The Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Folorunso Aluko, has called on state governments and local government chairmen to embrace cooperative autonomy to drive development across Nigeria.
Aluko made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a national workshop organised by the Federal Character Commission in partnership with the PGF.
Speaking on “Autonomy that Delivers: Responsibility, Accountability, and State-Local Government Partnership in Nigeria,” he described cooperative autonomy as independence that promotes cooperation and collaboration between state and local governments.
He said citizens were more concerned about visible development and effective service delivery than which level of government provided them.
According to Aluko, state governments have the advantage of scale, while local councils have greater proximity to grassroots communities. He said effective governance therefore requires trust, shared resources, clear information and mutual responsibility.
Aluko stressed that local government autonomy should not be interpreted as isolation from state governments, just as state coordination should not become absolute control over councils.
He urged council chairmen to align local development plans with broader state objectives while retaining their constitutional powers.
He also warned that power without responsibility could become privilege, while accountability without transparency would remain merely ceremonial.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, called on local leaders to promote inclusiveness and understand the demographics of their communities to support fair development, appointments and employment.
Other speakers also called for equitable access to infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic opportunities across the country.
