Youngest Female Lawmaker Champions Energy Reform In Kwara

The youngest female lawmaker, Hon. Rukayat Shittu, has sponsored and steered the Kwara State Electric Power Sector Bill, 2025 through its first and second readings, with the House of Assembly holding a well attended public hearing that drew massive support for the bill.

The bill, now set for its third reading, seeks to repeal the outdated Electricity Board Laws of 1992 and 2006, replacing them with a modern, people-centered framework that empowers Kwara to take charge of its own electricity future.

It also domesticates the Electricity Act, 2023, which decentralised Nigeria’s energy sector and granted states the authority to establish their own electricity markets.
Speaking on the significance of the Bill, Hon. Rukayyat Shittu emphasised that energy reform is not a luxury, but a necessity:

“Millions of our people, especially in rural communities, are still in darkness. This Bill is designed to open Kwara to innovative energy solutions, attract private investment, and create opportunities for our people. It is not just about electricity, it is about jobs, health, education, and improving the quality of life.”

“The Bill directly responds to Kwara’s chronic power shortages and the limitations of the national grid. It positions the state to embrace independent power projects (IPPs), mini-grids, and renewable energy solutions, while creating an enabling environment for private sector participation”, she added.
Stakeholders have hailed the private member’s Bill as a bold and progressive step, especially at a time

when Nigeria’s electricity crisis continues to stall industrial growth and social development.
They reasoned that the Bill will ensure that communities beyond the reach of the national grid benefit from localised energy solutions.

Shittu, who represents the Owode/Onire constituency, has emerged as a symbol of purposeful youth leadership, showing that age is no barrier to vision, courage, and impact.

With the Bill now set for its third reading, many observers believe Kwara is poised to join the ranks of progressive states taking full advantage of the decentralisation of Nigeria’s energy sector at the sub- national level.