₦airaland Forum

Curious345:
This guy ix great . He should win , but if he doesn't , then he should accept minister of finance under obi .

I like this guy

The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has welcomed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive requiring financial institutions and payment service providers to store and manage payment transaction data generated in Nigeria within the country, describing the policy as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and economic security.

The CBN circular, issued on June 15, 2026, sets January 1, 2027, as the deadline for full compliance. The Bank reaffirmed on October 9 that the deadline remains unchanged.

PeacePro Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, said Nigeria must move beyond being a major consumer of foreign digital services and begin building the infrastructure, technical expertise and domestic industries needed to control and benefit from its growing digital economy.

“A country that generates critical financial data but depends on infrastructure outside its borders to store and manage that data must ask serious questions about its digital sovereignty. Nigeria cannot afford to remain merely a market for other countries’ technology while its own digital economy continues to expand.”

Hamzat said the policy could create opportunities for investment in Nigerian data centres, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, software development and specialised technical services, provided implementation is accompanied by deliberate policies to develop local capacity.

He stressed, however, that keeping data physically within Nigeria would not, by itself, guarantee digital sovereignty if critical infrastructure, intellectual property, technical expertise and strategic decision making remained excessively dependent on foreign providers.

“Data localisation must be more than a change of address for servers. It must become part of a national strategy to build Nigerian capacity, develop our technology workforce, strengthen local enterprises and retain more economic value within the country.”

PeacePro also urged the Federal Government and relevant regulators to ensure that Nigerian owned technology companies and qualified professionals have a fair opportunity to participate in the emerging market, rather than allowing the transition to become an exclusive commercial opportunity for a small number of established foreign technology providers.

PeacePro acknowledged concerns from banks and payment companies that migrating complex systems within the available timeframe could create operational and cybersecurity risks.

Hamzat said these concerns should be addressed through constructive engagement and clear technical standards, without abandoning the strategic objective of keeping Nigerian payment transaction data under appropriate domestic control.

Hamzat concluded that Nigeria’s digital sovereignty should be measured not only by where its data is stored, but also by its ability to secure that data, understand the systems managing it, develop domestic alternatives and ensure that Nigerians share meaningfully in the economic value created.

“Nigeria must own its digital future not necessarily by excluding foreign technology, but by ensuring that foreign participation strengthens rather than replaces our domestic capacity.”

delpee:
Dreamland is a nice place to be.

Moferere:
GoH as opposition to Tinubu? Una no even mention Atiku or Obi. Wetin una dey smoke sef?

zenburster:


What should stop?

Yayi is a man of spurious identity and pedigree.

Changed his name because of some scandal in his professional past at The Guardian.

Is originally from Ekiti, his father is buried there. Has no connection to either Lagos and Ogun.

Now he has taken the political posts that should have gone to genuine Lagosians for 8 years, now he wants to do same in Ogun?

I trust him, once he is done with Ogun, he will suddenly remember that he is originally from Ekiti and go there to contest for something.

Hazmat is from Ogun. He has no Agbole in Lagos, his family house is in Ogun, his father is buried in Ogun, his brother is a current Oba in Ogun.

Ambode is originally from Ondo but is criminally claiming to be from Epe.

The list goes on and on.

The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has urged the Federal Government and relevant law enforcement agencies to prosecute politicians who weaponise indigeneity to discriminate against political candidates, warning that such conduct may constitute a criminal offence under Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026.

PeacePro's Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat said a candidate’s ancestry or state of origin must not be exploited to promote political exclusion, incite sectional sentiments or undermine citizens’ participation in the democratic process.

PeacePro cited the ongoing controversy surrounding Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, whose ancestry has become a subject of political dispute.

In September 2026, Adeola challenged individuals questioning his Ogun State roots to provide evidence for their claims or face legal action. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu subsequently challenged Adeola over the matter, insisting that he was prepared to defend his position in court.

Hamzat said the controversy illustrates the danger of turning questions of ancestry into political weapons, shifting public attention away from candidates’ policies, competence, integrity and capacity to govern.

PeacePro drew attention to Section 101 of the Electoral Act 2026, which makes it an offence for a candidate, person or association to engage in campaigning or broadcasting based on religious, tribal or sectional considerations to promote or oppose a political party or candidate.

