Decentralisation and Service Delivery in Enugu North Local Government Area, Enugu State

The growing demand for efficient public service delivery at the grassroots level has renewed scholarly and policy interest in decentralisation as a governance strategy. This study examines the relationship between decentralisation and service delivery in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, with a view to assessing whether the devolution of administrative and fiscal responsibilities to the local tier has translated into improved outcomes for residents. The study is anchored on the Decentralisation Theory as advanced by Rondinelli and Cheema, which posits that transferring authority to sub-national units enhances responsiveness, accountability, and resource allocation efficiency. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised staff of Enugu North Local Government Council and community residents, from which a sample of 250 respondents was drawn using stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire served as the primary data collection instrument, and data were analysed using frequency tables and regression analysis. Findings reveal that while administrative decentralisation has improved proximity of services, fiscal decentralisation remains constrained by inadequate intergovernmental transfers and weak internally generated revenue. The study concludes that decentralisation has produced mixed outcomes, with structural and financial limitations undermining service delivery quality. It is recommended that the federal and state governments review the revenue allocation formula to grant local governments greater fiscal autonomy, while capacity building initiatives are institutionalised for local council officials to enhance administrative performance.

Keywords: Decentralisation, Service Delivery, Local Government, Fiscal Autonomy, Governance