President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his backing for local government autonomy, institutional strengthening and financial viability, according to the Progressive Governors' Forum Chairman Hope Uzodimma. Uzodimma, who is also Imo State Governor, delivered the assurance at the 2026 General Assembly of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in Abuja, where he said effective local government administration was essential to turning government policies into real benefits for citizens. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, attended alongside Uzodimma. According to a statement issued by ALGON, the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Agenda was designed to reach the third tier of government, and Uzodimma pledged presidential support for issues affecting local councils, particularly their autonomy, institutional capacity and fiscal viability.
The pledge comes as Nigeria's local government system continues to grapple with implementing a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered on 11 July 2024. That ruling 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, implementation has remained a major issue in debates about strengthening local government administration, particularly regarding direct allocations, the conduct of council elections and the capacity of councils to manage public funds effectively.
ALGON's General Assembly, the association's highest decision-making body, was chaired by National President Bello Lawal and attended by representatives from local governments across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. 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 and deliberated on challenges affecting the association and the effective functioning of local governments.
The meeting approved ALGON's annual budgets, adopted reports from principal officers and discussed proposed amendments to constitutional provisions members said were hindering effective administration. All proposed amendments were approved through a resolution supported by an absolute majority of assembly members. The assembly also reconstituted the association's Board of Trustees to fill vacancies created by deaths and approved a change in designation of the administrative head from Secretary-General to Director-General to strengthen the efficiency of its national secretariat. Lawal urged local government officials to build institutional capacity and improve administrative efficiency, stressing the need for the third tier of government to reclaim its place in Nigeria's governance structure. At the end of the meeting, ALGON reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local government administration, deepening grassroots governance and improving service delivery.