By Mustapha Salisu
The Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative (DRDI) has called for urgent policy reforms to strengthen fiscal transparency, accountability, and institutional capacity within Local Government Authorities (LGAs) in Kano State following findings from a Rapid Response Research on Local Government Financial Autonomy.
Dr. Muhammad Mustapha Yahaya, Executive Director of DRDI, in a press statement issued to newsmen in Kano revealed the research was conducted in Bichi, Dambatta, Fagge, Kano Municipal, Karaye, and Tudun Wada LGAs.
He added that, the study assessed citizen perceptions on the fiscal independence of local councils and proposed actionable recommendations aimed at improving grassroots governance and service delivery.
According to Dr. Yahaya, the research revealed widespread public support for increased local government autonomy as citizens believe greater control over resources would enhance service delivery, create employment opportunities, and promote community development.
However, the Executive Director highlighted ongoing challenges including state-level control through the State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA), weak transparency mechanisms, limited technical capacity among LGA officials, and insufficient citizen participation in governance processes.
To address these gaps, Dr. Yahaya recommended strengthening of fiscal transparency by ensuring annual budgets, quarterly expenditure reports, and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) performance data are published both online and on community noticeboards.
He also called for the enhancement of public participation through institutionalized participatory budgeting and regular town hall consultations involving citizens, women’s groups, business leaders, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
To boost efficiency, Dr. Yahaya further recommended building institutional capacity through targeted training in financial management, procurement procedures, audit compliance, and digital record-keeping for LGA staff.
Additionally, that there is a need to reform legal and administrative frameworks, including constitutional amendments that would ensure direct allocation of funds to LGAs and strengthen oversight mechanisms.
He also emphasized the need to improve accountability mechanisms by establishing independent community feedback systems, local monitoring committees, and procurement transparency programs.
To curb corruption and misuse of funds, Dr. Yahaya proposed stronger anti-corruption safeguards, such as internal audit reforms, procurement disclosure rules, and enforcement of sanctions against financial mismanagement.
The Executive Director expressed that while progress has been recorded in access to budget information and slight improvements in fiscal autonomy, much remains to be done to bridge the gap which will enhance public trust, improve service delivery outcomes, and enable local governments to fulfill their constitutional role as the foundation of Nigeria’s democratic and development system.