Local Government chairmen in the country have pledged to partner state and multilateral institutions for rapid grassroots development, saying with the financial autonomy granted them, they are now faced with heightened expectations from Nigerians.

President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria ALGON, Engr. Bello Lawal disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the 4th Edition of the Local Government Economic Summit.

He said; “In this Financial Autonomy regime, local government councils are now facing heightened expectations from our citizens, as well as from the Federal and State Governments, Development Partners, CSOs and NGOs.

“We have no other choice but to rise to the occasion and ensure that all LGCs play their rightful roles in driving development across the country. Transparency, accountability, openness, and accessibility will continue to be our watch words and the bedrock of our policies and leadership. I will like assure all and sundry that the current crop of leaders at Local Government level will not disappoint Nigerians.

“Accordingly, we are committed to improving Primary Health Care system, by scaling up drug distribution networks to ensure that affordable and quality medicines are accessible. There are significant efforts at improving human resources for health. We however, welcome all stakeholders with innovative ideas that can contribute to advancing the development of our communities.

“ALGON is committed to ensuring a strong collaboration and partnership with the Federal and State Governments, Development Partners, Private Sectors and other key stakeholders to ensure accelerated development at the grassroot levels. LGCs in Nigeria are more than committed to ensure prompt payment of salaries of our workers and other obligations”.

Noting that there are significant funding opportunities, both within and outside the country, that could support rural development and sustainable agriculture, Lawal said one of the key steps to attracting such funding is creating a conducive environment and establishing markets that are conducive to investors.

“The Local Government Economic Summit Group has briefed us on their ongoing efforts, and I assure you that we will roll out additional activities in 2025 to demonstrate how local governments are willing and ready to collaborate with Summit Group in order create positive social impact at the grassroots.

We are exploring initiatives such as farm settlements and small-scale farming projects, which will be owned by local governments with the support of various partners. Additionally, we plan to explore the potential of organic farming, even as we address challenges like farm insecurity and banditry. We will also work closely with the Infrastructure Bank Plc, the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), the Bank of Industry (BOI), and other partners to create a comprehensive framework that attracts significant funding for local governments across Nigeria”, he added.

On his part, Chairman, Board of Governance, Local Government Economic Summit Group, Hon. Aminu Muazu Maifata said the summit is a convergence of Local Government stakeholders to objectively find solutions to the plethora of challenges facing Local Government system in Nigeria.

“The body is determined to fashion out ways to the economic wellbeing of our people through collaborative effort on poverty reduction, skills acquisition, political awareness and community service.

“I want to assure you that the coming together of various interest groups of the Local Government in Nigeria will foster a positive development across the social and economic segments at the grassroots. This is the first time we are conceiving a pool investment basket for the local Governments in order to bring about structural changes in the economic life of the masses”, he stated.