Nigeria, July 28 -- One year has passed since the Supreme Court's declarative judgment on the direct funding of the country's local government areas. It was a landmark decision, which restored financial autonomy to the third tier of government, and was widely applauded as a fresh lifeline for grassroots governance and sustainable development. The court gave no room for wavering or obfuscation, with its emphasis on "immediate compliance with this judgment." It was delivered on 11 July 2024.

Yet, the federal government, the plaintiff in the case, against the backdrop of the routine abuse or diversion of the allocations to the 744 local government areas (LGAs) in the country by state governors, through their control of the State/Local Gover...