Open Letter to His Excellency, The President Federal Republic of Nigeria, Presidential Villa, Abuja
Your Excellency, Sir
My Advice on Security challenges, economic precarity, economic reforms and development in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria:
To address the security challenges in Northern Nigeria and other parts of the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, the APC’s Federal Government should prioritize the following strategies:
1. Enhance Security Measures:
Increase employment of security personnel, motivate and equip them, and deploy modern technology like drones and other modern equipment to tackle insecurity in the country. Security challenges have been increasing especially in economic emerging nations like Nigeria and other global Southern Hemisphere.
2. Multi-Level Police System:
Implement a multi-level police system, collaborating with governors and security agencies to combat insecurity.
3. Address Root Causes:
Tackle poverty, unemployment, and economic deprivation, which fuel insecurity and violence.
4. Regional Cooperation:
Strengthen regional cooperation with neighboring countries to curb arms smuggling and bandit infiltration.
5. Neutrality of Security Agencies:
Ensure security agencies remain neutral, professional, and committed to protecting citizens, rather than serving political interests.
6. Community Engagement:
Engage local communities, traditional leaders, and youth organizations to build trust and gather intelligence.
7. Economic Development:
Invest in economic development, agriculture, and job creation to reduce poverty and inequality.
*Key areas to focus on in Northern Nigeria include:
Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kwara: Address porous borders, arms smuggling, and bandit infiltration.
*Youth Empowerment:
Provide job opportunities, education, and skills training to reduce vulnerability to extremist groups. Emphasize on science, technology and innovation in the country as recommended by Havana convention in the year 2025.
Conclusively:
Specifically, security hereby recommended for the APC’s Federal Government to prioritize Northern Nigeria to ensure that the government security agencies remain accountable and effective in addressing security challenges in the country. The foreign intervention must not be recommended for the fact that Nigeria’s security must be handled by Nigerians.
•Nigeria’s Economic Problems
Nigeria’s Economic Future:
Lessons from Economic Emerging Markets and World Bank/IMF Ten Prescriptions for Emerging Nations—
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation with about 237m population at the moment, faces significant security and economic challenges. With a projected population of 450 million by 2050, making it the third most populous nation, Nigeria’s economic future is crucial. The current government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tunubu, must address these challenges to ensure sustainable growth and development. Meaning that Nigeria should learn from other economic emerging markets of the Global Southern Hemisphere. China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and others.
World Bank/IMF Prescriptions for Nigeria and other economic emerging markets:
1. Strengthen Macroeconomic Stability:
Tighten monetary policy to contain inflation and stabilize the naira currency.
2. Diversify the Economy:
Invest in non-oil sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to reduce dependence on oil revenues.
3. Improve Governance:
Enhance transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption efforts.
4. Increase Revenue Mobilization: Implement tax reforms on a serious note and broaden the tax base.
5. Invest in Infrastructure:
Develop energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure to support economic growth.
Lessons From Other Economic Emerging Markets Especially Asian Tigers:
1. Southeast Asia:
Countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have achieved rapid economic growth through export-oriented industrialization and investments in human capital. Nigeria should learn how they succeeded.
2. Latin America:
Brazil and Chile have implemented structural reforms similar to what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing, stabilized economies, and promoted private sector-led growth.
3. East Africa:
Ethiopia and Rwanda have achieved impressive growth through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing. Your Excellency, give huge support to the farmers especially in Northern Nigeria so that, West African Subregion can benefit from Nigeria’s farm produce and Nigeria’s economic interplay can be boosted in West Africa.
Solutions for Nigeria’s Economic Challenges:
1. Economic Diversification:
Invest in non-oil sectors, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
2. Infrastructure Development:
Develop energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure.
3. Human Capital Development:
Invest in education, healthcare, and skills training.
4. Governance Reforms:
Enhance transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption efforts as well as building institutions not individual citizen.
5. Private Sector Development: Promote entrepreneurship, technology, science, innovation, and private sector-led growth.
The 2027 Elections: A Chance for Economic Change By the Tinubu Led Administration
The upcoming elections present an opportunity for Nigerians to choose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is prioritizing economic reforms, security, and development. Key areas focusing on include:
1. Economic Management:
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should continue to outline plans for economic diversification, revenue mobilization, infrastructure development and human development.
2. Security:
As mentioned above President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should prioritize security sector reforms and address the root causes of insecurity. Without security economic activities will be in tatters. The economy is the life wire of human life. Without adequate security in the country the economic activities will still be precarious.
