In a Federal System (such as Nigeria) the Local Governments are directly responsible

1. Analyze the question The question asks which level of government Local Governments answer to directly in a federal system like Nigeria.

2. Explain the concept In a federal system, power is shared between the central (federal) government and the component units (the states). Local governments are not a separate tier with independent constitutional power in the way states are. They are created by, and operate under, the laws of the State government.

Under the 1999 Constitution, Section 7 guarantees a system of local government, but each State House of Assembly makes laws on how local governments are set up and run. Each state also has a Ministry of Local Government and a State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) that conducts local government elections. States oversee local government finances through the State-Local Government Joint Account.

3. Step-by-step solution

• Option A (Federal Government): The Federal Government does not directly supervise local governments. It only allocates funds to them through the Federation Account, with states involved in the process. ❌
• Option B (State Government): Local governments are created, supervised, and regulated by the State government, so they are directly responsible to it. ✔
• Option C (Federal and State): Responsibility is not shared equally. The direct link is with the State. ❌
• Option D (no other level): This is wrong because local governments are not autonomous in the sense of answering to no one. ❌

4. Answer The correct option is B. to the State Government.

5. Exam tip Remember the chain of supervision: Local → State → Federal. In the exam, "directly responsible" points to the level immediately above. Be aware that debates about local government autonomy exist, but in JAMB's standard framing, local governments answer to the State.