By 2020, Lagos Council will assume all the powers that the Government have decentralized, after only accepting three of the new tasks so far this year, which is the first year of a transitional period that will last until 2021.
At a time when Councils across the country will have to accept a myriad of new responsibilities, the municipality of Lagos claimed that "all responsibilities will be regulated" by next year, according to Hugo Pereira, newly inaugurated Mayor of Lagos.
"Only those roles that are joint, between the government and the council, will be left until 2021. And then there is still one responsibility which will be held by the State, Food Security, which, of course, we will not assume," he explained.
At first, back in 2018, Lagos only accepted new competences in the management of public real estate.
In 2019 however, they also accepted tasks in the area of culture, and the management of port areas. Next year, they want to welcome the whole decentralization package, which includes overseeing the areas of education and health, which have generated the most worries amongst council officials. Other responsibilities which will be held by the Council will be the co-management of protected areas, communication, justice, housing, citizen services, public parking, passenger transport and support for the Volunteer Firefighters,
According to a Lagos Council press release, assuming these roles is a push towards “a more effective, efficient, equitable municipality, which is close to the citizens.”
This decision has already been reflected in the Lagos Municipal Budget for 2020, approved this week, which amounts to 64 million euros - a figure well 58.6 million in 2019.
