Opinion
Politicking Without Programmes?
Before a race begins, contestants in the sprint must prepare, strategise and map out goals. So it is with the race for an election victory. In this contest, politicians declare their interest in contesting various offices. Many of them showcase parochial reasons they are entitled to the elective positions they seek to occupy. Sadly, this set of politicians often fail to talk about their social and economic programmes vis-à-vis the development of the nation.
It is disappointing that many of them lack programmes to show, even less than six months to election. They neither present their manifestoes nor blueprints in terms of specific programmes they have for the electorate. Rather they engage in politics of political alignment by cross-carpeting from one political party to another. This occurs when candidates are expected to offer themselves to the electorate and talk about concrete plans of what they will do if voted into power.
Electorate in this country deserve to know what each candidate has to offer in specific areas of education, health, social infrastructure, sports, economic policy, agriculture etc and not in empty speeches that lack substance. Development as a nation will be greatly enhanced if better opportunities are created particularly in the agricultural sector where Nigeria can utilise her enormous human resource potentials. It is necessary for our politicians to realise that agriculture has a pivotal role in job creation. Any politician, who does not have it at the core of campaigns, should not be taken seriously.
Lack of co-ordinated or proper programmes to present to the electorate has caused many politicians to take to violence in order to impose themselves on the people, who ordinarily are wont to reject them. Because of their satanic activities whereby many of them would rather die than not be elected, some decent persons, potential leaders, have been scared stiff into concluding that politics is a dirty game. But l dare contradict them. Politics is not a dirty game. Although it seems so in the Nigerians context. The fact that politics involves the shaping and sharing of offices and national cake, deciding who gets what and award of contracts, a power that has been severely abused, does not make it dirty. Rather it is those who brazenly abuse it that are dirty.
It is unfortunate that the quest for political leadership in this country has had the extravagant misfortune of making politics an inherently fierce battle between the nation builders on the one hand, and the pocket builders on the other hand. The former are concerned with promoting rapport in the society, building and enhancing the socio-economic development of the state, whereas the latter are interested in divide- and-rule tactics, and looting the state treasury to enable them build their supposed empires.
Unfortunately, in our political scenario, the nation builders are very few. Our politics is dominated by the very programmeless, flamboyant and pocket builders. These dirty-minded politicians in their covert battle to conquer many of their personality problems, end up polluting the nation’s political fountain through their unethical practices.
Our democratic system gives an unlimited scholarship to all Nigerians who have attained the age of 18 and above to participate in political decisions. By exercising their constitutional rights of franchise these ones could decide who rules them. Thus democracy is good enough in so far as it allows qualified individuals to seek elective posts and to vote for candidates of their choice. It gives equal opportunities to both the nation and pocket builders to seek elective posts as well. But because of poverty, the electorate is often blinded by party considerations and therefore is unable to discern the nation builders from the pocket hirers.
Usually the pocket builders who are without programmes for the people, come to power. And when that happens the nation’s treasury is looted. Their pockets are lined to the brim while their hearts and heads are empty. The ordinary citizens, the wretch of the earth, suffer tremendous deprivation and all manner of injustices in their hands.
In order to obviate such unpleasant situations, it is imperative that we put a stop to it now. We must be more meticulous in choosing who leads us. Efforts must be geared towards discerning the nation builders from the pocket lines through the quality of programmes they present to the electorate. By this their intentions, their inner desires to line their pockets with the resources meant for the people, will be deciphered.
Arnold Alalibo
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo
-
Oil & Energy4 days agoOil Theft: Economic Council Urges NNPC To Strengthen Security In Creeks
-
News4 days agoAir Peace Begins Direct Flight From Abuja To London
-
Business4 days agoNigeria Exits FATF Grey List For Global Financial Crime ………..NFIU
-
Nation4 days agoCommunity Health Practitioners Marks 2025 Week
-
Sports4 days agoFBN, C’River gov partner to boost tourism
-
Oil & Energy4 days agoFG Pledges Solar Power Hospitals, Varsities
-
News4 days agoNigeria Records $50bn Cryptocurrency Transactions In One Year
-
Business4 days agoNCAA To Enforce Zero-debt Rule By 2026 ……….As Airlines Face Compliance Sanctions