Despite a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court six months ago, local governments in Nigeria continue to face delays in receiving financial autonomy, a situation that the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) is calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address urgently. The Supreme Court ruling on July 11, 2024, had granted the 774 local government areas across the country the right to manage their funds independently, effectively prohibiting governors from controlling allocations meant for the councils.

The court had directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure that funds for local governments are paid directly into their accounts, bypassing the state governors who had previously held sway over such finances. However, as of January 2025, this critical ruling has yet to be implemented, with local governments still waiting for the necessary adjustments.

Hakeem Ambali, the President of NULGE, pointed to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) as the main obstacle to the effective implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision. According to Ambali, FAAC has yet to issue the required instruction for the direct allocation of funds to local governments, despite the clear mandate from the highest court in the land. Ambali further emphasized that, with support from institutions like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the allocation process could be made direct without further delays.

In an impassioned plea to President Tinubu, Ambali expressed NULGE’s concern that political forces, often referred to as “cabals,” may be hindering the process. He urged the president not to allow these forces to frustrate the implementation of local government autonomy, highlighting that the document for implementation had been ready for over a month. Ambali praised the president for his efforts so far but stressed that the full implementation of the ruling must be completed without any further setbacks.

The Federal Government had taken steps to expedite the process by setting up a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to oversee the implementation of the judgment. This committee’s task was to ensure that local governments across the country could operate effectively without undue interference from state governments. The technical committee had completed its work and forwarded the implementation document to President Tinubu, who has yet to assent to it.

Should the president assent to the document, local governments will receive their allocations directly from FAAC, finally granting them the financial independence promised by the Supreme Court. This move is expected to significantly strengthen local governance and improve service delivery at the grassroots level.