Challenges Confronting State-Local Government Relations in the Provision of Primary Healthcare Service Delivery: Empirical Evidence From Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Healthcare service delivery is an imperative aspect of functions across the levels of government. However, it appears to be one of the major services bedevilled with constraints in the discourse of local governance in Nigeria. This study examined challenges associated with state-local government relations in the provision of primary healthcare service delivery in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study is in-depth research using interview sessions and a structured questionnaire to elicit information from the participants. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to drive a sample size of (172) for questionnaire administration. Primary and secondary data were utilised for the study. The study adopts systems theory as the theoretical framework. The findings of the study revealed that inadequate funding, inadequate medical equipment, shortage of essential drugs, lack of adequate primary healthcare workers, joint allocation account and constitutional provision on local governance were the identified challenges confronting state-local government relations in the provision of primary healthcare service in the study area. The study concluded that healthcare services at the grassroots level required collaboration from other levels of government to be effective. The study recommends among others direct disbursement of statutory allocation to the local account without undue interference from other levels of government.