ABSTRACT:

The paper examined among other issues the philosophical basis and practical imperatives of creating local governments - qua government - including a proper understanding of its role in lhe society. The position of the paper is that the experiment in government at the grassroots levels through the instrumentality of local govcrnme, though desirable has recorded very limited success due largely to the political environment within which it has been pursued. That, while not unmindful of the inevitable flaws interval to the local government system in Nigeria. the bane of local government in governance derives from ecological constraints especially those that are politically induced. The paper argues that unless some radical changes occur in the area of Federal/State/Local government relations including a reasonable check against wanton interventions by the Federal and State Governments in the affairs of local governments, meaningful governance at the local level will remain, at best an elusive dream: antl that this condition will bring much cherished development no nearer.