The 2027 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said Nigeria’s security and socio-economic challenges can be substantially resolved within three years if the country is governed by competent and accountable leaders.
Speaking at the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity in Kaduna, Adebayo said the country’s challenges were not beyond solution, insisting that what Nigeria lacked was effective leadership rather than ideas or resources.
According to him, the North possesses enormous human and natural resources capable of driving Nigeria’s development if properly harnessed.
“The North is the future of Nigeria and indeed the future of the Sahel and West Africa. What many people see as a burden, especially our population, is actually one of our greatest assets. With good governance and responsible leadership, there is no problem confronting Nigeria that cannot be resolved within three years,” he said.
Adebayo, who described himself as “a northerner by choice” having lived in the region for over two decades, said the solutions to the region’s insecurity and development challenges already existed within its institutions, communities and leadership.
He urged Nigerians to focus less on identifying problems and more on implementing practical solutions.
The SDP presidential hopeful said democracy provided citizens with the opportunity to elect leaders capable of addressing the country’s problems, urging voters to prioritise competence and integrity at all levels of government.
“We are not as powerless as we think. Nobody comes to power in a democracy except through the will of the people. We must choose leaders who understand our problems and are committed to solving them—from the President to governors, local government chairmen and legislators,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that while every society faces challenges, committed leadership and accountable governance remained the key to sustainable development.
He also called for greater investment in agriculture and other productive sectors to create jobs, particularly for young people, noting that government alone could not provide employment for the country’s growing population.
The SDP candidate identified corruption as a major obstacle to national development, warning that no policy or institutional reform would succeed without addressing the menace.
“No matter how well you design or refine the system, if you don’t deal with corruption, the system will continue to fail,” he said.
On education, Adebayo lamented the large number of children, particularly in Northern Nigeria, who remain out of school. He urged governments at all levels to expand access to quality education and create a safe learning environment for children.
He encouraged Nigerians not to lose hope, expressing confidence that the country’s challenges could be overcome through responsible leadership, citizen participation and accountability.
