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Nigeria @ 62: ALGON National President Hon. Alabi Kolade DavidCalls for Strengthening of Local Government Institutions ... Urges Nigerians To Elect Credible Local Government-friendly Candidates in 2023 elections l The National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Kolade David Alabi has sent in his goodwill message to Nigerians as the country marks its 62nd Independence Day celebration. Speaking to Newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way back to Lagos after official duties, Alabi noted that for Nigeria make optimal progress, it must divorce itself from the present style of service delivery that has no 'bottom-up approach'. He said that by taking a retrospective look at the sacrifices made by the founding fathers especially the framers and designers of the tiers of government where balance and horizontal development are guaranteed as a key component of growth, it has become imperative that the Local Governments and Councils are given their right relevance and privilege. He is also of the opinion that the responsibility to ensure that Nigeria move forward from its present state which will be hinged mainly on political will, leadership recruitment process guaranteed by free, fair, and credible election for good governance if it must take its fulcrum from the grassroots where Nigerians majorly reside for wider development spread. He further opined that there is the need for total commitment by every eligible voting Nigerian to use the opportunity provided by the coming 2023 general elections to fix the myriad of problems besetting the rural populace. Said "now that electioneering campaign has commenced, ALGON will continue to insist that only local government-friendly candidates from Presidential, National Assembly, Governors, Reps, State Assemblies, Chairmen and Counselors with issues of Councils as vital part of their manifestoes will be mobilized and supported by Nigerians at the grassroots who are always at the receiving end dysfunctional leadership. Reacting to questions by a select group of journalists, he said that ALGON made it a categorical resolution after several meetings and consultations. According to him, ALGON is interested in the devolution of power, transparent elections, creation of state police, fairness, and equity in fiscal responsibility. He noted that “there is an urgent need for value orientation as the country marks its 62nd independence anniversary today which will enable Nigeria to take advantage of the coming 2023 general elections to change the course of our history for the good of the communities. “ALGON is seen as the hope of the grassroots and as the only Government closer to them, and the noticeable hunger across the communities is an indictment of the communities with vast arable lands but lacks the resources, funding, and technology. “The organic rise in crimes, armed robbery, banditry, and kidnapping. “There is a need for conscientious political inclusion of the LGAs leveraging on the vast knowledge of the present crop of Council Chairmen who are getting more conversant with the pressing peculiar needs of these communities, and have both intellectual and legacy information on what can turn the communities around", Hon. Kolade David Alabi said.
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Brazil – Africa Forum 2022: Hon Alabi Makes Compelling Case For Strong Policies, Inclusion Of Cities, LGs In Intergrated Infrastructure Master Plan in Africa

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Poor inclusion of the Local Governments and Area Councils in Africa in the policy framework for integrated infrastructural Master plan as well as funding gap has been identified as greatest obstacle affecting development in the continent.

This was vigorously expressed by one of the Executive Members representing the United Cities for Local Government, Africa (UCLGA), Hon. Kolade David Alabi who also doubles as the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

Hon, Alabi who is currently on official assignment in Sao Paulo Brazil is an Executive member of UCLG-Africa representing West Africa in the “Brazil Africa Forum 2022” where issues like sustainable cities, global challenges, and local solutions were widely highlighted by team of world policy leaders and framers of innovative action for development.

The event has reached its 10th edition and recognizes the main space for debate between Brazilian and African leaders on contemporary issues of global interest. It has also been dubbed as a critical groundbreaking engagement that focuses on a mutual beneficial future.

Brazil and Africa, from available records, shelters several of the most important cities in the world and have designed the forum towards gainful purpose.

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During the event, the African representative drew the attention of the world leaders on progressive engagement of sustainable development plan by insisting that unless the LGA’s were carried along in formulation of business policies in Africa, the continent risks appreciable prosperity.

He gave instances on the need to promote a pragmatic deep-down-good-governance-model that all can see which is capable of reflating the economy in a more united manner through a persistent inclusion of an evidence-based findings of the rural government in its infrastructural challenges like roads, rural electrification, urban agriculture, waste management, renewable energies, urban mobility, health, sanitation, creative industry, sports, water and other substructure deficit.

According to him, bridging the infrastructure gap in developing countries go a long way in addressing their developmental challenges of which according to him comes with an increasing limited fiscal space to fund their critical infrastructural projects noting that in Nigeria for example, available records have shown that the Public Private Partnership model as operated is working and has so far changed some negative perception of the government infrastructural financing gaps.

In his paper presented at the event, the ALGON President and the UCLGA representative pointed out that, as a result, there has been some incredible mileage in infrastructure financing.

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He specifically observed that states and Federal Government alone cannot fully demonstrate its capacity for a wider project coverage due to its limited resource, hence the need for a national action plan that transcend boundaries of Federal or State institutions.

It was his view that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, an agency of the federal government of Nigeria charged with its implementation of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model by the Federal Government for infrastructural development has demonstrated enough political will with successful execution of some signature projects like the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, the just completed 2nd Niger Bridge and even those of the states as examplified by the Lagos State model of Office of the Public-private Partnership (OPPP) which in his words are all success story where landmark projects like the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Metro Rail Lines were all exemplary to behold.

The UCLGA executive Member representing west Africa started that local Governments should be captured in the integrated infrastructure master plan and that the formulation of business friendly policies that can crave investors who are willing to commit substantial resources to fund projects that has ease of doing business component, robust legislation, viable independent Judiciary and so on.

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The August gathering during its plenary pivoted for future infrastructure solutions in densely populated space of which Africa falls within the projection of the year 2020 in which two third of the world population were recently touted to live in urban areas which amplifies Hon. Alabi’s stand on the need to engage the private sectors substantially and also design policies from bottom up leveraging on available information at the rural level where the needs are in intense as such will define the peoples quality of life when rightly included.

The week-long event which was organized by the Southbridge group Brazil, had in attendance highly cerebral leaders, President of Republic of Senegal, General Secretary UCLGA Africa, the Executive secretary of ICLEL for South America, CEO Standard Bank Brazil, President of Brazil Africa Institute, vice president of world bank, Sports legends, Media executives, Mayors, Directors, CEO’s Investment experts, captains of industry, including the former Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi and a host of others.

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