Presidency Links Poverty Reduction to Local Governments

The Presidency of Nigeria has said that tackling poverty in the country should primarily fall under the responsibility of local governments, arguing that they are the tier of government closest to the people.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Tofe Fasua, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said strengthening local government autonomy is central to the administration’s approach to reducing poverty and improving service delivery across Nigeria.

“Fixing poverty is certainly a local government’s thing because local governments are the closest to the people,” Fasua said.

According to him, meaningful progress in poverty reduction depends on empowering local government councils to function more effectively, especially through improved funding and administrative independence.

“So the solution to poverty in Nigeria is actually at the local government level, and that’s the reason the President has advocated for local government autonomy, and has also ensured that the states are a lot more powerful now in terms of funding,” he added.

Fasua also pointed to improvements in public sector payments, noting that delays in salaries and pensions have significantly reduced compared to previous years.

He said: “Those days where civil servants will be owed 18 months, 12 months, six months, are gone. Pensioners are getting their money a lot, and I think that’s where it matters.”

Recalling his earlier experiences, he said local governments in Lagos State used to play a more active role in supporting vulnerable residents, with many citizens seeking daily assistance from local council chairmen.

“A lot of people were coming to the local government. The people who were really down financially would go to the local government chairman on a daily basis and they were being settled,” he said.

The comments come amid ongoing national discussions about the role of different tiers of government in addressing poverty in Nigeria and improving grassroots development.

Do you think local government autonomy can significantly reduce poverty in Nigeria?