3. Governance:
His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu should commit to transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption efforts. This will give Nigerians courage to vote for the APC in the coming elections of 2027.
Several emerging markets have successfully navigated economic challenges and achieved growth. Here’s a breakdown of how some of these countries overcame economic precarity:—
China:
Implemented economic reforms, liberalized trade, and invested in infrastructure, education, science, technology and innovation. China also maintained a competitive exchange rate, encouraged foreign investment, and prioritized export-led growth.
Brazil:
Implemented structural reforms, tightened monetary policy, and improved fiscal discipline. Brazil also diversified its economy, reduced dependence on oil and invested in human capital and infrastructure. Brazil is an oil producing country but 74% of its annual income comes from agriculture.
Mexico:
Implemented economic reforms, liberalized trade, and joined regional trade agreements (e.g., NAFTA). Mexico also prioritized fiscal discipline, reduced inflation, and encouraged foreign investment.
India:
Implemented economic reforms, liberalized trade, and encouraged foreign investment. India also prioritized infrastructure development, education, and innovation, and maintained a competitive exchange rate. In the year 2018 India decided to invest in agriculture and $80B was budgeted to produce food massively for the masses and to subsidize price (so) that each Indian citizen can get food for life and farmers’ economy boosted.
South Africa:
Implemented economic reforms (still on going) improved governance, and encouraged foreign investment. South Africa also prioritized infrastructure development, education, science, technology and innovation, and maintained a competitive exchange rate. South Africa has over 120 companies invested in Nigeria.
Saudi Arabia:
Implemented economic reforms, diversified its economy, and reduced dependence on oil exports. Saudi Arabia also prioritized infrastructure development, education, science, technology and innovation. Dependency in oil is no more in Saudi Arabia and gives emphasis on tourism and mineral resources. Toward the end of last year 2025 a huge deposit of gold was discovered near Mecca spanning about 150KM and has been estimated to be over $2t worth under the ground.
South Korea:
Implemented economic reforms, invested in education and infrastructure, and encouraged export-led growth. South Korea also prioritized science, technology, innovation, research, and other development, and maintained a competitive exchange rate in global political and economic interplay.
Common factors contributing to these countries’ success include as follows—
*Economic diversification:
Reducing dependence on a single commodity or sector in economic growth—
Structural reforms:
Implementing policies to improve business environment, governance, and competitiveness
Investment in human capital: Prioritizing education, healthcare, and skills development
Infrastructure development:
Investing in transportation, energy, and digital infrastructure
Innovation and R&D:
Encouraging innovation, research, and development.
Competitive exchange rate:
Maintaining a competitive exchange rate to encourage exports.
Fiscal discipline:
Prioritizing fiscal discipline, reducing inflation, and encouraging foreign investment.
Nigeria can learn from these examples by implementing similar reforms and prioritizing economic diversification, human capital development, and infrastructure investment.
*The government can educate and enlighten Nigerians about the need for economic reforms through a multi-channel approach to avoid what happened to Bangladesh, Kenya, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso (God forbid:)
1. Clear Communication:
Explain the reasons behind the reforms, benefits, and long-term gains. This is absolutely imperative!
2. Stakeholder Engagement:
Involve citizens, civil society, labor unions, and businesses in dialogue and feedback sessions.
3. Media Outreach:
Utilize local languages and platforms to reach a wider audience.
4. Education and Training:
Incorporate economic literacy in schools and provide vocational training.
5. Town Halls and Public Forums: Organize interactive sessions for citizens to ask questions.
6. Social Media Campaigns:
Leverage social media platforms to disseminate information and engage citizens.
7. Influencer Partnerships:
Collaborate with influencers, opinion leaders, and celebrities to amplify the message especially on economic reforms.
8. Transparency and Accountability: Regularly update citizens on progress, challenges, and impact of reforms.
Key messages to emphasize:
Shared Sacrifice: Reforms may involve short-term pain but will yield long-term benefits especially for the current and indeed future generations.
Economic Stability:
Reforms will attract investments, create jobs, and improve living standards.
Citizen Engagement:
Encourage citizens to contribute to the reform process and hold the government accountable. By adopting a people-centered approach, the government can build trust, manage expectations, and garner support for the reforms.
Your sincerely,
Abbati Bako,psc,bsis.pol.sc.alumnus Kent University,UK’s European University, school of politics and international relations Brussels Campus and researcher in globalization policy @Skyline University, Kano
