USING QUALITATIVE META-ANALYSIS IN THE LAST DECADE TO AFFIRM THE DICTUM THAT INTRINSIC DEVELOPMENT HINGES ON ESTABLISHED FUNCTIONAL LOCAL AUTONOMY (USING NIGERIA’S REALPOLITIK ENVIRONMENT AS LESSONS FOR AFRICA

The article contends that meta-data analysis in the last decade from Nigerian realpolitik context demonstrates a nexus between qualitative national development and the establishment of functional local autonomy. Therefore, the article’s intent is to utilize qualitative meta-analysis from the Nigerian realpolitik environment to substantiate the dictum that intrinsic development hinges on the persistence of functional local autonomy, which can be generalized to African statehoods. Although research studies prove the link between established functional local autonomy and integral development, some African political systems are pushing backwards to operating centralizing tenets more than decentralization creeds. The article argues that by relegating decentralist tenets today, such African statehoods invariably negate the value that efficacious local autonomy schemes naturally contribute to entrenching intrinsic development. Therefore, the article’s overwhelming emphasis is that qualitative development in Africa is best realized where established decentralization practices and functional local autonomy mechanisms are promoted. To ground our central arguments, the bottom-up development theory serves as the article’s theoretical framework, based on data insights from Nigeria’s realpolitik environment.