Funmi Ogundare 

Former Ogun State Governor and senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has called on governments at all levels to strengthen accountability, transparency and grassroots participation to rebuild public trust in government.

Daniel, who made the call Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the third edition of Nigeria Grassroots Governance Summit and Awards (NIGGSA) 2026, in Lagos, said public confidence could only be sustained through responsible leadership, effective service delivery and measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare.

He spoke on the theme, ‘Focusing on Community Policing, Building Trust at the Grassroots.’

Daniel, who was represented by a former Commissioner for Special Duty in Ogun State, Akogun Kolapo Onadipe, explained that democracy goes beyond the conduct of periodic elections.

He stated that while elections conferred legitimacy on government, performance was essential to sustaining it.

“My central message today is simple: Trust is the foundation of good governance, accountability is its currency, and service to the people is its ultimate test,” he said.

He noted that citizens expected governments to provide security, create economic opportunities, improve infrastructure, strengthen education and healthcare, and ensure that public resources were deployed for the common good.

He warned that repeated unfulfilled promises could erode public confidence, discourage investment, weaken civic participation and widen the gap between government institutions and the people they were established to serve.

According to him, rebuilding public trust should not be treated as a public relations exercise but as a deliberate commitment to transparency, responsible leadership and measurable results.

“The people must not merely hear their government; they must experience its impact in their daily lives,” he stated.

The former governor identified grassroots governance as a critical starting point for building public confidence, noting that citizens often assessed government performance through their everyday experiences with public services and infrastructure.

Daniel called for the strengthening of local governments through adequate empowerment, professional management and accountability, urging authorities to ensure that development initiatives reflected the needs and priorities of the communities they served.

He added that community engagement should extend beyond ceremonial consultations to provide citizens with meaningful opportunities to identify their needs, contribute to development priorities and monitor the implementation of public projects.

“Policies are more effective when they respond to actual needs rather than assumptions made from a distance,” he said.

On transparency and accountability, the former governor urged governments to make openness a fundamental principle of public administration, noting that citizens had the right to know how public resources were generated, allocated and utilised.

Earlier in her remarks, the Convener, Oluwatomisin Adebukola, called for stronger community policing and greater local government autonomy, saying poor governance and inadequate security at the grassroots are undermining public trust and democratic accountability.

She said the summit would develop a policy paper and proposed bill for presentation to the National Assembly to address security challenges, strengthen community participation in governance and bridge the gap between local governments and traditional institutions.

According to her, the initiative is aimed at addressing democratic attrition, the gradual erosion of accountability, transparency and public participation in governance, particularly at the local government level.

Badewole, who is also the Executive Director of Hope for the Masses Foundation, said many communities across Nigeria remained neglected despite the constitutional responsibilities of local governments in primary education, healthcare, community security, environmental management and rural development.

She attributed the situation not only to inadequate administrative capacity but also to a lack of political will among those responsible for delivering governance at the grassroots.

The convener stated: “The summit’s first edition in 2024 assessed local government service delivery against parameters aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with only seven of Lagos State’s 57 local governments and local council development areas scoring above average and receiving awards.

“In 2025, the summit focused on building the capacity of aspiring local government officeholders, particularly councillors and chairmanship candidates, to improve their understanding of legislative responsibilities and effective governance.”

She explained that the two editions had laid the foundation for a proposed grassroots governance accountability model, a framework designed to enable communities, youth groups, journalists, civil society organisations and local leaders to monitor governance and hold public officials accountable.

“This year’s focus is community policing, building trust at the grassroots, and ensuring we bridge the gap between local governments and traditional institutions,” she said.

Badewole identified financial autonomy as a critical factor in effective local government administration, arguing that local government chairmen could not fulfil their constitutional responsibilities if funds meant for their councils failed to reach them.

Also speaking, the former Deputy Inspector-General of Police (rtd), Adeleye Olusola Oyebade, emphasised the need for a shift from reactive security operations to community-based policing, urging traditional rulers, local government authorities, youth and women groups, and security agencies to strengthen collaboration, intelligence sharing and public trust to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.

He stated that the country’s security framework must prioritise crime prevention, early identification of threats and the resolution of local grievances rather than relying predominantly on arrests, investigations and the deployment of security personnel after criminal incidents had occurred.

According to him, community policing goes beyond establishing vigilante groups or deploying additional patrol teams, as it requires trust, partnership and shared responsibility between citizens and professional security agencies.

He said: “Security is not merely the absence of threats; it is the presence of trust, cooperation and collective responsibility.”

The former police chief noted that families, farmers, traders and schoolchildren deserved to live, work and pursue their activities without fear, stressing that achieving this required a coordinated approach involving all stakeholders.