Abuja: Mr Folorunso Aluko, the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), has called upon state governments and local government chairmen across the country to embrace cooperative autonomy as a vehicle for substantial development. Aluko articulated this during the second day of a two-day national workshop organized by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) in collaboration with the PGF.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the workshop, themed ‘Deepening National Unity through Grassroots Implementation of the Federal Character Principle,’ featured Aluko delivering a significant paper titled ‘Autonomy that Delivers: Responsibility, Accountability, and State-Local Government Partnership in Nigeria.’ He described cooperative autonomy as ‘independence that promotes cooperation, unity, collaboration between local governments and state governments.’ Aluko emphasized that citizens prioritize effective governance and development over the specific tier of government responsible for delivering services.
Aluko stressed the importance of governance meeting citizens at their point of need, stating that meaningful government presence is only achieved when basic service delivery is fulfilled. He highlighted that while Nigeria’s federal architecture divides governmental powers, citizens perceive governance as a singular entity. The key issue, he noted, is not the level of authority but whether power is sufficiently close to the people, disciplined to prevent abuse, and coordinated to serve a common purpose.
Highlighting the complementary roles of state and local governments, Aluko pointed out that state governments have the advantage of scale, whereas local council chairmen possess the power of proximity to grassroots communities. Effective governance, he argued, requires trust, shared resources, information clarity, and mutual responsibility. Aluko delineated critical components for productive local governance, emphasizing the need to connect authority and resources with duty, evidence, and consequences to translate administrative independence into tangible public services and economic opportunities.
Aluko advised council chairmen to align local plans with broader state developmental outcomes while maintaining their constitutional discretion, urging continued cooperation within the federal character principle framework. He clarified that local government autonomy protects the institutional space for councils to make and execute lawful decisions without total sovereignty or complete separation. Conversely, he warned that state coordination should not equate to absolute control over council administration.
The PGF D-G cautioned that power without responsibility degenerates into privilege, responsibility without power becomes an excuse, and accountability without transparency remains merely ceremonial. Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, underscored the federal character principle’s role in promoting equity and urged local council chairmen to foster inclusiveness by understanding community demographics for targeted development and fair opportunities.
Similarly, Dr Ogbonna Chime, National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), advocated for an inclusive governance framework ensuring equitable access to public infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities for all Nigerians. The Executive Chairman of the FCC, Mrs Hulayat Omidiran, commended participants for their engagement, urging them to apply workshop insights toward building a unified and equitable nation.