The Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, has reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to local government autonomy, institutional strengthening and financial viability, amid calls for reforms to improve grassroots administration.
Uzodimma, who is also the Imo State Governor, gave the assurance in Abuja at the 2026 General Assembly of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, where he said effective local government administration remained crucial to translating government policies into tangible benefits for citizens.
According to a statement issued by ALGON on Sunday, Uzodimma, who attended the meeting alongside the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, said the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda was designed to extend to the third tier of government.
“He pledged the President’s support for issues affecting local governments, particularly their autonomy, institutional capacity and fiscal viability.”
The assurance comes amid continuing debates over the implementation of local government autonomy and the ability of councils to exercise their constitutional responsibilities and deliver essential services at the grassroots.
The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment delivered on July 11, 2024, affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and ordered that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to democratically elected local government councils rather than being controlled by state governments.
However, the implementation of the judgment has remained a major issue in discussions about strengthening local government administration, particularly regarding direct allocations, the conduct of council elections and the capacity of councils to manage public funds effectively.
The ALGON General Assembly, the association’s highest decision-making organ, was presided over by its National President, Bello Lawal, and attended by representatives of local governments across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In his address, Lawal said the gathering demonstrated the association’s commitment to strengthening local administration and repositioning councils within Nigeria’s governance structure.
The assembly reviewed reports on projects, programmes and activities undertaken since its previous general assembly in March 2021, while deliberating on challenges affecting the association’s operations and the effective functioning of local governments.
