Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, has announced a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at transforming Nigeria's economy, education sector, security architecture, and political structure. Speaking at the APM presidential campaign's North-West town hall meeting in Katsina, Makinde emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in Nigeria's economic approach, moving beyond dependence on natural resources to a system driven by skills, knowledge, and intensive production.
Makinde's proposed economic reset seeks to develop human capital, expand productive capacity, and encourage economic activities to operate around the clock, enabling Nigeria to compete with countries whose productive sectors run continuously. He stressed that natural resources are not enough to achieve sustainable economic growth, advocating for a shift towards a skills-driven economy. This approach, he believes, will enable Nigeria to harness its abundant human resources and drive economic growth.
The APM candidate also plans to overhaul the education sector, beginning with gathering accurate data on the number of Nigerian children currently outside the school system. Makinde said his administration would use this data to design effective interventions to return out-of-school children to classrooms. Additionally, he proposed a review of Nigeria's security architecture to address the economic conditions that expose young Nigerians to dangerous activities, citing the recent deaths of 37 youths in custody in Niger State.
Makinde's reset agenda also includes a restructuring of the mining sector, with responsibility for mining devolved to state governments and the Federal Government retaining an oversight role. He argued that the current approach focuses excessively on illegal miners without addressing the demand that sustains illegal mining. Furthermore, Makinde advocated for a review of the country's political and administrative structure to determine the appropriate level of government responsible for decisions affecting citizens.
The Oyo governor also raised constitutional concerns over President Bola Tinubu's current absence from the country, citing Section 145 of the Constitution, which provides for the transmission of a written declaration when the President proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office. Makinde pledged that, if elected president, he would comply with the constitutional provision by formally transmitting power to the Vice President whenever he is unavailable.
Makinde framed the 2027 election as a contest between the political establishment and Nigerian voters rather than a conventional contest among political parties. He urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the election, emphasizing that the country is bigger than individual political interests and existing political structures. The APM campaign, he promised, would remain issue-based.
APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, and APM National Chairman, Dantele, also spoke at the town hall meeting, stressing the need for a change in the country's direction and highlighting insecurity and poverty as among the region's most pressing challenges. They expressed support for Makinde's proposed reset agenda and promised that details of the administration's programmes would be unveiled as the campaign progresses.
Key points
- Makinde unveils a five-point reset plan to overhaul Nigeria's economy, security, education, and politics.
- The plan aims to develop human capital, expand productive capacity, and encourage economic activities to operate around the clock.
- Makinde also advocates for a restructuring of the mining sector and a review of Nigeria's political and administrative structure.
