A Review of Service Delivery at the Local Government Level in Nigeria: The Fiscal Federalism Dilemma

Abstract

Over the years, fiscal federalism has been a dominant and contentious issue in Nigeria. The country's chequered political history has affected the practice of federalism and this has in turn affected the performance and service delivery, especially at the local government level. This study assesses the effect of the existing fiscal relations on service delivery in the local government areas from 1999-2019. It adopts a descriptive design survey and relies on primary and secondary sources for data collection. The findings reveal that fiscal relations have not improved the performance in critical areas of services at the local government level. It concludes that the sub-national government has muscled out the local government through its institutions that manage the joint commissions and other political machinery. The study recommends financial and administrative restructuring that will guarantee an appreciable level of financial autonomy for the local government to be able to fulfill its constitutionally assigned responsibilities.