The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) joined media professionals, civil society organisations, academics and other stakeholders at the public screening of LG Billions in the Dark, an investigative documentary on local government governance in Osun State, produced by DevReporting.
Nurudeen Salako, Programme Officer at WSCIJ, represented the Centre’s Executive Director, Motunrayo Alaka, at the event held on Thursday, 29 October 2026 at the University of Lagos. The documentary examined the prolonged crisis over local government leadership in Osun State and its implications for public finance, accountability, and service delivery.
Delivering a keynote address at the event, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, urged Nigerians to extend their demand for accountability beyond the Federal Government to state and local government authorities. He noted that weak local governance, manipulated council elections and state governments’ continued control of local government finances have undermined grassroots development.
Falana also called on citizens to make effective use of the Freedom of Information Act to demand information from local councils, particularly on allocations received and how public funds are spent. He referenced the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments, noting however, that its implementation remains a challenge in many states.
In her opening remarks, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, the University of Lagos, emphasised the importance of effective local governments to national development, describing them as the tier of government closest to the people. She urged councils to strengthen urban planning, support local businesses, and improve access to essential services.
Dapo Olorunyomi, Founder, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development, who chaired the event, described the documentary as an example of accountability journalism, stressing the importance of holding public institutions and officials accountable for their duties to citizens.
The event also featured the unveiling of the Development Reporting Africa Foundation (DRAF), the non-profit arm of DevReporting, and a panel discussion on local governance and accountability. Panellists called for greater transparency in local government finances through accessible online publication of budgets and expenditure, improved citizen engagement, and stronger participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities in local governance.
Reinforcing the importance of investigative and accountability journalism in scrutinising public institutions, exposing governance gaps and empowering citizens to demand transparency and improved service delivery at the grassroots, all speaking guests at the screening highlighted the role of employing digital tools in the monitoring of public projects, reporting service delivery failures, and tracking the implementation of government programmes.
