“Nigeria Deserves Better”: NDC Chieftain Lays Out Bold Plan on Free Education, Security, a Stronger Naira, Cheaper Fuel and Jobs
By Barr. Dennis Habila Gapsiso
Nigeria is blessed beyond measure, with vast natural resources, brilliant people and enormous economic promise. Yet for millions of citizens, daily life tells a very different story.
Families are battling hunger and soaring prices. Insecurity stalks farms, roads and homes. Businesses are crushed by rising costs, infrastructure is failing, and a whole generation is losing hope.
But Nigeria is not condemned to this cycle. With purposeful leadership, visionary planning and accountable governance that places citizens above politics, our country can rise again.
That is why the proposed partnership of Mr Peter Gregory Obi and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), deserves the nation’s serious attention. Their experiences in public administration are different but potentially complementary, and their supporters see in them a credible alternative and a fresh direction.
The task ahead is not merely to change faces in government. It is to change the direction of governance itself.
FREE EDUCATION: THE CHILD OF NOBODY MUST BECOME SOMEBODY
At the heart of the vision is accessible, affordable education at every level. A child from the poorest home must be able to rise to the peak of academic and professional success without a godfather or a famous surname.
Education is not a privilege for the rich. It is the surest investment in a nation’s future. A country that fails to educate its children mortgages tomorrow, so schools, teachers, learning facilities, technical education and research must come first.
SECURITY: TAKING BACK OUR COMMUNITIES
No nation prospers when its people are afraid to sleep at home, travel on the road or farm their land.
The proposed agenda makes security a top priority, with a comprehensive approach to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence. It means reclaiming ungoverned spaces, strengthening intelligence, and enabling displaced persons to return safely to their ancestral homes. Farmers must go back to their fields without fear, and rural communities must regain trust in the institutions meant to protect them.
It also calls for a stronger justice system that ensures arrested criminals face timely, lawful prosecution. Reclaimed spaces would then be turned into productive economic zones through agriculture, industry and legitimate investment.
FOOD SECURITY: FROM CONSUMPTION TO PROSPERITY
Nigeria cannot build a strong economy by importing what it can produce. Agriculture and agro-processing must become pillars of recovery, supported by modern equipment, irrigation, storage, rural roads, affordable inputs and processing industries.
The goal is to feed ourselves first, then export. Higher local production means more jobs, stronger food security, less pressure on foreign exchange and greater purchasing power for citizens.
A stronger Naira begins with a stronger economy. Nigeria must reduce its dependence on imports by backing local manufacturing, supporting domestic industry and boosting exports.
Foreign exchange management must be transparent, credible and consistent. The Central Bank needs real independence and technical capacity to protect price stability. The aim is not to defend an artificial rate but to build a productive economy that can sustain a competitive currency, backed by export earnings, investor confidence and fiscal discipline.
Fuel pricing remains one of the most sensitive issues for households and businesses. The NDC approach, as its advocates present it, is to tackle corruption, seal revenue leakages and strengthen transparency in the petroleum sector so that national resources reach ordinary Nigerians.
The campaign proposes a review of the current pricing and subsidy framework to ease the burden on citizens without creating unsustainable fiscal obligations. It also demands a firm response to crude oil theft, with recovered revenue channelled into productive investment. A nation cannot keep bleeding its resources while its citizens struggle to survive.
Relief must go beyond petrol. Fertiliser, cement, building materials and other essentials should become more affordable through policies that lower production costs and encourage competition.
That means targeted tax incentives, better access to finance and infrastructure support for manufacturers. The principle is simple: make it easier to produce, create jobs and supply goods at prices ordinary Nigerians can afford.
A new Nigeria needs infrastructure that connects people, markets and opportunity. The vision includes railways linking the geopolitical zones and state capitals, and dredged, developed waterways that expand inland transport, create jobs and ease pressure on our roads. Better river management may also help reduce flood risk, though drainage, environmental protection and flood-control works remain essential.
Roads, power, bridges and communication networks must serve as engines of growth, not political decoration.
The vision proposes specialised, world-class hospitals in all six geopolitical zones, so Nigerians no longer need to fly abroad for treatment. That demands serious investment in facilities, equipment, research, and the training and retention of health professionals.
Nigeria’s medical diaspora would be invited to contribute through public-private partnerships, knowledge transfer and investment. In time, Nigeria could even become an exporter of highly skilled medical professionals.
A prosperous Nigeria is built on strong institutions, not powerful individuals. The legislature, judiciary, electoral bodies and anti-corruption agencies must work free of political interference and serve the people, not officeholders.
The Obi–Kwankwaso philosophy puts accountability, transparency, fiscal discipline and the rule of law at the centre. Democracy survives on accountability, constructive opposition and the protection of citizens’ rights.
TINUBU’S ECONOMIC POLICIES UNDER SCRUTINY
While offering this alternative, the NDC chieftain argues that the economic direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration needs serious reassessment.
Fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms and other measures have stirred controversy while millions struggle with the cost of living. Critics say the pace and manner of the reforms imposed heavy burdens on households and businesses, with too little social protection and too little growth in productive capacity. The government’s borrowing has also raised questions about debt sustainability and whether the funds are reaching ordinary citizens.
Government cannot keep celebrating revenue targets while Nigerians struggle to afford food, transport and shelter. The real test is not how much is raised or borrowed, but how well public resources improve lives.
2027: A DEFINING MOMENT
Beyond the economy, Nigeria’s democratic future must be protected. We need a political space where opposition parties operate freely, institutions stay independent, and elections are won on ideas, credibility and the people’s votes.
Governors, legislators, traditional rulers, businesspeople and other stakeholders must remember that Nigeria is bigger than any personal ambition. Those who receive appointments, inducements or other favours must not lose sight of their duty to the country and to generations unborn. No temporary advantage should outweigh the long-term interest of the Nigerian people.
This is a moment for courage, patriotism and responsible choices.
THE CASE FOR A NEW NATIONAL DIRECTION
To its supporters, the Obi–Kwankwaso partnership offers a chance to steer Nigeria towards productive governance, human capital development, security, accountability and prosperity. Both men are presented as experienced administrators whose records deserve rigorous public scrutiny and debate.
But beyond personalities, Nigerians must demand answers:
. How will we secure our communities?
. How will we educate millions of children and young people?
. How will we make farming profitable and guarantee food security?
. How will we stabilise the economy and strengthen the Naira?
. How will we cut the cost of living and create lasting jobs?
. How will we build infrastructure that links every part of the federation?
. And how will we restore faith in our democratic institutions?
These are the questions that must dominate the national conversation before 2027.
Nigeria deserves leaders who grasp the urgency of this moment and see public office as a responsibility, not an entitlement. We have the resources, the people and the intelligence to build a prosperous nation. What we need is political will, competent leadership and disciplined implementation.
Fellow compatriots, the future of Nigeria must not be surrendered to political convenience or personal ambition. Let us rise above partisan interests, defend our democracy and insist on leadership that works for the people. The 2027 election is our opportunity to make our voices heard.
Let us demand a Nigeria where opportunity is open to all, security is guaranteed, institutions are respected, businesses thrive and every citizen lives with dignity.
Nigeria deserves better. Nigeria deserves good governance. Nigeria deserves a new direction.
May God bless Nigeria.
SIGNED:
BARR. DENNIS HABILA GAPSISO
NDC Chieftain
08033258311
dgapsiso@gmail.com
