Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate and playwright, has urged the newly-elected government to prioritize the decentralization of power.
In a recent interview on Arise TV, Soyinka emphasized the need for power to be distributed to local authorities, citing the benefits of increased autonomy and accountability at the local level.
“I am talking about decentralization that is all I want from the incoming government and whatever it is let us have a genuine not rhetorical but practical and detailed devolution of power,” he said.
“More power to the various arms and tiers of government. States, local governments, the reinforcement of civic entities, civil societies.”
This call for decentralization comes amidst growing concerns over central government overreach and the need for greater representation and decision-making power at the local level.
As the country ushers in a new era of governance, it remains to be seen whether the incoming government will heed Soyinka’s advice and prioritize power decentralization.
