By Maryam Shuaibu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s power sector and renewed efforts to grant financial autonomy to local governments as part of his Democracy Day address.
Tinubu said the Electricity Act now allows states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, describing it as a key step toward decentralising the sector.
“We signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power,” he said.
The President said Nigeria’s power sector continues to face deep structural challenges, including weak generation, transmission failures, distribution losses, and a large metering deficit.
To address this, he said a Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working to reduce the metering gap and improve efficiency across the system.
He also disclosed plans to raise a ₦4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts in the sector.
“The Task Force has been authorised to raise a ₦4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts,” he said.
Tinubu added that the Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank, is expanding off-grid electricity to underserved communities, including schools, hospitals, and markets.
On governance, he said his administration is pursuing financial autonomy for Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
“A fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration,” he said, linking grassroots weakness to insecurity and underdevelopment.
He added that strengthening local governance is central to ensuring that democracy delivers real impact at community level.
Democracy Day, Tinubu, Pushes, ₦4tr Power Sector, Debt Plan