The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Cross River State, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, has said granting local governments financial and administrative autonomy is essential to empowering communities and promoting grassroots development.
Toyo argued that local councils must have access to their statutory allocations and the authority to determine their development priorities rather than depend on decisions taken by state governments.
She spoke during an interview in Calabar, where she outlined her governance priorities ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
According to the Nigerian former ambassador to Ethiopia, Cross River’s numerous ethnic groups and communities have remained fragmented, with smaller groups lacking the political voice, economic strength and visibility to protect their interests.
She said decentralising power would enable communities to build stronger local economies and participate more effectively in decisions affecting their territories.
The ADC candidate, who is a lawyer and governance expert, particularly stressed the importance of local participation in the management of mineral resources.
She warned that communities could lose control of their economic interests when mining licences are issued by the Federal Government without adequate consultation with people living in the affected areas.
Toyo cited disputes over mineral resources in parts of Akamkpa Local Government Area, arguing that local communities should have a greater say in the exploitation of resources beneath their land.
She said the situation could become more complicated if investors with mining licences entered communities, extracted valuable minerals and left residents with little benefit from the resources.
Toyo maintained that local government autonomy would help communities understand their economic potential, organise their resources and negotiate better terms for development.
She also said decentralisation was particularly important to Cross River because of its diverse ethnic composition and the need to prevent smaller communities from being marginalised.
She argued that empowering local governments would help build development from the grassroots and give communities a stronger stake in the state’s economic future.