AN APPRAISAL OF INTER-GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN NIGERIA
chapter 1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The 1976 Local Government Reform Hand Book defined local government as:Government at the local level exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas. These powers should give the council substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial
powers to initiate and direct provision of services and to determine and implement projects so as to compliment the activities of the state and federal government in their areas, and to ensure, and through devolution of functions to these councils and through the active participation of the people and their traditional institutions that local
initiatives and responses to local needs and conditions are
maximized.
The concept of intergovernmental relations (IGR) can be understood by considering the three dimensions or schools of thought. The first school of thought believes that intergovernmental relations occur in a federal system, the second school of thought believes that it can only exist in both federal and unitary systems of government while the third stresses that it can take place at the international level. The above is an indication that
intergovernmental relations exist in both the federal and unitary systems. Therefore, intergovernmental relation is not associated with any system of government. Adamolekun (1983) Olopade (1984) defined intergovernmental relations as interactions that take place among the different levels of government within a state. It is federalism in action. Okoli (2005) argues that IGR is dominated by the relationship between the central government and
the major sub-national governments with the main features spelt out in the constitution.
Okoli added that IGR involves patterns of cooperative relationship between various
levels of government in a federal governmental structure. IGR encourages a focus on the
vertical and horizontal governmental and non-governmental policy-making structures at
different levels and in different sectors of the overall intergovernmental process. It also places
greater emphasis on cooperative as opposed to conflictual aspects of intergovernmental
relations.
In his opinion Watts (2008) identifies formal interactions that are conducted
exclusively among the governments of constituent units or states. The informal pattern occurs
when the same party is dominant in both levels of government for IGR issues to be addressed
within the informal structures of that party itself, rather than in more formal IGR channels.
Watts (2008:11) cites Nigeria since 1999 as a notable example of a presidential regime with a
―strong executive‖. Nigerian federalism and IGR have gone through many changes over the
past five decades. Frequent constitutional reforms or changes have taken place since
independence in 1960, 1963, 1975 and 1979 (Ugwu, 1998) and most recently in 1999.
Ogbuishi (2007:6) gives reasons why IGR is necessary. They include:
promoting peace and harmony among the three levels of government, to enhance the
emergence of cooperation rather than competition in the federation, to ensure effective and
efficient utilization of available human and material resources among the various levels of
government, to accelerate the achievement of self reliant economy, to minimize
intergovernmental conflict among the various levels of government, to solve problems of
rural and urban poverty, to foster greater national integration via the activities of different
levels of government.
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