Abstract This study aims to investigate the critical issues of autonomy, corruption, and administration within the local government system in Nigeria. The objectives of this research include evaluating the reputation of local government performance in delivering quality social services, examining the relationship between the third tier of government and the citizenry, scrutinizing the delivery of high-quality social services by local governments in Nigeria, identifying the factors that hinder local government performance, and proposing appropriate recommendations to address these challenges. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive analysis of the current state of local government autonomy, corruption levels, and administrative practices will be conducted. This study will employ qualitative and quantitative research methods, including data collection from relevant sources, interviews with key stakeholders, and surveys. The reputation of local government performance will be assessed based on the availability and effectiveness of social services provided, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and social welfare programs. Furthermore, the study will examine the relationship between local governments and the citizenry, exploring the extent of citizen engagement and participation in decision-making processes and assessing the responsiveness of local government authorities to the needs and concerns of the people. The delivery of high-quality social services by local governments will be critically examined, focusing on resource allocation, capacity-building initiatives, and efficient utilization of funds. Additionally, factors mitigating against local government performance will be analyzed, including inadequate funding, weak governance structures, lack of transparency and accountability, political interference, and institutional challenges. Based on the findings, this study will provide appropriate recommendations within the context of the identified problems. These recommendations will aim to enhance local government autonomy, reduce corruption, and improve overall administrative practices, promoting good governance, accountability, and efficient service delivery at the grassroots level. Ultimately, this research endeavors to contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the autonomy, corruption, and administration of local governments in Nigeria, offering insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers seeking to address these critical issues.     TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page                                                                                                    i Abstract                                                                                                      ii Table of Contents                                                                                       iii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study                                                                               1        1.2 Objectives of the Study                                                                                  5 1.3 Statement of the Problem                                                                               5 1.4 Research Question                                                                                6 1.5 Scope of the Study                                                                                         6        1.6 Significances of the Study                                                                                        7        1.7 Operational definition of Term                                                                      8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Theoretical Background: Effective Service Delivery Theory                                    9 2.2. Conceptual Review                                                                             12 2.2. 1 Concept of Corruption                                                                               12      2.2.2 Concept of Autonomy                                                                                14 2.2.3 Concept of Local Government                                                                    17 2.2.4 Conceptualizing Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria                                   23 2.2.5 Corruption in Nigeria Local Government administration                                     32 2.3 Empirical Studies                                                                                           35 2.4 Appraisal of Literature                                                                                  38   CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design                                                                                             40      3.2. Research Population                                                                                      40 3.3 Sample Size and Sample Technique                                                               40 3.4 Research Instrument                                                                                      40 3.5 Validity of the instrument                                                                             41 3.6 Rehability of the Instrument                                                                          41 3.7 Procedure for Data Collection                                                                        41 3.8 Data Analysis                                                                                       41   CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY 4.1 Analysis of Demographic Variable                                                                 43      4.2 Analysis of Information Research Question                                                             45 4.3 Summary of the Findings                                                                               53 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Discussion of Findings                                                                                   54      5.2 Conclusion                                                                                           57 5.3 Recommendations                                                                                          57   REFERENCES                                                                                         59   APPENDIX                                                                                                          63                                                    CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study          Corruption denies the ordinary citizen the basic means of livelihood, it worsen unemployment and erodes our image as a nation and as individual (Danjuma Goje 2010). It has undermined Nigeria’s economic growth and development potential, with a per capital income of $340, Nigeria now ranks amongst the least developed countries in the World Bank League table. Nigeria’s higher education system once regarded as the best in Sub-Sahara Africa is in deep crisis. Health services are woefully inadequate, graduate unemployment is rising and so too is crime rate. This culture of corruption which is rampant at national level constitutes a threatening force to development at grassroots level. It has been a significant factor leading to the general failure of local government as well as an excuse for suspending representative institution. Corrupt practices have been deleterious not only because they divert funds from public purposes to private purses but also they undermine the vitality of local government.  As a result of the complexity of corruption, its effects on the systemic existence of its victims as does its prevalence through the efforts of its perpetuators, its definition has continued to be shrouded by value preference and differences (Akindele and Adeyemi, 2011). This has to some extent complicated the attainment of a definitional uniformity on the concept within the academia and practicing world of administration. Given this, the elusiveness of the definition of corruption (depending on the definer and perspective) within the parameter of intellectual discourse on Nigerian State and beyond, was eloquently evoked by Gboyega quoted in Olasupo (2009) as thus: Corruption involves the giving and taking of bribe, or illegal acquisition of wealth using the resources, of a public office,Nwabueze (2002) in his own contribution adopted a sociological approach to the definition of corruption. He conceptualized corruption in the following way: A form of social deviance in some cases, of criminal deviances, the result of failure or lack of will to respect the norms of social interactions. It is an extra-legal or normative approach to gainingaccess. It is a form of mal-adaptation involving the acceptance of society’s cultural goals and the rejection of the socially approved means of attaining the goals. It is an indictment on the ineffectiveness of society’s socialization function; a sign of some defects in the development of citizen’s personality system. It indicates the existence of weakness in agencies of social control which should punish rather than reward the perpetuator of corruption. Corruptions, according to him take several forms on one hand, if a public officer embezzles public funds kept in his trust that is corruption. In the same view, if he does unauthorized spending or exceeds approved limits for dubious ends, this is corruption. If he, in deviance of the rules, allocates government land to himself, his wife, his child or friends or otherwise appropriates his position to his or other person’s unfair advantage it is corruption. If he over values a contract so that he could earn a kick-back, this is corruption (Nwabueze 2002). One of the fundamental problems of contemporary Nigeria is corruption. It has thrived, progressed and flourished unabated . Corruption has been institutionalized to the point of accepting it as part of our system. Albeit corruption is ubiquitous, it is found all over the world, but the degree of its manifestation varies from system to system (Lawal and Oladunjoye, 2010). In another, dimension, the widespread of the phenomenon of corruption in Nigeria has being pointed out by Nwabueze  while trying to illustrate the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria. He opines that: Corruption in Nigerian is endemic and anomic, somewhat systemic. In terms of dimensions  corruption is moral-cum-ethical, on the one hand,  and structural on the other. And its explanation and  attempts to find solution must address these  two sources. It manifests as political, economic,  bureaucratic, judicial and even moral corruption.  For example, when an official, as a result of undue  bribe or promise in any of these spheres, abuses  his or other person’s office by putting aside due  process and compromising fairness and equity  in distribution of scarce resources within his jurisdiction or authority to allocate, this is corruption. In Nigeria, ethnicity (nepotism) lust for  power, poverty and personal monetary gains are  also major factors in corruption in public office. Corruption is the greatest bane of local government administration in Nigeria. At the grassroots level, corruption has been canonically accommodated, entertained, and celebrated within the system. In the local government setting corruption is misnomerly labeled and euphemistically referred to as “Egunje” (a slogan which means “illegal offer” in Nigeria) (Lawal and Oladunjoye. Corruption has been described as a major cause of comatose state of local government administration in Nigeria, and a major hindrance to good government (Onwuemenyi, 2008). It has been identified as one of the problems confronting effective local government administration in Nigeria, also non?adherence to provisions of the financial memorandum (FM), conspicuous consumption of the part of the local officials, lifestyles that are not commensurate with official sources of income, imposition of leaders on the local government through corrupted political process and low wages of local government officials (Ali, 2008).     The definition of local government (LG) by the Nigerian Federal Government leaves one with no iota of doubt that it is largely both theoretically sound and service oriented to the people. It talks of representative councils with substantial control over local affairs, for the provision of services and implementation of projects in their areas, to complement the activities of both the State and Federal governments. The definition also amply recognizes the need for LG autonomy as the substantial control of local governments (LGs) is aimed at staff, institutional and financial matters, among others (Nigeria, 1976).   In addition to the above, the Nigerian Federal Government is one of the few governments in the world perhaps in addition to Brazil (Erero, 1998) that have elevated LGs to a third tier of government. By so doing, the State governments do not exercise absolute controls over LGs. As we shall also observe later, there are many checks and balances that have been formulated by the Nigerian Federal Government, to facilitate the effective operations of the local government councils (LGCs).                