The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to promote local government autonomy and improve development at the grassroots.
The commitment was made in Abuja when a delegation of RMAFC Federal Commissioners, led by the Federal Commissioner representing Nasarawa State and Chairman of the State and Local Government Monitoring Committee, Hon. Aliyu Abdulkadir, visited ALGON President, Hon. Bello Lawal.
Abdulkadir, who represented RMAFC Chairman, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the committee was established to deepen engagement with local governments and develop practical measures to strengthen the third tier of government.
He said, “The committee was established to deepen engagement with the third tier of government and explore practical measures that will strengthen local government administration.”
Abdulkadir said RMAFC would work to ensure that local government autonomy, following the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, is effectively implemented.
He said, “RMAFC is ready to ensure that the autonomy of local government is given effect to, in line with the constitutional provisions and the recent pronouncement of the Supreme Court.”
According to him, the commission has a constitutional mandate to monitor revenues accruing to and disbursed from the Federation Account to local governments.
He urged local governments to improve their internally generated revenue and reduce reliance on federal allocations.
“Local governments must also strengthen their internally generated revenue. They should not depend entirely on allocations from the centre,” he said.
The Vice Chairman of the committee, Sen. Marafa Bashir Abba, said the engagement would help address challenges facing local governments, including local government elections.
He said, “This engagement will provide us with ideas and perspectives that will strengthen the work of the committee and improve our collaboration with ALGON.”
Abba added that the partnership would help the commission better understand the challenges confronting local governments and develop practical solutions.
Responding, ALGON President Bello Lawal described the partnership as timely and critical to the future of grassroots governance.
“When you empower local government, you empower the whole country because local government is where people actually live,” Lawal said.
He added, “A strengthened local government constitutes the bedrock and foundation for the development of our country.”
Lawal called for greater involvement of local governments in revenue allocation processes, saying grassroots authorities must have adequate resources to deliver basic services to citizens.
He said, “Local governments must be part of discussions and processes that affect the resources available to them because they are closest to the people.”
The ALGON president also pledged the association’s readiness to work with RMAFC on capacity building, fiscal discipline and better management of public resources.
“We are ready to collaborate with RMAFC to strengthen capacity, promote fiscal discipline and ensure that available resources are properly utilised for the benefit of our people,” he said.
The meeting reaffirmed both organisations’ commitment to strengthening local government autonomy, fiscal accountability, effective revenue management and grassroots development.