Abstract
With the cliché of bringing development closer to the people, the Nigerian government, like many African countries, institutionalized the process of creating Local Government Areas (LGAs) and used it as a policy instrument for more than four decades. This study adopted a survey research design using data on 24 local development indicators, aimed at appraising the efficacy of this policy as a development tool. Quantitative analysis using Principal Component Analysis and its statistical outputs of initial eigenvalues and orthogonal scores shows that 36% of the LGAs ranked lowest on the dimensions of development before the creation of additional jurisdictions in 1996, while 20% and 44% ranked intermediate and highest respectively. Post-partitioning, the proportions were 24.4%, 39.4% and 36.4% respectively, thus providing evidence of the positive development impact of decentralization. The findings, however, throw up issues of distributional inequality in public investments which could be addressed by conscious planning efforts.
Full text
Permalink (doi)
Authors Affiliations
Yemi Adewoyin* (1,2), Lekan M. Sanni (3), Aina T. Adeboyejo (4)
1) University of Nigeria, Nigeria
2) University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
3) Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
4) Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria
* Correspondence address:
Email: yemiadewoyin@yahoo.com
References
Abdullahi, D. and Mahuta, M.M. (2012), “Local Government Creation and the Prospects of Area Development Board in Nigeria”, Developing Countries Studies, vol. 2, no. 10, p. 41-47.
Adeniyi, E.O. (1985), “Regional Development Planning within the Context of National Development in Nigeria” in J.O. Abiodun (ed.) Urban and Regional Planning Problems in Nigeria, University of Ife Press, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Almond, G.A., Powell, G.B., Strom, K. and Dalton, R. (2003), Comparative Politics Today: A World view, Longman, New York.
Austin, C.M., Honey, R. and Eagle, T. (1987), Human Geography, West Publisher, New York.
Bahl, R.W. and Linn, J. F. (1992), Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries, Oxford University Press, New York.
Bailey, J.S. (1999), Local Government Economics: Principles and Practice, Macmillan Press Ltd, London.
Bailey, J.S. (2002), Public Sector Economics: Theory, Policy and Practice, Palgrave, New York.
Bailey, J.S. (2004), Strategic Public Finance, Palgrave, New York.
Bartlett, W., Maleković, S. and Monastiriotis, V. (2013), Decentralization and Local Development in South East Europe. Studies in Economic Transition, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, United Kingdom.
Biela, J., Hennel, A. and Kaiser, A. (2012), “Combining Federalism and Decentralization: Comparative Case Studies on Regional Development Policies in Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and Ireland”, Comparative Political Studies, vol. 45, no. 4, p. 447-476.
Brancati, D. (2006), “Decentralization: Fueling the Fire or Dampening the Flames of Ethnic Conflict and Secessionism”, International Organization, vol. 60, no. 3, p. 651–685.
Buchanan, J.M. (1974), The Limits of Liberty, Chicago University Press, Chicago.
Cho, J. and Kim, J.H. (2019), “Metropolitan Governance Structure and Growth–Inequality Dynamics in the United States”, EPA: Economy and Space 2019, vol. 51, no. 3, p. 598–616.
Coates, B.E., Johnston, R.J. and Knox, P.L. (1977), Geography and Inequality, Oxford University Press, London.
Cox, K.R. (1972), Man, Location and Behaviour: An Introduction to Human Geography, Wiley, New York.
Danjuma, A. and Kwanga, Z.Y. (2012), “Developing Alternative Sources of Funding Local Governments during the Period of Global Economic Recession”, Journal of Business and Management 2, (3), 36-40.
du Plessis, R., Milton, B.S. and Barr, B. (2018), “Devolution and the Regional Health Divide: a Longitudinal Ecological Study of 14 Countries in Europe”, Journal of Public Health, vol. 41, no. 1, p. 3–9.
Eaton, K. (2001), “Political Obstacles to Decentralization: Evidence from Argentina and the Philippines”, Development and Change, vol. 32, no. 1, p. 101–28.
Eryilmaz, B. (2011), Public Administration, Okutman Publishing, Ankara.
Falleti, T.G. (2004), “A Sequential Theory of Decentralization and Its Effects on the Intergovernmental Balance of Power”, Latin American Cases in Comparative Perspective, Working Paper, 314.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (1970), Second National Development Plan, 1970-1975, Federal Ministry of Information, Lagos.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (1975), Third National Development Plan, 1975-1980, Federal Ministry of Economic Development, Lagos
Federal Republic of Nigeria (1976), Guidelines for Local Government Reforms, Government Press, Kaduna
Fei, J.C.H and Ranis, G. (1961), “A Theory of Economic Development”, American Economic Review, vol. 51, no. 4, p. 566-93.
Friedmann, J. (1966), Regional Development Policy; A Case of Venezuela, MIT Press, Massachusetts.
