LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS AN INSTRUMENT OF DEMOCRATIC SUSTAINABILITY

ABSTRACT

This research work is centre on the local government as an instrument of democratic sustainability with a case study of Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State. The major objectives of the work is to offer a pragmatic solution to the problem of development in Lokoja Local Government. primary and secondary methods were used in collecting data, while simple percentage method was used in analyzing data. The findings revealed that local government contributes to democratic sustainability. The researcher recommended that local government in Nigeria should be made to be more financially stable and independent. It is generally believed that the local government system anywhere in the world should offer the best approach to sustainable development in the respective country in which they are situated. This belief is premised on the fact that Local Governments are closer to the people and as such in a better position to bring development to them. However, rather unfortunately, there have been constant reports of slow and poor performance of this tier of government in many parts of the world especially in developing countries and Africa in particular. This paper therefore examines the Local Government system in Nigeria from a functional perspective and revealed that there is dire need to make the Local Governments very autonomous operationally and financially so as to enable it key in to democratic dividends and socio — economic development of the country in the 21 century.