Tinubu Links Insecurity to Collapse of Governance at Grassroots Level

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday said his administration is pursuing financial autonomy for Nigeria’s 774 local government councils as part of efforts to deepen democracy and ensure that governance delivers tangible benefits to citizens at the grassroots.
In his Democracy Day address, the President argued that democratic governance loses its value when citizens do not experience its benefits directly.
“Recognising that democracy is undermined when people do not feel its impact, my administration has sought financial autonomy for our 774 local councils,” Tinubu said.
He identified weak local government administration as a major obstacle to national development, stating that “a fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration.”
The President also linked the country’s security challenges to governance failures at the grassroots level.
“The insecurity we are addressing is partly due to the collapse of grassroots governance,” he said.
According to Tinubu, the objective of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is to ensure that governance works for all citizens.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is about ensuring that all Nigerians benefit from governance,” he stated.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s historical journey, the President said each generation has faced a defining national task.
“Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence – the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity,” Tinubu said.
He called on Nigerians to work together in pursuit of national progress, urging citizens to reject negativity and embrace a shared vision for the country.
“Let us move forward together – rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence,” the President said.
Tinubu further appealed for collective commitment to nation-building, saying, “Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant.”