Democratic Local Government System in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap between Predicaments and Dividends Delivery

Abstract

The core motive for the creation of democratic local governments around the globe is to deliver services to local communities. Using observation and qualitative methods of data gathering, the study takes a cursory look at the factors responsible for the failure of local governments in Nigeria not to deliver quality services to local communities. The study equally x-rayed the adoption of the gerontocratic council as a development agency by democratic local government to facilitate the delivery of local services. The paper established that insufficient funds, insufficient and unqualified personnel, weak autonomy, and size of local government areas, among others, hampered the ability of local governments to deliver quality services in Nigeria. The paper recommended the adoption of a gerontocratic council by democratic local governments to aid in recognizing communities’ needs and effective ways of addressing them. The study equally believes that the adoption of gerontocratic councils by democratic local governments in Nigeria would go a long way in helping them overcome their myriad of problems via robust planning, and economical, effective, and efficient management of their scarce human and financial resources.