“Bad governance persists because the Nigerian state wears a colour of grand isolation from the people who are supposed to be its centrepiece.”
Ayo Olukotun
(Renowned Political Scientist and Media Scholar)
Dear {{First name|Active Citizen}},
Today, let's talk about something that rarely makes the national headlines, yet dictates the quality of your life more directly than almost anything else:
Your Local Government.
In Osun State, local governance has been at a total standstill for months. Between zero allocations, zero governance, and the violent "PDP vs APC" deadlock over who holds the keys to the LGAs, the system is paralysed.
While the courts trade suits and countersuits, guess who is left on the sidelines? Citizens.
Local governments are supposed to fix our streets, manage primary healthcare, keep our streets clean and regulate our local markets. Right now, in many communities in Osun state, these basics simply don't exist. Our #myLGA project is currently ongoing in the state, and during our recent visit, a participant shared a thought that we haven’t been able to shake:
"The Local Government office is open, but it is empty."
Another added: "Staff are at work, but governance is not working."
Image from the Focus Group Discussion session, where participants analyzed data gathered from the survey conducted across the 30 LGAs in the state.
When we asked civil servants why they aren't pushing back, the answer was crumbling: "You cannot bite the hand that pays your salary." This isn't cowardice, {{First name|Active Citizen}}. It’s survival. It is the inevitable result when institutions are designed to serve those in power rather than those they govern.
And yet... the needle is moving.
In Ekiti State, our Community Champions and Volunteers in Ado, Ikere, Ijero, Ido-Osi, Ekiti south-west and Ikole LGAs are doing the quiet, unglamorous work of reviving a tier of government people had written off.
Image from the Champions Engagement session, highlighting discussions on feedback and insights gathered from citizen engagements in Ado and Ikere LGAs
It isn’t easy. Nigerians are rightfully sceptical. Some communities suspect a hidden political agenda; others show up expecting "stomach infrastructure" (food or money) and leave disappointed when none appears.
But something is shifting. Citizens who used to dismiss their LGA entirely are now asking the "hard" questions:
"Where is our budget?"
"What is the Chairman actually supposed to be doing?"
"What are we entitled to that we’ve never received?"
Our radio programs are sparking inquiries, and our "old school" English and Yoruba leaflets are being passed from neighbour to neighbour like precious gold. Accountability is becoming a local language.
The Road to Elections
Local governments aren't just administrative units; they are the closest mobilisation structures to the voters. Whoever controls the LGA controls the machinery for registration, community messaging, and Election Day coordination.
As one citizen told us: "Control the grassroots, control the election."
The same people who claimed they expected nothing from the government spent hours giving us recommendations for financial autonomy and judicial clarity. That is not apathy. That is exhausted hope looking for a reason to re-engage.
Will you help us give them that reason?
Celebrating Our 16th Anniversary
EiE Nigeria turns 16 next Monday, March 16. To celebrate, our goal is simple but bold: to raise 16 million Naira. This fund will directly fuel our work to educate, empower, and mobilise voters for the Ekiti and Osun off-cycle elections (June 20 and August 15, 2026)—the critical building blocks for 2027.
Your support will fund:
The design and production of thousands more leaflets and information materials in local languages.
Continued radio programming to reach the "last mile."
Countering misinformation that targets the most vulnerable voters.
{{First name|Active Citizen}}, you can join us by donating via the flyer above or by Clicking Here to Pay Directly via our Secure Link.
Whether it’s N1,600, N16,000, N160,000 or N1,600,000, every naira is a brick in activating the #OfficeOfTheCitizen.
We’re counting on you.
In service of the #OfficeOfTheCitizen
The EiE Nigeria Team.
If this newsletter resonates with you, please share it with friends, colleagues, and anyone who cares about good governance and citizenship. They can join our mailing list at eieng.co/subscribe.
Enough thinking. Enough ranting. Let's build.