By Esther Onyegbula

As Nigeria’s energy sector continues to grapple with chronic and insufficient supply, energy policy advocate the founder of PUTTRU, Monica Maduekwe, has called on lawmakers to leverage the ongoing constitutional review to restructure governance frameworks that hinder sustainable energy development.

Maduekwe, who heads PUTTRU, an Africa-based energy investment facilitation platform, stated that Nigeria’s constitutional structure concentrates excessive authority and control at the federal level, creating systemic inefficiencies that discourage innovation, reduce accountability, and exacerbate the energy crisis.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, Maduekwe argued that the solution to Nigeria’s energy problem is not purely technical but fundamentally political. “Nigeria’s energy crisis is a political problem dressed up as a technical one,” she said. “What Nigeria needs is decentralisation: of responsibilities, of decision-making, and of control over resources, all where they matter most, the states.”

She explained that under the current constitution, states are financially dependent on federally pooled revenues regardless of their contributions to the national economy. This, she noted, breeds moral hazard by disincentivising state-level innovation and competition. In addition, a principal-agent problem arises when the federal government controls resources and sets national priorities, but state governments, often with limited authority or autonomy, are expected to deliver services and economic outcomes to the people.

“This structure creates a disconnect that encourages finger-pointing rather than results,” she warned. “Neither the federal nor state governments can be fully accountable under such an arrangement.”

Maduekwe urged the National Assembly and stakeholders involved in the constitutional review to go beyond cosmetic amendments. She proposed that the federal government’s role be limited to national-scale coordination, standard-setting, and projects such as cross-border energy trade and transmission infrastructure, while states should be empowered to manage local electricity generation and distribution.

Citing progress already made, she praised the 2023 Electricity Act enacted by the Tinubu administration, which legally empowers states to operate their own electricity markets, a move she described as “a vital precedent” for true decentralisation in the energy sector.

“This administration deserves credit for its political courage,” she said. “The unbundling of the electricity law shows a willingness to confront long-standing bottlenecks. What we now need is for that boldness to be replicated across other critical sectors through constitutional reform.”

Nigeria currently ranks 25th in Africa in electricity generation per capita, with just 0.138 megawatt-hours per person, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a statistic that underscores the urgency of sustainable, governance-driven reforms in the sector.

As the constitutional review process progresses, Maduekwe’s remarks add a significant voice to growing calls for a governance model that empowers states, fosters accountability, and supports long-term solutions to Nigeria’s energy dilemma.