On 1st October, 2026, Nigerians from all walks of life celebrated the country’s 66th independence anniversary. The event was a subtle reminder of the sacrifices our forefathers made for the unity and progress of the nation.
As part of the activities marking the day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, addressed Nigerians on the morning of that day. The President presented an optimistic assessment of Nigeria’s economic trajectory, arguing that the difficult reforms undertaken by his administration are beginning to yield results and that the country is moving “from reform to prosperity.”
We acknowledge the importance of macroeconomic stability and note the President’s references to economic growth, declining inflation, improving foreign reserves, greater stability in the foreign-exchange market and increased non-oil exports.
We particularly note the President’s own acknowledgement that the true measure of economic success cannot be statistics alone but must ultimately be reflected in the food on Nigerian families’ tables, electricity in their homes, quality education for their children and security in their communities.
For millions of Nigerians, the most urgent question is not whether particular macroeconomic indicators have improved, but whether those improvements are translating into a better quality of life.
Food, transportation, housing, healthcare and education remain difficult for many households to afford. The purchasing power of wages has been substantially eroded by the cumulative impact of inflation and the rising cost of essential goods and services.
Government must therefore move urgently from celebrating improvements in macroeconomic indicators to demonstrating measurable improvements in household welfare.
If the sacrifices imposed by economic reforms are to retain public legitimacy, Nigerians are entitled to transparent accounting of the savings and additional revenues generated by those reforms and how they are being invested in social protection, healthcare, education, public transportation, employment creation and productive infrastructure.
Citizens cannot continually be asked to make sacrifices while government at all levels appears insufficiently committed to reducing waste, ostentation and the cost of governance.
We are concerned that, despite the continuing severity of insecurity across different parts of Nigeria, the President’s address did not provide a sufficiently substantive account of the security situation or a clear assessment of progress, failures and outstanding challenges.
Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other forms of criminality continue to threaten lives, livelihoods and economic activity in several parts of the country.
Farmers cannot contribute meaningfully to food security when they cannot safely access their farms. Businesses cannot thrive where kidnapping and violent crime impose additional costs. Communities cannot prosper when residents live in fear.
Security must also be understood beyond military operations against terrorists and armed criminal groups.
Nigerians must equally be secure from unlawful conduct by agents of the state.
The media space is awash with allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment, prolonged detention, extortion, unlawful seizure of property and other abuses by personnel of law-enforcement agencies.
A democratic government committed to security must protect citizens both from criminals and from abuses committed by those entrusted with enforcing the law.
Police reform, accountability for misconduct, effective civilian oversight and full implementation of the safeguards contained in the Police Act 2020 and other applicable laws must therefore remain national priorities.
Suffice it to say that Nigeria’s challenge is not only economic. It is equally a crisis of institutions, accountability and public confidence.
The government must demonstrate greater transparency in public expenditure, strengthen anti-corruption institutions, respect judicial independence, guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and protect the legitimate work of journalists, human-rights defenders and civil society organisations.
Political officeholders, security officials and politically connected persons must be subject to the same laws that govern ordinary citizens.
The sacrifices demanded from Nigerians must also be visibly reflected in the conduct of government.
However, one critical omission from the President’s Independence Day address is the absence of a substantive commitment concerning the integrity of the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Nigeria is already effectively within an electoral season. Political mobilisation has begun, and incidents and allegations of political intimidation, disruption of political activities and violence require serious attention.
The credibility of the 2027 elections will not be determined only on election day. It is being determined now.
Every political party and candidate must be able to organize, campaign and communicate freely throughout Nigeria without intimidation or violence.
Allegations of attacks on political opponents must be promptly and independently investigated, irrespective of the political affiliations of either the victims or alleged perpetrators.
Those responsible for electoral or politically motivated violence must be prosecuted rather than protected by political influence.
The Independent National Electoral Commission must be allowed to exercise its constitutional and statutory responsibilities independently and must itself demonstrate transparency, consistency and institutional courage.
Election technology, including BVAS and electronic transmission or publication mechanisms, can strengthen transparency, but technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections where violence, intimidation, vote-buying, abuse of state resources or partisan conduct by public institutions
We therefore urge the President to make an unequivocal public commitment that his administration will guarantee equal security protection for all lawful political activities regardless of party.
At 66, Nigeria requires more than optimism. It requires accountable institutions, responsible political leadership, security founded on respect for human rights, an economy whose gains reach ordinary citizens and an electoral process in which Nigerians can freely determine who governs them.