Promoting African decentralization

The decentralization efforts begun by many Sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries in recent years have been undermined by a number of factors, including: (a) delegation of authority to field staff (deconcentration) rather than to locally elected leaders (devolution); (b) the impact of the one‐party system; (c) the financial weaknesses of local governments; and (d) inadequate monitoring of local government expenditures. The experiences of Kenya and Nigeria illustrate decentralization problems in countries of Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Research and training are priorities that deserve more attention by SSA governments and by bilateral and multilateral donors. This article was initially written for the EDI publication, Adamolekun, L., Robert, R. and Laleye, M. (eds) (1990). Decentralization Policies and Socio‐economic Development in Sub‐Saharan Africa , World Bank, Washington, D.C.