DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjahss.2026.v14i04.005

Pages: 174-181

This study on decentralization and local government performance: a comparative analysis of administrative capacity and service delivery was carried out to examine the effect of fiscal and administrative decentralization on the efficiency and administrative capacity of local governments. The central governance reform strategy has remained decentralization which aims at improving local government performance, enhancing administrative capacity, and promoting efficient service delivery. It is hoped that due to the transfer of fiscal, political, and administrative responsibilities from central to subnational governments, decentralization is expected to increase responsiveness, accountability, and development outcomes. Consequently, evidences available in the literature state that effectiveness of decentralization in the local government have remained mixed across countries and regions in the country. This study examines how decentralization influences local government performance, with specific focus on administrative capacity and service delivery outcomes in comparative contexts. The Fiscal Federalism Theory was employed for the study. The method of research for the study was a comparative analytical approach drawing on secondary data from international governance indicators and selected country experiences from Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Two core objectives guide the study: to assess the effect of fiscal and administrative decentralization on local government efficiency, and to examine the role of political decentralization in enhancing responsiveness and service delivery outcomes. Findings from existing empirical studies indicate that decentralization improves local government performance where local institutions possess adequate administrative capacity, predictable fiscal transfers, and functional accountability mechanisms. The study concludes that decentralization is not inherently beneficial but rather conditional on institutional design and local governance