Modern State Creation and Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria

Abstract

The study focused on state creation agitations and local government autonomy, since state creation has remained a prominent feature of Nigeria’s political evolution, often pursued as a means of addressing ethnic exclusion, improving administrative reach, and fostering national cohesion. However, despite multiple waves of state creation since independence, persistent governance problems such as regional disparities in development, inadequate service delivery, and limited political inclusion continue to undermine these objectives.  The study adopted the qualitative method to explore several theoretical concepts on the discourse.  While the proliferation of states has widened avenues for political participation, it has simultaneously led to greater fiscal strain, rising administrative overheads, and deeper reliance on federal revenue allocations. In response to these limitations, the study proposes local government autonomy as a more practical and sustainable alternative to the continued creation of states. The article demonstrates how genuine political, administrative, and financial independence for local governments can strengthen citizen participation, enhance service delivery, and support sustainable development at the local level. It argues that granting local governments direct access to statutory revenues, operational independence, and robust accountability structures provides a more inclusive and cost-efficient governance framework than further state expansion. The article concludes that advancing meaningful local government autonomy through constitutional reform and effective oversight offers a more viable route to democratic deepening and balanced development in Nigeria than the ongoing multiplication of states proposal.