Femi Falana to Lead Screening of LG Documentary by Premium Times Publisher

Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of PREMIUM TIMES and CEO of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, will lead the public screening of “LG Billions in the Dark.” This documentary looks into the ongoing local government leadership crisis in Osun State.

The screening will take place on Thursday, 29 October, at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, will be the keynote speaker.

According to a statement from DevReporting, Mr Falana will deliver a talk on “Accountability, Resources and Citizen Voices: Building Local Governments that Work for the People.” He will discuss local government independence, management of public resources, citizens’ rights, and accountability at the grassroots level.

“Nigeria’s local governments are constitutionally recognised as the tier of government closest to citizens. They have duties that directly affect everyday life, such as primary healthcare, basic infrastructure, sanitation, and other essential services,” the statement said.

“Yet, worries about financial control, political interference, and councils' ability to operate independently continue to be key topics in discussions about local governance in the country.”

Panel discussion

The screening will also include a panel discussion with public officials, civil society leaders, governance experts, academics, and development practitioners.

The panel will feature Dosu Babatunde, Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Zikirullahi Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education; and Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change.

Other panellists are Joshua Osiyemi, Head of Tracka at BudgIT; Vera Amaechi, a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Lagos; and Bukola Adebayo, Senior Multimedia Strategist at DevReporting.

Ahead of the event, DevReporting Team Lead Mojeed Alabi said the documentary shows the organisation’s dedication to public-interest journalism and addressing governance issues that impact citizens directly.

DRAF unveiling

The event will also unveil the Development Reporting Africa Foundation (DRAF) and kick off a fundraising effort to support the foundation’s public-interest development reporting work.

“DRAF is a nonprofit initiative set up to boost development reporting, gather and share evidence, encourage public engagement, and promote accountability on issues affecting communities across Africa,” Mr Alabi explained.

DevReporting is also launching a civic education and youth engagement project to take the documentary to schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

This initiative will include campus screenings, training, mentorship, and youth-led accountability projects to help students better understand local government management, public finance, and citizen involvement.

DevReporting aims to inspire more young Nigerians to be interested in how local governments are funded, how public resources are used, and how citizens can push for better services.

The documentary received support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy through CJID. DevReporting is a media and cinematic platform that focuses on development issues in Nigeria and Africa. It produces investigative reports and multimedia stories while also working on research and media capacity development to encourage transparency, accountability, and inclusive development.