*17 local government areas, as listed in the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. The list is constitutional, not administrative: a state may create development areas, but only an alteration of the Constitution can create a local government that draws from the Federation Account. Section 162(5)–(8) routes each council's share through a State Joint Local Government Account controlled by the state government — the arrangement the Supreme Court ruled against in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Ors (11 July 2024), holding that allocations must go directly to democratically elected councils.*
The 17 councils#
- Barkin Ladi
- Bassa
- Bokkos
- Jos East
- Jos North
- Jos South
- Kanam
- Kanke
- Langtang North
- Langtang South
- Mangu
- Mikang
- Pankshin
- Qua'an Pan
- Riyom
- Shendam
- Wase
Notes on the roster#
Jos North is the most contested local government in Nigeria: the 1991 creation of the LGA — and the question of who is 'indigene' within it — is the administrative origin of the Jos crises of 2001, 2008, 2010 and after. Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu have carried the rural killings since.
References
Sources#
- Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), First Schedule Part I
- INEC local government delimitation register
- Supreme Court of Nigeria, SC/CV/343/2024, judgment of 11 July 2024 (local government financial autonomy)