By Peace Udugba
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Monday Ubani, has alleged that the persistent hardship in Nigeria’s rural communities is linked to what he described as the diversion and withholding of local government funds by state governments.
Ubani made the allegation during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, arguing that rural poverty is not accidental but the result of systemic interference with statutory allocations meant for local governments.
According to him, the immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), the suffering in rural communities across the country is tied to persistent obstruction of local government funds.
He maintained that although local governments are constitutionally entitled to direct funding, the principle is being undermined in practice.
Ubani argued that when funds meant for local councils are withheld or redirected, development at the grassroots becomes impossible, leading to widespread infrastructure deficits in rural areas.
“If the state governors are releasing the money meant for local governments, Nigeria would be a beautiful country,” he said.
He added that many rural dwellers are forced to migrate to urban centres because governance is not effectively felt at the grassroots.
Ubani stressed that local governments are meant to be the closest tier of government to the people, but said this role has been weakened by what he described as financial strangulation of councils.
He further stated that allocations meant for local governments are often retained or controlled at the state level, undermining service delivery in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and rural infrastructure.
According to him, the absence of functional local government autonomy has created a governance vacuum that worsens poverty in rural communities.
“What Nigerians require is just good roads and light, especially in the rural areas,” he said.
He argued that with proper funding and autonomy, local governments could effectively deliver basic services and stimulate rural development.
Ubani also criticised what he described as misplaced priorities in governance, urging greater focus on rural electrification and road connectivity rather than “mega projects” with limited grassroots impact.
He said decentralised development remains essential to reducing inequality between urban and rural areas, adding that weak local government structures have broader economic consequences.
“There is so much money being allocated, but the local governments are not getting it,” he said.
Ubani insisted that improved disbursement and accountability in local government funding would stimulate rural economies and reduce migration to urban centres.
He further argued that state-level control of local government allocations has distorted governance priorities and weakened service delivery at the grassroots.
According to him, strengthening local government autonomy is key to improving accountability and ensuring balanced national development.
“Nigerians are not lazy,” he added, noting that citizens only need enabling infrastructure to thrive.
Ubani concluded that unless local government funds are properly accessed and utilised at the grassroots, national development will remain constrained, with rural hardship continuing to widen.
