The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to enforce the Supreme Court judgement delivered on 11th July 2024, granting financial autonomy to Local Governments across Nigeria.

In a news release issued by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information & Public Relations, it was disclosed that the committee is chaired by Senator Akume and includes several high-ranking officials:

1. Secretary to the Government of the Federation – Chairman

2. Hon. Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy – Member

3. Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice – Member

4. Hon. Minister of Budget & Economic Planning – Member

5. Accountant General of the Federation – Member

6. Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria – Member

7. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance – Member

8. Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation & Fiscal Commission – Member

9. Representative of State Governors – Member

10. Representative of Local Governments – Member

The primary goal of the committee is to ensure that local governments are granted full financial autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.

This step aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to giving appropriate implementation to the provisions of the Constitution, which recognizes local governments as the third tier of government.

The committee’s work will involve developing a framework to guarantee that local governments receive their allocations directly from the Federation Account, thereby enhancing governance, transparency, and accountability at the grassroots level.