Prior to 1976, local governments were

Analyzing the question The question asks about the status of local governments in Nigeria before the 1976 Local Government Reform. That reform is a major landmark in Nigeria's local government history.

The concept Before 1976, local government in Nigeria was shaped by the colonial and early post-independence arrangements:

• Under indirect rule, the Native Authorities (especially in the North) were the main units of local administration.
• In the Western and Eastern Regions, local councils were created under the 1950s local government laws, modelled on the British system.
• After independence, local governments were under the control of the regional governments (later the states, from 1967). The regions and states made the laws that created them, supervised them, and could dissolve councils.

The 1976 Reform changed this by making local government a third tier of government, with defined functions, uniform structure, and its own funding (statutory allocations). It was meant to give local governments more real autonomy.

Working through the options

• A. Part of the state government machinery. Before 1976, local governments were creatures of the regional or state governments, controlled and supervised by them, and often treated as extensions of the state's administration. This fits.
• B. Autonomous bodies concerned with local affairs. This describes what the 1976 Reform aimed to achieve, not the earlier situation. Before 1976 they lacked real autonomy.
• C. Grassroots agents of the federal government. Local government was not under the federal government; it was a regional/state matter.
• D. Administrative instruments of the Native Authority. The Native Authority was itself the local government in the North, so this does not make sense as a description.

Answer Before 1976, local governments were part of the state (or regional) government machinery.

Exam tip For "before 1976" questions, remember: before 1976 = controlled by the regions/states; after 1976 = recognised as the third tier of government. If an option talks about autonomy, it usually describes the post-1976 situation.