Nigerian Court Declares Local Governments Autonomous, Ends State Control of Universal Basic Education Funds

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that Nigerian local governments are an autonomous tier of government, invalidating provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act 2004 that placed Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) under state supervision. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that LGEAs can now apply for and receive federal education grants directly from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), bypassing state governments and SUBEBs. The court mandated UBEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation to notify all 37 SUBEBs and 774 LGEAs nationwide within three months, reinforcing local governments’ constitutional independence in administering UBE funds.