Inter Governmental Financial Relations and Local Governments Autonomy (a Case Study of Etsako West Local Government, Edo State)

This project is an attempt to examine intergovernmental financial relations and local governments autonomy with special reference to Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State. The specific objectives of the study is to examine the obstacle affecting the performance of local governments in Nigeria; and to highlight how intergovernmental financial relations affect the performance of local governments in Nigeria. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The major sources of primary data were direct oral interview and questionnaire which was conducted among the staff. The major instrument used in the data collection was questionnaire. The data were presented in tables as frequency distributions and in analysis. In testing the hypotheses, the statistical test of proportion (chi-square) and (multiple regression analysis) was applied. The findings reveal that the obstacles affecting the performance of Local Governments are significant. The study also reveal that Inter-governmental relations affect the performance of local governments in Nigeria. It was concluded amongst others that for local governments to perform excellently in Nigeria, inter- governmental relations remain an instrument of success that will lead to socio-economic, political and grassroots development. The study recommends that autonomy of the Local Government system should be granted. That is, it should be seen as a third tier government which supposed to have its independence from the other levels of government.