Urban services and the invisibility of local governments in Nigeria in a COVID-19 pandemic context

Abstract

The Covid pandemic was expected to provide a catalyst for better service provision by governments in general and local governments in particular. However, the complexity of governance suggests that citizens’ expectations of performance of constitutionally assigned roles may not always meet the realities of state–state relations. This paper provides a nuanced example of the interplay between state–state relations, citizens’ expectations and state–society relations in a three-tiered multi-governance context. Using findings from a virtual focus group discussion and online survey conducted in the first-wave lockdown in Lagos, Nigeria, it is shown that existing state–state relations influenced the relegation of local governments in the Covid-19 response structure, while citizens’ expectations continually demanded their visibility in service provision, a role that community actors and civil society groups took up. It is argued that it is not enough for services (particularly in health emergencies) to be provided in local government areas and through local governments, but services provided by local governments provide the competency local governments need to partner with civil society and other actors, thereby strengthening their capacity to assume devolved roles.