By Olamide Iwala, Charity
Michael & Joshua Babatunde

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A financial analyst, Mr. Kofoworola Akinjo, has called on the Federal Government to grant full and practical autonomy to the local government system, even as he urged Nigerians to embrace investment in locally made products as a sustainable way of reviving the economy.

Akinjo, who was a guest on a live radio programme, State of the Nation, aired on Crest 106.1 FM in Akure on April 28, 2025, lamented that the autonomy of local governments, though granted by law and affirmed by the Supreme Court remains largely theoretical and is yet to reflect in practice.

He argued that genuine autonomy would not only empower grassroots governance but would also help tackle insecurity, promote local enterprise, and boost community-based development.

According to him, local government chairmen, when fully empowered, can play a strategic role in safeguarding their communities by setting up security structures such as local vigilantes and equipping them with necessary tools and logistics.

“Take a cue from Amotekun in Ondo State. A proactive council chairman can replicate such initiative set up vigilantes, arm them, and provide vehicles to support their work in tackling insecurity at the local level,” Akinjo said.

He suggested that traditional rulers including Obas, Chiefs, Olus and Baales be incorporated into security committees in their communities for intelligence gathering and localised interventions.

“Do you know we actually need the Obas all the Obas, all the Chiefs to address all these insecurity issues?” he asserted.

Akinjo stressed that if he were governor and faced with continuous killings in a particular community, he would hold the Oba of that community accountable by inviting him for serious discussions, while also providing necessary support to resolve the crisis.

Switching to the economy, Akinjo advised Nigerians to begin channelling their investments into locally made products to drive industrial growth and reduce over-reliance on imports.

He explained that the journey towards becoming a producing nation would not happen overnight, and as such, government investments in manufacturing should not be expected to yield immediate results.