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When I first decided to run for public office in Canada, I will admit something openly: I did not fully understand how government worked. Like many people, my understanding was mostly centted on the federal government — the media headlines, the parliamentary debates, the policies that made national news. I assumed most meaningful decisions were made “up there.”
It was only when I entered public service that I began to clearly see how government is structured, the responsibilities assigned to each level, and how revenue is generated and allocated. And that was when the real shock came: the level of government that most affects your everyday life is not the federal or even the provincial government — it is the local one.
If you want to understand why G7 countries run efficiently, don’t just look at the speeches in their national capitals or the policies being created at the national level. Look at what is happening at the municipal level. Local government is the closest level of government to the people. If the federal government makes a decision today, you may feel the effect years down the line. But if your local government stops picking up garbage? You will smell the impact tomorrow morning. If they reduce park maintenance, library staffing, bus routes, snow clearing, community programming, fire services, or road repair, your daily life is affected immediately.
This is why a city of 300,000 people may have over 500 – 1,000 employees. Not because government is bloated, but because local government directly touches nearly every aspect of life in a community. Things must run efficiently.
With that closeness comes accountability. I cannot count the number of times residents have called my mobile phone, emailed, or flagged me down in a grocery aisle to raise an issue. Just last week, a constituent called and asked me to come to their home to look at a problem on their street. And I went. Why? Because public service is exactly that — service. :Na who vote you in, you go answer to.”
But this raises a deeper question: How many of us actually know our local leaders? How many have attended a council meeting? Do we know their responsibilities? Do we understand the challenges they face?
A few weeks ago, we debated an important local issue at council. Twenty residents attended and spoke passionately for five minutes each. They challenged us, held us accountable, and made us think harder. The very next morning, a local newspaper covered the debate and a radio station called for my perspective. That is what scrutiny looks like — not hostility, but engagement. And believe me, knowing that election season is never too far away keeps every councillor grounded.
This experience has shaped how I view governance in Nigeria. Too often, Nigerian citizens focus solely on the federal government. Every complaint begins and ends with the President. But the true backbone of service delivery is the local government.
Nigeria has three tiers of government — federal, state, and local. The Constitution guarantees the existence of democratically elected Local Government Councils. Local governments have the authority to enact by-laws, manage local economic development, collect certain rates, manage primary education and primary healthcare, maintain local roads, regulate markets and motor parks, manage refuse disposal, register births and deaths, and provide essential community services.
In other words, local government is designed to be the closest engine of development.
As Aderonke Majekodunmi wrote in her published article, “The State of Local Government and Service Delivery in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” local government is positioned to articulate and aggregate the needs of the people because of its proximity to them.
In July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that local governments can now receive their federal allocations directly, rather than through state governments. This ruling has the potential to reset accountability and empower local councils to serve citizens properly — but only if citizens engage.
So I ask again: Who is your local government chairman? Do you know their priorities? Have you attended a council meeting? Are roads being repaired? Are markets being maintained? Is primary healthcare functioning? Are refuse collection and sanitation being managed?
I once heard a story from a neighboir about the street I grew up on. The road was never paved in my entire childhood. Yet, when her father inspected the local government records, the road had supposedly been paved twice — on paper. That is what happens when scrutiny is absent.
Citizens should not simply complain on social media. Challenge with clarity. Engage with intention. Attend public meetings. Ask your local radio station to start covering meetings. Write to your senator to ask that local government meetings be made public (at worst streamed online). Write letters. Demand explanations. Request transparency. Ask for progress reports. And yes — remember that elections are cycles of accountability.
In my role here, my constituents message me, question me, confront me respectfully, and remind me that public office is borrowed authority. Their scrutiny sharpens my leadership. It ensures I make thoughtful decisions. It keeps me grounded in service.
Good governance does not happen because leaders are perfect. It happens because citizens are present.
Citizens have their power in two key ways: voting, and accountability. Don’t give up your power in either of the two.
So here is my call to action: Don’t just talk about bad governance — participate in better governance. Know your local leaders. Follow their decisions. Ask questions. Show up. Speak up.
Where citizens watch closely, leaders attempt to act more responsibly.
Where scrutiny is strong, accountability is real. And where accountability is real, progress becomes possible. Governance improves when we all do our part.
• Owodunni is City Councillor in Ketchener, Ontario, Canada.
