Ministry of Local Government, Chieftancy and Rural Development

Governance as it relates to the Local Government forms the central theme of this Ministry. The Ministry, over the years had undergone series of changes since inception due to the constitutional autonomy granted to the third tier Government.

Please recall that Section 7 (i) of the 1999 Constitution made Local Government the Third-tier of Government in the Federating Unit with various constitutional functions. However, with this provision, and pursuant to Section 8 of the Constitution, the establishment, structure, finance, functional, operational boundary and oversight functions of local Governments are defined by the State Government through laws enacted by the state House of Assembly.

Prior to the coming into office of the administration of his Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Governor of Lagos State, the present Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs was hitherto referred to as the Ministry of Local Government Administration, which was erstwhile known as the Office of Local Government Administration (OLGA). Subsequently, as a result of the re-orientation and repositioning of the State Public Service in February, 2001, the Office was upgraded to the status of a full fledged Ministry then known as the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs with the Office of the Special Adviser on Local Government Matters attached to the Office of the Governor.

During the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Ministry was separated, and by this separation, two full fledged Ministries came into being, namely, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and Boundary Adjustments. However, these two ministries were later merged in July, 2007.

Since assumption of office of His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the administration of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Lagos State, no doubt, has undergone very far reaching reforms and innovations and this has positively impacted on the third-tier f government of the State from what was hitherto the situation.

In a determined effort to turn things around, the State Government embarked on new policies, various programmes and activities at making Lagos State comparable to other modern cities of its kind. Since Local Governments are the closest to the people, effective performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities will definitely have a spillover effect on the economy of the State, and indeed, Nigeria.

It is noteworthy that the State has witnessed positive and radical changes in its Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs through underlining reforms aimed at creating an accountable and more productive third-tier of government that will reduce wastages and improve service delivery at the grassroot. These programmes have been pursued with vigour and sincerity of purpose.

In furtherance of this, His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), in his resolution to impacting on peoples lives at the grassroot, desired to knowthe needs of the teeming population in the various Local Governments and Council Development Areas, embarked on official tour of these Councils with the singular aim of identifying at least 4 Capital Projects geared towards improving the standards of living of these people.

It will interest you to know that the official tour of these Local Governments/Council Development areas actually exposed the need for some vital projects which were approved for implementation by His Excellency on the spot.

However, it is pertinent to know and acknowledge that the Twenty (20) local Governments and Thirty-seven (37) Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State are not only the Government that are closer to the people, but more importantly, they are the repository of all natural resources that gave Lagso State the acronym ” Centre of Excellence

VISION : To be the African model in the management of vibrant, well developed and sustainable communities through an inclusive and responsive Local Government System

MISSION :To create an enabling environment for inclusive traditional Institutions and Community Development at the Local Government level.