional 37 LCDAs was intended to support the existing 20 originally created by the Federal government.”. Suffice to say here, that it takes more than just bravado to survive the murky waters of the Nigerian politics. President Bola Tinubu had to fall back on his wits and mental prowess to overcome the brick bats that followed after the states monthly allocation was withheld for several years and the policy was only reviewed by the Jonathan administration. The decision of our amiable governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, CON to follow this path was no doubt, in keeping with the true definition of the federalism which has been the crux of the progressive mantra for decades. The new LCDAs, as indicated in the speech of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly at the passing of the bill for the creation of the 33 new Local Council noted that: the bill was to fast-rack development at the grassroot. The LCDA has been noted to provide complementary services for Local governments in states where they exist, most especially, the South west.Problems Local Government Creation
On a global scale, it is imperative to note that the problem of local government administration in Africa today is significantly influenced by what I would refer to as the hangover of colonialism. Claude Ake (1996), a renowned Political economist observed that that the political structure of African countries which is largely dominated by authoritarianism has significantly impaired the progress of development of these states. He identified the root cause of problem of development in Africa as fallout from the over-centralization and absence of devolution of power from the central government, a legacy bequeathed on Africa by the colonial government. He summed up his position by stating that, the political situation of Africa remains the greatest impediment to her development. He further identified the struggles of African states after independence as they strive to extricate themselves. This included, adoption of traditional agriculture and political development based on decentralization while indigenous communities (Local Governments) have been striving to provide some measure of refuge from the cohesive powers of the central state. Why the Military has been most successful in the creation of Local government than their civilian counterpart is a major subject of debate among scholars. Many have alluded to the fact that ethnic fragmentation and cultural diversity are key factors that have contributed to this. The Military command structure and authoritarian tendency are most plausible justification for the success achieved in this regard. It has been observed that political elites, until now has never been united in bringing about the realization of Local government creation because of intrigues and lack of cohesion that usually follow such plans. Most often, the political space became unusually rancorous and toxic with different interests pursuing conflicting agenda that would benefit their primordial instincts, often resulting to base and unethical conduct that sometimes leads to fracas and gruesome fatalities. This leaves only the military with the capability to wield the ‘big stick’ and act by fiat.The politics of local government creation can be seen as signposting a critical dilemma in administration therefore, it was always controversial, just as now deciding the criteria for establishing new local government headquarters across boundaries and ethnic divisions. The outcome of every new local government created always had within it, inherent contradictions and conflicting diatribe. The result is that, the more local governments were created, the more the tendency for attrition as local tribal units make new cases for their own. Many scholars have attributed this to class and elite conflict. Accordingly, Ikelegbe, (1996) the elite theory holds the view that public policy reflects the values and preferences of the elites rather than the demand of the masses. It was believed that the political elite and the Military have been entangled in an unholy alliance. This was primarily to protect their class interest by creating new local government, not necessarily to give vent to the political altruism of spreading development to the grassroot but rather, conceding to some welfare politics and public demand (Okoro,and Osimerah, 2017). No doubt, Local government administration has been considerably weakened by these and other problems that would be highlighted in due course
The political elites according to the Elite theory, are a minority but very organized in every facet of life. They comprise of superior individuals who are intellectuals and have economic power hence, in creation of Local Government, they used their economic power and intellectual might to create councils in their communities. Some of them even served in the committees that made the recommendations. Appointment into local governments during the Military was thus facilitated by crass opportunism and only the military errand boys and cronies could benefit. This marked a departure from the purpose, and the beginning of the rot in our local government institution. Owing to this, Abu (2005), noted that, the councils created by the Military have only produced more absurdities including many artificial boundaries which in most cases created more division among people of the same cultural affinity; some were merged with traditional hostile neighbours in the strange wedlock. The consequence of this was devastating, due to lack of internal cohesion, crisis engulfed the affected communities such as: Jos North and South Local Government in Plateau State, Ife/Modakeke in Osun State, Zango-kataf in Kaduna State, Ogbe-Ijoh-Itsekiri in Delta State and the Aguleri-Umuleri in Anambra State are just a few to mention.It was also observed that, Local governments that were created by the military were not intended for national development because the most critical and important considerations for Local government establishment which is the size of the population was not given due consideration. Lagos State which shared the same population with Kano state has less Local Governments, while Lagos has 20, Kano has 44. Also, while the new Kano now has 44 councils, Jigawa that was exercised out of old Kano has 27. Nasarawa state with almost same population with Bayelsa with 1,869, 377 and 1, 406, 239 respectively also shows a great disparity of 8 Local Government for Bayelsa and 13 for Nasarawa.
