Why Nigeria Needs Thousands More Local Governments to Thrive

In this first episode of the PACT Daily Brief, let’s compare Nigeria’s government with that of the United States. The US serves 343 million people through 50 states and over 90,000 local governments. Nigeria, by contrast, has 36 states and just 774 local governments—many of which are inactive. We believe effective public administration must start at the local level. Citizens need a government they can walk into, question, and influence. Every distinct settlement—from major cities to small villages—should manage its own planning, health services, education, infrastructure, and revenue. Today, most of these functions are overly centralised at the state and federal levels. That explains why essential services often fail. By creating functional local governments for each community, we can rebuild governance from the bottom up and deliver real results. About PACT: Project for Advancement & Civic Transformation is a coalition of citizens committed to national reform. Join our growing movement for genuine change.

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