A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIAAND  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Asimiyu Olalekan MURANA; Abdul Rauf Ambali

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIAAND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Date

2019

Authors

Asimiyu Olalekan MURANA

Abdul Rauf Ambali

Publisher

A PUBLICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study is a comparative examination of local government autonomy and democratic governance in Nigeria and the United States of America (USA). The study aims at identifying the convergences and divergences in the system of local government and democratic governance in Nigeria and the USA. Ex-post facto research design was used in the study, and theory of decentrilisation of power was applied as the theoretical framework. This research argues that local government autonomy and democratic governance across the countries of the world depend largely on the nature and character of their politics. It reveals that local governments in the USAare better than local governments in Nigeria in the areas of financial autonomy and democratic governance. Though, in both countries there are no comprehensive financial autonomy since revenue are sourced from the state and central governments,it is admitted that Nigeria could learn from the system of local governments and democratic practices in the USA. The study recommends internally generated revenues as a major source of income for the local governments in both countries. The study also recommends that there is the need for Nigeria's local governments to embrace democratic tenents to promote effective service delivery to the people.