The population of Delta State is more than that of lmo State yet, Imo has more Local Governments than Delta State. The old Bendel State had 19 Councils but the Military in 1991 created Edo and Delta, each now has 25 and 18 Councils respectively. The concomitant effect of this is to make some states more economically viable due to the quantum of revenue allocation from the consolidated revenue, while leaving others, especially in the South with fewer local government councils impoverished and insolvent. The seed of the LCDA initiative was thus prepared for the future.Over Dependency of StatesIt has been substantially proven that a key attribute of our distorted federalism is the supremacy of the federal over the regional and local governments. This has constituted a major hinderance much to the point that one sometimes wonder if, we are not actually a unitary state due to excessive dependency of the subnational entities on the central government. This over dependency according, to Aluko (2006) is why local government is subservient to the state governments. There are also the problems of poor intergovernmental relation raised by scholars. Dibie (2014a) contends that part of the problem is that political leaders and public administrators in Nigeria would not recon that federalism cannot be successful without effective use of intergovernmental instruments. Poor Inter-governmental RelationsAccording to Adamolekun (1999), Eneanya (2010) and Aluko (2006), poor intergovernmental relations have led to policy failures and the collapse of many developmental projects implemented by the local governments both in military and civilian administrations. Of equal importance is the dearth of skilled personnel at the management level. Another major problem facing the quality of local government leadership is the gradual erosion of power and authority. Lack of clear separation of powers between state and local government as expected in a federal system of government has made state governments to exert influence in areas formally dominated by the local government administration. It has been alleged, (though without proof) that states do interfere with the activities of local governments by usurping their allocations from the Federal Government thus making accountability difficulty and disrupting their idea of financial autonomy (Eneanya 2009; Adebayo 2004). Financial InterferenceI must say, in reaction to this that, the problem of interference in the finances of LGs/LCDAs is not limited to states alone, the Federal government is equally guilty of interference with the affairs of States especially on resource control and only proper restructuring can mitigate this problem. To sustain the momentum of development therefore, it is pertinent to view the intrinsic value attached the Efficiency and the Democratic participation theory. The efficiency theory, postulates that Local governments/LCDAs have the capacity to provide efficient services that are local in character (Mackenzie in Ezeani, 2012) and that because of their closeness to the grassroots, local Inadequate ResourceOn studies conducted by the Organization of European Economic Development (OECD), it was observed that, there is a low level of resources in the local government and this account for why local governments’ resources in Africa are so much lower than national governments.’ This is partly due to the fact that western countries tend to be well decentralized than many African countries (Bodman and Hodge, 2010). Most African countries like Nigeria are bedeviled by an exceptionally low level of subnational autonomy, even compared to other countries with similar income levels (OECD/UCLG, 2019). Although, most African countries including Nigeria undertook decentralization reforms in the 1990s and 2000s to strengthen local government (Crawford and Hartmann, 2008[9]). There is therefore need for additional devolution of powers.Need for more DecentralizationDespite these efforts, African countries are still heavily centralized. In the 14 African countries for which data is available, local governments are responsible for only 11% of all public investment. In contrast, local governments in low and lower middle-income countries outside Africa are responsible for 34% of all public investment, which corresponds roughly to the global average. This may in part be due to the fact that most African states gained their independence only in the 1950s and 1960s. It is possible that consolidation of the national government was the priority, and that embarking on decentralization was a less urgent concern then, than now. The Nigerian states must as a matter of urgency revisit the issue of decentralization otherwise known as restructuring to create more relevance for Local governments, if only to prevent further stagnation.Benefits of DevolutionSummarily, the gains of the creation of LCDAs for Local government administration would be to enhance the participation of the local citizens in political activities that concern them, thereby improving their individual human capabilities, boosting nationalism, inspiring creativity and innovation as well as educating the local people (Bello-Imam, 2007). Therefore, for the new LGs/LCDAs to survive, they must focus on development and community activism. Experts on development studies have consistently harped on the need to integrate our communities with governments development agenda, most especially in the adoption of critical SDGs. Development in this wise, refers to man’s progressive qualitative and continued improvement of human labour (Chukwuemeka, 2013). Development is needed not only to enable citizens have higher standards of living and material advancement, but to achieve socio-economic and political transformation as well as attain technological feats over the environment. Local government administration was originally scripted to mainstream development. It must be made clear that local government creation became imperative, so as to take development to the rural communities with the aim of deconcentrating the cities which prior to 