Harvey, D. (1973), Social Justice and the City, Edward Arnold, London.
Hirschman, A. (1958), The Strategy of Economic Development, Yale University Press, Yale.
Honey, R. (1983), “Versatility Versus Continuity – The Dilemma of Jurisdictional Change” in N. Kliot and S. Waterman (eds.), Pluralism and Political Geography: People, Territory and State, Croom Helm, London.
Ichimura, S. and Bahl, R. (2009), Decentralization Policies in Asian Development, World Scientific Publishing, Hackensack, New Jersey.
Ikporukpo, C.O. (1983), “Nigeria Regional Policies: Issues in Conception and Performance”, Research for Development, vol. 3, no. 1, p. 63-75.
Ikporukpo, C.O. (1986), “Politics and Regional Policies: The Issue of State Creation in Nigeria”, Political Geography Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 127-139.
Joseph, I.O. (2014), “Decentralization, Local Governance and Public Goods Delivery in Nigeria”, International Journal of Public Administration and Management Research, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 48-55.
Kim, A. (2008), “Decentralization and the Provision of Public Services”, Framework and Implementation, Policy Research Working Paper, no. 4503, World Bank, Washington,
Köse, A.K. (2004), “The Case of Local Government and Rise in the Globalization Process”, Sayistay Journal-Sayıştay Dergisi, vol. 52, p. 3-42.
Lago-Penas, I., Lago-Penas, S. and Martinez-Vazquez, J. (2011), “Guest Editorial”, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, vol. 29, p. 197-203.
Lessmann, C. (2012), “Regional Inequality and Decentralization: An Empirical Analysis”, Environment and Planning A, vol. 44, p. 1363 – 1388.
Lewis, W.A. (1954), Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour, Manchester School of Economic and Social Studies, Manchester.
Mabogunje, A.L. (1980), The Development Process: A Spatial Perspective, Hutchinson, London
Mahalanobis, P.C. (1953), “Some Observations on the Process of Growth of National Income”, Sankya, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 307-312.
Martinez-Vazquez, J. and McNab, R.M. (2003), “Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth”, World Development, vol. 31, no. 9, p. 1597-1616.
Myrdal, G. (1957), Economic Theory and Underdeveloped Regions, G. Duckworth, London.
Okafor, S.I. (1987), “Jurisdictional Partitioning, Distribution Policies and the Spatial Structure of Health-Care Provision in Nigeria”, Political Geography Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 4, p. 335-346.
Okidi, J.A. and Guloba, M. (2006), “Decentralization and Development: Emerging Issues from Uganda’s Experience”, Occasional Paper 31, Economic Policy Research Center, Kampala, Uganda.
Ola, R.F. (1984), Local Administration in Nigeria, Kegan Paul, London.
Olowu, D. (2007), “Decentralization and Urban Governance in West Africa”, in D. Eyoh and R. Stren (eds.), Decentralization and the Politics of Urban Development in West Africa, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C.
Oyewo, A.T. (1987), Nigeria Local Government Administration Practice and Management, Jator, Ibadan
Ozmen, A. (2014), “Notes to the Concept of Decentralization”, European Scientific Journal, vol. 10, no. 10, p. 415-424.
Perroux, F. (1955), “Economic Space, Theory and Applications”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 68, p. 89-104.
Rodriguez-Pose, A. and Ezcurra, R. (2010), “Does Decentralization Matter for Regional Disparities? A Cross-Country Analysis”, Journal of Economic Geography, vol. 10, p. 619-644.
Rondinelli, D.A. (1981), “Government Decentralization in Comparative Perspective: Theory and Practice in Developing Countries”, International Review of Administrative Science, vol. 47, no. 2, p. 133-45.
Rondinelli, D.A. (1999), “What Is Decentralization?” in J. Litvack and J. Seddon (eds.), Decentralization Briefing Notes, WBI Working Papers.
Rostow, W.W. (1960), The Stages of Economic Growth – A Non-Communist. Manifesto, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Schneider, A. (2003), “Decentralization: Conceptualization and Measurement”, Studies in Comparative International Development, vol. 38, no. 3, p. 32-56.
Sjamsuddin, S. and Noor, I. (2012), “Decentralization: A Question for Developing Countries”, Public Policy and Administration, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 9-22.
Smith, B.C. (1985), Decentralization: The Territorial Dimension of the State, George Allen and Unwin, London.
Smith, D.M, (1987), Geography, Inequality and Society, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Tahina, R.N. (2015), “Decentralization: Problems and Solutions – Madagascar Evidence”, IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 1-9.
Wunsch, J. (2001), “Decentralization: Local Governance and Recentralization in Africa”, Public Administration and Development, vol. 21, no. 4, p. 277–88.
This post has already been read 11477 times!
