The Paradox of Leadership in the Local Government Administration in Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria, local government is governance architecture created to address local concerns. Over the years, local government has continued to invoke debates among the rural public over the influence of leadership on its administration, thus emitting differing interpretations and misconceptions about the system. Each strand of the views exemplifies the underlining prevailing perception of individual evaluator, analyst and critics about the local government leadership and administration. It is either that a particular group is criticizing local government leadership and administration in its approach and mechanisms for rural governance and development, or another group is eulogizing local government leadership and administration for its development strides, efforts at empowerment of rural populace and roles in deepening the practice of democracy. While neither of the opinions is entirely correct or surmises the current trend in the system amid mixed experiences commonly observed, this study examines leadership in local government administration in Nigeria, with emphasis on the contending perspectives. It is a qualitative research, descriptive in nature and employs secondary data like books, journals, internet materials and other publications, including personal observations. The study also adopts role theory of leadership. The theory offers premises for interrogating the multiple perspectives from which the major paradoxes of leadership in local government administration in Nigeria are understood and what solution to proffer in the form of an alternative approach to leadership.