1975, prioritized the welfare of the elites as opposed to the rural dwellers. The decision to create new local government and states by successive military governments thus, crystalized their commitment to reversing the prevailing over centralization of powers, giving a new lease life to rural communities and cascading development downward. So far, it appears that, only the federal and state governments’ budget focus primarily on the implementation of SDG goals leaving the local government arm in the doldrums. Indeed, no true development will occur as long as the state remains the thinking box from which local government derive their sustenance. It is expected therefore that, both old Local Councils and the new LCDAs, must be able to establish connection between development and the local communities. The LCDAs will give a new impetus to development of the local communities and increase the economic inclusivity of the rural dwellers who have become more and more alienated by an increasingly complex economic structure where only the rich and powerful can thrive. Therefore, we should naturally expect that the LCDAs would mainstream further development at the local level. Scholars therefore agree that there is a coterminous and symbiotic affiliation between local governments and community development. It is believed, for instance that, it is the duty of the local government to cascade service delivery to the grassroots in a devolution, through support for infrastructure such as building public, low-cost homes and maintaining public parks, Primary schools, increasing training opportunities for the community dwellers and also attune government policies in favour of the community. (Cavaye, 2000) Similarly, people no longer view the safety of their neighborhoods as the sole responsibility of the police. Citizen in communities around the world, plagued by crime and violence are uniting to work with local governments. This is due to their knowledge of the local communities and the ownership of the resources to identify and remove the sources of crime, drug use, and juvenile delinquency in their communities. (Asheroft, 2001). The LCDAs will certainly serve other purposes such as providing mediatory role and fostering positive relationship among communities.Still on democracy, LGs/LCDAs will guarantee good governance through democratic participation, The theory of Democratic participation assumes that government institutions exist mainly to bring about self- government based on fair play, tolerance, and mutual respect for the rights and interests of one another. To the proponents of this theory, Local government exist to expand democracy and enhance opportunity for citizen participation in active politics Darl, (1917), Mackenzie, (1961). It has been observed without equivocation that, the local Government is central to the implementation of a true federal constitution. In many countries where the federal system is practiced, like the United States, India and Canada, the local government has become the most critical symbol of Federalism. Bringing the LGs/LCDAs administration out of the woodsSummarily, the gains of the creation of LCDAs for Local government administration would be to enhance the participation of the local citizens in political activities that concern them, thereby improving their individual human capabilities, boosting nationalism, inspiring creativity and innovation as well as educating the local people (Bello-Imam, 2007). Therefore, for the new LGs/LCDAs to survive, they must focus on development and community activism. Experts on development studies have consistently harped on the need to integrate our communities with governments development agenda, most especially in the adoption of critical SDGs. Development in this wise, refers to man’s progressive qualitative and continued improvement of human labour (Chukwuemeka, 2013). Development is needed not only to enable citizens have higher standards of living and material advancement, but to achieve socio-economic and political transformation as well as attain technological feats over the environment. Local government administration was originally scripted to mainstream development. It must be made clear that local government creation became imperative, so as to take development to the rural communities with the aim of deconcentrating the cities which prior to 1975, prioritized the welfare of the elites as opposed to the rural dwellers. The decision to create new local government and states by successive military governments thus, crystalized their commitment to reversing the prevailing over centralization of powers, giving a new lease life to rural communities and cascading development downward. So far, it appears that, only the federal and state governments’ budget focus primarily on the implementation of SDG goals leaving the local government arm in the doldrums. Good governance is associated with efficiency of performance especially in the delivery of public services. Development will only be achieved if there is noticeable improvement in the quality of lives of the populace. Any kind of government that will not promote the desires of the masses can never be regarded as democratic. There is therefore a noticeable, correlation between democracy and development. To further accentuate the relevance of Local government in development, Ezeani (2004) reiterated that the Local government is superior to the other levels of government because it provides for every politician, the platform to kickstart their career. It is therefore, a veritable training ground for future political leaders. Hence, it generally serves as a political educator and a means of civilizing men through the medium of self-government. Also, since there is no uniformity in development, local government administration affords people the opportunity of accessing developmental policies that are most suitable to it. For instance, while some communities prefer good road infrastructure to meet their demand for more inclusion and job access for their teeming youth population, other might relish