Local government administration in Nigeria has been in existence since 1972 but its inefficiency and ineffectiveness in addressing the primary needs and wants of the people at the grass root has made the thirds tiers of government irrelevance in the administration of the country lowest tiers of government to the people.                  However, the efficient and effective provision of basic amenities and social infrastructures for the people at the grass root are key factors to the existence of any government. The local government councils are required to serve the public interest in areas of constructing roads, public markets, healthcare centres, drainages, transportation, motor parks, building primary schools, among others. This is because, local Administration is the concern of the grass root people in the provision of social and economic amenities to the rural area where they come from, making it government at the door step of rural inhabitants.                  These functions of local government are well known and popularized by the constitution of the country. What seems to matter most to the people of the grassroots is to see tangible results of their taxes, contributions, labor expended and the judicious use of monthly allocation from the federation account to their local governments.  1.2 Objective of the Study          The main objective of this study is to examine the issues of autonomy, corruption and the administration of local governments in Nigeria. Other specific objectives include: 1) To examine the reputation of the Local Government performance in its quality social services. 2) To examine the nexus between the third tiers of government and citizenry. 3) To scrutinize local government delivery of high quality of social services in Nigeria from 1999 - 2021. 4) To examine issues mitigating against local government performance in Nigeria. 5) To suggest appropriate recommendations within the context of the identified problems. 1.3 Statement of the Problem      The problem confronting this research is to appraise corruption and lack of autonomy in Nigeria as a threat to sustainable development of local government. The major cause of comatose state of local government administration in Nigeria is corruption, and a major hindrance to good government as noted by Onwuemenyi, 2008. It has been identified as one of the problems confronting effective local government administration in Nigeria, also no adherence to provisions of the financial memorandum (FM), conspicuous consumption of the part of the local officials, lifestyles that are not commensurate with official sources of income, imposition of leaders on the local government through corrupted political process and low wages of local government officials. Corruption has been institutionalized to the point of accepting it as part of our system. Albeit corruption is ubiquitous, it is found all over the world, but the degree of its manifestation varies from system to system. 1.4  Research Questions 1. What is corruption? 2. What are the nature of corruption in Nigeria local government. 3. What are the causes of corruption and lack of autonomy in the administration of local government in Nigeria. 4. What are the effect of lack of autonomy in Nigeria local government. 5. What are strategies to curb corruption at local government administration? 1.5 Significance of the Study This study is to empirical assess the issues of autonomy, corruption and administration of local government in Nigeria with a view to state the implications, causes and it's nature to the administration of local government in Nigeria. The study will add to the growing literature on leadership across Nigeria local government administration. It is expected that this study will benefit the executive arm of the government at the center (federal government), having the knowledge of the problem facing the leaders of local governments will guide policy makers in making policies towards ameliorating the identified problems. The recommendations of this study will also assist the government in augmenting existing laws towards jerking-up under-performing local governments to be able to compete globally in the near future. Finally, the findings shall also act as a base for further studies. 1.6 Scope of the Study Local government as the third tiers of government should not be scrapped or changed rather it should be strengthened, democratized and the federal government should enact laws that promote transparency and accountability at all level of governance, most especially, at the local level of governance. In this regard, it will, be crucial to strengthen institutions of horizontal accountability and empowerment of civil society organizations to monitor the performance of Local governments officials and report any found wanting to anti-corruption agent. Moreover, there is a great need to reform the structure of government at all levels (Federal, State and local government) in Nigeria to be accountable to the masses of the people that elect them to the political office.  The cases reviewed in this work are series of short-comings and mal-administrations of local government in Nigeria ranging from lack of initiative that improves the lives of the inhabitants reflecting the lost priority to provide better services like portable water, adequate good roads, drainage facilities, health care centres, and standard education with state of the art technologies, vocational training, and other social services as a means to attaining good services provisions to the masses of the people under their geographical area for effective development at the grassroots level. These, if done, will enhance efficient and effective service delivery at the grassroots level and sustaining its future. This study is based on the issues of autonomy corruption and administration of local government in Nigeria and to the staff, Teachers, Farmers, businessmen/women and artisans in ijebu north local government in Nigeria. 1.7 Operational Definition of the Terms   The following terms have been defined for the purpose of this study i. Local government:- Local governments in Nigeria are single tier government responsible for providing basic services to the people. Local       governments exist to     provide peculiar services       particularly to rural communities. ii. Autonomy :- Autonomy simply refers to freedom, independent, free from external and remote control. iii. Corruption :- Corruption is the misuse of entrusted power (by heritage, education, marriage, election, appointment or whatever else) for private gain. iv. Administration:- Administration is the process of running an organization, office or business.this include creating rules and regulations making lawa and orders etc.