Chairmen-elect of FCT Area Councils during a governance training organised by the DEAN Initiative in Abuja.
Newly elected Area Council chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory have called for stronger institutional support, financial reforms, and continuous leadership training to improve service delivery while restoring public confidence in local government administration.
The chairmen made the call at a two-day training on good governance organised in Abuja, by the Development of Education Action Network (DEAN) Initiative, for incoming council leaders across the FCT.
The participants warned that weak governance, poor accountability, inadequate funding, and declining public trust continue to undermine grassroots development and democratic institutions in Nigeria.
Executive Director of the DEAN Initiative, Semiye Michael, said the programme was designed to prepare the incoming chairmen for governance responsibilities before assuming office.
Michael identified inadequate governance training as a major factor behind poor performance in local government administration, noting that many political office holders enter public service without formal training in governance, policy implementation, or public administration.
“We have always believed in governance from the bottom up. That is why we consistently work with local governments, building their capacity on governance delivery and policy engagement,” he said.
He explained that the training focused on accountability, leadership, and practical governance strategies needed to strengthen public service delivery at the grassroots.
Michael also disclosed plans for annual engagements where elected officials would present scorecards of projects, reforms, and policy implementation for public assessment.
In her presentation, Regional Director for West Africa at the Ford Foundation, Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye, said weak governance continues to fuel poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and poor public services across communities. “When institutions fail, it becomes a direct assault on human dignity,” she said.
Aniagolu-Okoye urged the chairmen-elect to prioritise transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, stressing that communities must become active partners in governance.
She advised the incoming council leaders to engage directly with residents during their first 100 days in office by visiting wards, markets, and villages to understand the needs of the people. “Citizens are more likely to trust leaders who listen before prescribing solutions,” she added.
She also advocated transparent procurement systems, regular town hall meetings, simplified development plans, and visible complaint channels to improve public trust and governance outcomes.
According to her, councils should improve internally generated revenue through service delivery, digital revenue collection, and blocking financial leakages rather than imposing excessive taxes on residents and small businesses.
Also speaking Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, emphasised the need for participatory governance and stronger democratic institutions at the local government level. “Governance is not about individuals. It is about the systems you leave behind and whether citizens trust those systems,” he said.
Nwankwo warned that declining confidence in democratic institutions and weak internal democracy within political parties could further weaken Nigeria’s democratic process.
Chairman-elect of Kwali Area Council, Hon. Daniel Nuhu, said local governments face enormous operational and financial challenges, including poor internally generated revenue, inherited debts, legal disputes, and pressure from contractors demanding mobilization payments.
“You advertise projects and contractors come to bid, but after securing the contracts, many of them wait for government mobilization before going to site,” he said.
Nuhu also raised concerns over political interference in contract administration and warned that many councils could face lawsuits and garnishee orders linked to liabilities inherited from previous administrations.
He noted that rural councils such as Kwali and Abaji struggle to generate substantial revenue because of limited commercial activities and dependence on peasant farming and local markets.
Meanwhile, Chairman-elect of Bwari Area Council, Joshua Musa, called for stronger collaboration between local governments, civil society groups, and development partners to strengthen governance at the grassroots.
“It is high time Nigeria began building governance from the bottom to the top because local government remains the foundation closest to the people,” he said.
Musa criticised the current revenue-sharing structure, arguing that local governments receive inadequate funding despite their responsibilities in primary healthcare, education, and rural development.
He also raised concerns over deductions from Area Council allocations to fund agencies such as the Universal Basic Education Board, saying the deductions leave councils with insufficient funds for projects and service delivery.
The chairmen-elect also condemned revenue leakages in local government systems and called for reforms that would grant councils greater financial autonomy and improve accountability in revenue collection.
The participants further advocated governance induction programmes for local government legislators similar to orientation programmes organized for members of the National Assembly.
They pledged to prioritise transparency, accountability, and responsive leadership after assuming office while calling for sustained support for local government reforms across the FCT.
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