their seclusion and in fact perceive such as desirable. Local governments and now, LCDAs play a key role in the implementation of national economic development programmes. Developing local capacity and increasing decentralization are both indispensable to accelerating and improving the quality of economic growth in Africa; engaging in strategic planning; the designing of an effective intra-urban road network and the efficient allocation of land to firms. Many of these tasks are among the core functions of local governments.; Implementation of core national development programmes in the fields of education, infrastructure or business development; and, generally facilitating economic development at the national level.The environment of local government administration is a major constraint to economic sustainability. With very limited resources and poorly defined roles and responsibilities, Local government administration has become mere appendages of the state governments. In African countries where there is data, only 14.1% of their staff budgets is spent on local government. In Benin, the share is 3%.while comparatively, the global average for that percentage outside Africa is 29.4% (OECD/UCLG, 2019). Local governments in Africa also face other constraints of basic resources that prevent them from operating effectively, such as shortages of basic IT equipment. In Nigeria, 38% of civil servants in the federal government have regular access to a computer. By contrast, the share of Nigerian local government employees with access to a computer is just 6%, and local governments on average have internet access only on 3% of workdays. In Ethiopia, the percentages are higher, but still low, at 8% and 21%, respectively (Mo Ibrahim Foundation, 2018). Five out of 18 local governments in Nigeria surveyed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (2018) even report having no access to electricity. The same report, however, also documents instances of decentralization that led to improved resource access and better service delivery by local governments.Resource StagnationResearch has shown that, despite improvement in the institutional environment, the ability of local governments in Africa to develop and administer local economic development policies is seriously constrained by a lack of administrative and fiscal resources (both in own source revenues and in transfers from higher levels of government). As long as local governments lack the basics of modern administrations, such as information and communications technology (ICT) and the staff trained to use it, they will not be able to establish effective local development policies. The new LCDAs must chart a new path for success by addressing critical issues of resource shortages. Though, the appropriately skilled persons may not be willing to work in rural areas, there must be appropriate incentives to encourage such individual. Responsibility starts from the top, therefore, only qualified personnel can run the affairs of LCDAs. A situation that an incompetent and half-educated Chairperson is elected or appointed to run the affairs of a local government, where the least qualified among the managerial staff is a BSC holder will not augur well for the survival of the new LCDAs. Furthermore, the recruitment and placement of the local government staff should not be politicized but based on merit or need. According to Ezeani (2004), most chairmen, caretaker committee members and sole administrators recruit and place their relations, friends and political sympathizers or party members without due regard to the rules and regulations or in keeping with manpower requirements.Still on human resources, it has been observed that, a huge percentage of the resources of local governments goes into payment of salaries of over bloated staff, many of whom are not engaged or functioning in any duty post, thus rendering other more important services unattended to. The era of zero allocation which affected the performance of some LGS in the time past must not be allowed to persist in the new LCDAs. The Local Government Service Commission must perform its responsibility by executing a staff audit and manpower planning to ensure that only the required staff would be engaged to serve in the new LCDAs. They should determine appropriate manning and level redeploy redundant staff to areas where their services would be most needed.Building a Formidable EconomyLocal economic development policies must rely on local governments to carry out many of the measures typically included in national programmes. Getting National policy down to the local communities without input from the Local government would be difficult. Also, while aligning local economy with local government, they must pursue their own complementary economic development that would reflect local circumstances, skills, infrastructure, roles and responsibilities as well as their administrative and fiscal policies. The idea of a federal officer living in Abuja and determining infrastructure projects in Ifedore Local Government is inexcusable.Youth EngagementAs part of the building blocks for a formidable economy, local government management must prioritize the empowerment of youth as a counter measure to restiveness. This is to stem the tide of migration to the cities by creating more opportunities through agriculture to change the narratives. The communities must be made to understand the power and potential of youth and give them the support to thrive. This can be achieved by local authorities during a SWOT analysis of the youth population and reskilling them to enable them unleash their potential. Anti-CorruptionEven though corruption is a major cause of misery in Nigeria’s democracy from top to bottom, it is believed to be intense at the local government level. Poor oversight and audit control has made the local government institutions susceptible to blind looting by those who are meant to serve. Oversight of Local Government and LCDAs must increase now more than before. 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