Urban governance and political influence in contemporary urban settings of midsized cities in Nigeria

Abstract

The influence of urban governance on cities poses an enormous challenge to the developing regions. Especially in Nigeria, where there is limited empirical research on the impact of the relationship between local, state, and national governments on the implementation of city goals and the rule of law in urban governance. This creates a knowledgeable gap in urban literature in Africa. This study used a survey-driven data approach to seek and develop a scientific understanding of city governance in Nigeria. The analysis used extensive primary data collected in Sokoto, Akure, Calabar, and Umuahia, representing Nigeria's four major regions thereby making the study’s dataset more holistic. Our findings show enormous challenges in funding cities, such as urban politics, a fall in oil prices, a short tenure system, and state-milking city funds. We highlight the effects of a lack of stakeholder theories, such as segregated urban formation, urban unemployment, and low economic turnover. Although states have introduced different skill acquisition programs to empower the urban population, segmented urbanism often creates a wide gap between the rich and the poor, raising doubts about the direction of urban governance in Nigeria.