Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Gbenga Hashim, the Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, has called on Nigerians to reject the notion that their country must remain a third-class nation. In an Independence Day message released in Abuja, Hashim emphasized that Nigeria's prolonged underdevelopment is not due to a lack of resources, but rather the failure to utilize its human, natural, and institutional capacity for transformation.
Hashim identified several factors hindering Nigeria's progress, including poverty, human trafficking, insecurity, institutional capture, and the breakdown of security infrastructure. He stressed that the country's young population should be transformed from a development challenge into a significant economic advantage through skills, education, employment, and productive opportunities. According to Hashim, Nigeria is not a poor country, but it has behaved like one due to the underutilization of its available capacity.
The Accord Party candidate highlighted the consequences of poor governance, which extend beyond economic statistics and affect the security, dignity, and future of ordinary Nigerians. He noted that human trafficking, unemployment, and insecurity thrive in areas where citizens lack economic opportunities and institutions are weak. Hashim emphasized that defeating trafficking requires addressing the conditions that make people vulnerable to it.
Hashim urged Nigerians to demand clear visions, measurable targets, and accountability from political candidates in the 2027 election, rather than focusing on personalities, ethnicity, or political slogans. He encouraged citizens to take greater responsibility for determining the country's direction and to stop behaving as spectators in their own country's affairs. According to Hashim, the 2027 election provides an opportunity for Nigerians to choose not just a government but a national direction.
An Accord administration, Hashim said, would aim to transform Nigeria into a $4 trillion economy within eight years, driven by increased production, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, technology, and services. He proposed raising Nigeria's crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months, which would be achieved through the recovery of shut-in oil wells, improved security, and investment in production infrastructure.
Hashim also reaffirmed his proposal for a sustainable petrol price of ₦605 per liter, with a long-term goal of reducing the price to ₦200-₦300 per liter. He emphasized that this policy would be based on lowering the actual cost of producing and delivering energy, rather than returning to an opaque subsidy system. Additionally, Hashim proposed substantial expansion of crude production, refining, petrochemicals, gas processing, electricity generation, and other energy infrastructure.
Hashim concluded that Independence Day should remind Nigerians that political independence must be matched by economic and institutional independence. He emphasized that the Nigeria they want cannot be outsourced or imported but must be built by Nigerians. The Accord Party candidate urged citizens to exercise their ownership of Nigeria and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Key points
- Gbenga Hashim challenges Nigerians to reject third-class nation status
- Accord Party candidate proposes transforming Nigeria into a $4 trillion economy
- Hashim emphasizes the need for Nigerians to take ownership of their country's future
