Abstract

This is a compendium presented by different scholars from many of the Nigerian universities at the first International Conference on Politics, Security and Development, held at Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, between 11-13 October, 2016. The Theme of the Conference, organised by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Veronica Adeleke School of Social Sciences was “Forty Years of Local Government Reforms and Democratic Development in Nigeria: Critical Perspectives”.

The Department appeared to have achieve a landmark with the organisation as contributors from different disciplines presented papers and brainstormed on “how to reform” forty year-old much orchestrated 1976 National Local Government Reform from which has started to witness a massive decline. The exercise confirm that Local Government is an inter/multidisciplinary area of study, as socialists, both within and outside each of the field of social science, came to present the way forward for the Nigerian Local Government

The departmental panel gave a giant lead to guide the conference participants. The main theme was divided into following sub-themes: Local Government and Community Development; Conflict Management and Resolution at Local Level; Constitution and Legal Framework for Local Government; Comparative and Fiscal Federalism; Media and Local Government Consolidation; Democracy and Grassroots’ Governance; Security and Community Policing; Gender and Local Government Administration; Political Leadership and Local Governance; Accountability and Anti-Corruption Measures; Comparative Local Government ; Local Government and Service Delivery; Problems and Challenges of Local Government Administration; Mobilisation and Revenue Control; Appraisal of Local Government Reforms and its Impact; and State-Local Government Relations

Given the above, the various challenges of the local government system have been properly diagnosed and suggestions have equally been given with views to having a perspective of relatively lasting solutions. This appears a timely intervention since local government is still expected to play an important role in the grassroots development of Nigeria. Currently, it is safe-guarded (at least on paper) by the Nigerian constitution, as an institution and, in essence, it has its special place in the Nigerian political systems and in the country’s democratic structure. However, I want to remind all of us that a sustained development is not a condition into which a country drifts. We must as responsible citizens, set our minds on it. We cannot speak of sustainable development in Nigeria, without committing ourselves wholly, as a nation, to a virile local government system.

This conference book places in the hands of the academics, politicians and all levels of government and members of the public, a corpus of political knowledge on the Nigerian Political System with special emphasis on local government system, in a very convenient form and at an affordable price. The authors of the various papers are hereby commended for their effort we thanks our lead-paper presenters: professor Alex Gboyega, Professor Iyabo Oloyode, Professor Kunle Awotokun and Dr Bola Dauda for their meaningful contributions. I appreciate all my hard-working colleagues and all the members of the panel for their worthy contributions towards the planning and very successful contributions of the whole programme.

We are very grateful to all our colleagues in Babcock university for their support. Our leaders in the department- Professor Femi  Ajayi, Dr Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso, and professor Michael  Abiodun Oni- are highly commendable and appreciated. We are very grateful to the Babcock university management for the support given to our department. We acknowledged with gratitude the cooperation given by His Excellence Chief Olusgeun Obasanjo (GCFR) who personally came to deliver the keynote address on the opening day of the conferences

Finally it is our very sincere wish that all the readers of the papers will find them useful as we hope that they will contribute positively to the growth of the body of knowledge concerning the local government system in Nigeria

Jones Oluwole  Aluko (PhD)

Professor of Public Administration

Department of Political Science and Public aAdministration

Babcock University Ilishan-Remo Ogun State

12th june 2019.