Nigerian Local Government in Transition
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1960.tb00163.x |
| Published date | 01 April 1960 |
| Author | Mallam Muhammadu Song |
| Date | 01 April 1960 |
Nigerian Local Government in Transition
by
MALLAM
MUHAMMADU
SONG,
Councillor
for Local
Government,
Adamawa
Native Authority
THIS
article is a description by one who attended the vacation course,
the
first
of
its kind to be held in the
Northern
Region of Nigeria, organized by
the
Department
of
Extra-Mural
Studies
of
the University College,
Ibadan.
The
course was held from
znd
to rzth September 1958in the Institute
of
Administra-
tion
at
Zaria, the fine buildings
and
pleasant surroundings ofwhich contributed
much
towards
the
spirit of friendliness
and
co-operation which was the keynote
throughout
the
course,
both
during
the
lectures
and
in
the
discussions in
the
seminars.
Membership
if
course
AIl Nigeria was represented as follows:
The
Southern Cameroons was
represented by eight members, among them five chiefs dressed in their tradi-
tional fashion, of which they were very proud.
The
Eastern Region was also
represented by twelve members, one
of
whom was the secretary to the Local
Government Association
and
the rest chairmen
and
members of the
urban
and
rural
district councils.
From
the West there were thirty-nine members
including some Obas. Thirty-one were chairmen
and
members of the district
councils, four were from the divisional councils, one
member
each from the
Oshogbo
Grammar
Schools
and
the Benin City Council,
and
one a representa-
tive
of
the Local Government Association. Finally, from the
Northern
Region
the course was
attended
by thirty-one members, of whom eighteen were mem-
bers of
the
legislatures
of
Lagos
and
Kaduna
and
of native
authority
councils,
seven were from government departments, five from the Institute of Administra-
tion, Zaria,
and
one a
member
of the
Extra-Mural
Department,
Llorin
branch.
Lectures
and
Lecturers
Mr.
R. E. Wraith, the senior lecturer, was assisted by Dr. Awa,
Mr.
Ogun-
sheye
and
Mr.
Tugbiyele, all from
the
University College,
Ibadan.
Mr.
Campbell
and
Mr.
Musson
of
the Institute of Administration gave lectures on
local government in
the
Northern
Region.
Mr.
A. A.
Purdue
of
the Social
Welfare
Department
and
Mr.
BourdiIlon of the economic section of
the
Ministry of Finance lectured on social welfare
and
economics, respectively.
Lectures were given on the following subjects: indirect rule
and
retrospect,
local government reform in
Ghana
and
local government in West Africa,
local authority staffing problems, the future of local government in Nigeria,
relations between central
and
local authorities, local government in Eastern
Nigeria
and
Southern
Cameroons, local government finance, social welfare
work in
the
Northern
Region, local government in
the
Western Region of
Nigeria, local authorities
and
economic development, local government in
Northern
Nigeria, local government training in
the
North.
These lectures were well chosen for this type
of
course. People from
Southern
Nigeria were particularly interested in
the
local government system in
the
North;
and
people
of
the
Northern
Region saw
great
differences in local
government practice in
the
Western
and
Eastern Regions, thereby realizing
74
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