The Presidency has declared that the ultimate responsibility for eradicating poverty lies with local governments because they are the closest tier of administration to the grassroots.

Tofe Fasua, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He emphasized that President Tinubu`s strong push for local government autonomy and direct funding is strategically designed to empower grassroots leaders to directly address the financial struggles of the vulnerable.

"Fixing poverty is certainly a local government’s thing because local governments are the closest to the people," Fasua stated, underscoring that solutions to local hardships must originate locally rather than relying solely on the federal government.

Fasua pointed out that financial devolution is already yielding tangible results, contrasting the improved current situation with historical issues of unpaid workers and pensioners. He referenced past successes—such as the operational framework of local administrations in Lagos in 1999—to illustrate how chairmen effectively managed and settled the daily financial needs of constituents in their communities.

The Presidency maintains that granting financial and administrative autonomy to the third tier of government is the most viable path to restoring grassroots welfare and driving sustainable economic development nationwide.