Bachelor Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 70, Obafemi Awolowo University, course: Political Science, language: English, abstract: This term paper deals with the following questions: To what extent does Local Government autonomy influence service delivery in Nigeria? Do Local Government constitutional powers and functions enable execution of service delivery in Nigeria? Does Local Government autonomy has any impact on service delivery at the grassroots in Nigeria? It is a piece that revolves around Local Government. It aims at examining Local Government against the backdrop of its autonomy and the consequences on service delivery in Nigeria. Do access the groundbreaking analysis so as to be abreast with contemporary research on Local Government in Nigeria. The overall aim of this study is to critically examine the nexus between Local Government autonomy and effective social service delivery. In the light of this, the study seeks to examine the degree of Local Government autonomy on service delivery in Nigeria and to appraise constitutional powers and functions of Local Government as regards service delivery. It also examines the impact of Local Government autonomy on service delivery in Nigeria. Based on the aforementioned research questions, the following research assumptions are formulated for this study: Local Governments ineffectiveness and inefficiency on service delivery are due to their lack of autonomy. Constitutional powers and functions of the Local Government do not enhance service delivery at the grassroots. Local Government autonomy has no impact on service delivery in Nigeria.

Government at the local level performs a vital role in ensuring effective provision of public goods to the vast rural populace. Available facts reveal that more than seventy percent of Nigeria's population emanate from rural areas; where local government is constitutionally empowered to provide social and public services such as electricity, health centers, water supply, schools and roads. Informed by recent controversies surrounding the granting of autonomy to local governments and as reliable vehicles for service delivery, this paper seeks to examine specific policies that enhance service delivery at the local level and evaluates performance in Nigeria's fourth republic. By relying on qualitative data, extensive literature review and descriptive analysis, this paper reflects on the 1976 local government reforms and the objectives of decentralization in Nigeria, debates present state and nature of service delivery by various administrations. I argue that service delivery is strongly administered at the federal and state government levels respectively while in most cases the local governments are marginalized, hence, treated as mere appendages or machinery of the state. The paper however concludes that there is incremental effect of service delivery when policies address felt-needs of the local people through local governments resulting to improved well-being and human resource development, accelerative productivity and income generation, market expansion, rapid decline in rural-urban migration and crime rates, less dependent on foreign aids and imported goods, popular participation, effective decision making and political stability.