The provision prescribes a fine of ₦3 million to ₦5 million, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both, for an individual offender upon conviction. Political parties found guilty face fines ranging from ₦30 million to ₦50 million.

PeacePro called on the Federal Government, the police and other relevant authorities to investigate complaints and prosecute those against whom sufficient evidence establishes an offence.

PeacePro warned that allowing indigeneity to become a weapon in electoral competition could deepen ethnic divisions, undermine peaceful political participation and reinforce the dangerous notion that public office belongs exclusively to people of a particular ancestry.

It urged political parties and their supporters to focus on policy choices, public accountability and the qualifications required by law rather than attempting to discredit candidates through identity-based campaigns.

igienepo:
Rightly said, we have had enough of their empty promises that has never yielded anything reasonable to the development of Kwara State, it's time for a positive change.

The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has called on Nigerians to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the country’s registered voters participate in the 2027 general election, warning that turnout substantially below that level would raise serious questions about the democratic credibility and legitimacy of the process.

The call follows the latest disclosure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Nigeria’s national voter register now contains 103,428,715 registered voters ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to PeacePro’s Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, a 50 per cent turnout would mean more than 51.7 million Nigerians actually casting their ballots.

“At least 50 per cent of Nigeria’s registered voters should vote in 2027. Anything significantly below 50 per cent should concern every Nigerian who believes in democracy.”

PeacePro noted that presidential election turnout has fallen sharply over successive elections from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 43.6 per cent in 2015, 34.7 per cent in 2019 and 26.7 per cent in 2023, according to INEC.

“We cannot continue moving backwards. Democracy cannot become a system in which a small minority chooses governments while the overwhelming majority stays away.”

PeacePro said Nigeria’s recent turnout also compares with significantly higher participation recorded in several other democracies. Ghana recorded about 60.9 per cent in its 2024 presidential election, South Africa 58.57 per cent in its 2024 national election, the United Kingdom 60 per cent in its 2024 parliamentary election, the United States about 64 per cent in its 2024 presidential election, and Kenya 64.8 per cent in its 2022 general election.

"Nigeria cannot accept 20-something per cent turnout as normal. If more than 103 million people are registered to vote, Nigerians should demonstrate that democracy is not merely about registering; it is about participating.”

PeacePro called on INEC, political parties, civil society organisations, the media and political candidates to address factors contributing to voter apathy, including distrust in political institutions, insecurity, logistical barriers, inadequate electoral communication and the perception that voting does not produce meaningful change.

The organisation also urged political parties to mobilise citizens around issues and policy choices rather than relying primarily on personality driven campaigns.

“The objective should not simply be to win an election. The objective should be to produce an election in which Nigerians genuinely participate and subsequently accept the outcome as a reflection of their collective choice.”

The future of Nigerian democracy cannot be outsourced to the minority that turns up on election day.”

The Kwara State Public Relations Officer of the Accord Party, Olamilekan Esinrogunjo, has urged Kwarans not to “waste” their votes on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that Accord is the only real opposition party in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

Esinrogunjo made the statement while reacting to the Federal High Court judgment affirming Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as Accord’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

He said the judgment had strengthened Accord’s position and provided fresh momentum for the party’s mobilisation across Kwara.

According to Esinrogunjo, the PDP has lost its capacity to function as an effective opposition platform in the state.

“Don’t waste your vote on PDP. Accord is the only real opposition party in Kwara.” He said.

He described the PDP as a “dead party”, accusing it of claiming to be an opposition platform while simultaneously working to elect the presidential candidate of the ruling party.

“A dead party that is seeking opportunistic settlement will only waste opposition votes in the election.

Esinrogunjo also took aim at the Rainbow Coalition, describing it as an alliance of what he called “opportunists and visionless politicians without ideology.”

According to him, the coalition comprises politicians who want to maintain relationships with the ruling establishment while simultaneously presenting themselves as opposition figures.

“Rainbow Coalition is a coalition of opportunists, visionless politicians without ideology and those who can simply be described as sekuseye. They want to eat their cake with the ruling party and still have it as opposition.”

Esinrogunjo also referred to the recent court judgment concerning INEC, arguing that recent defectors to the PDP who claim to be National Assembly candidates would not appear on the ballot.

He therefore urged Kwarans seeking political change to support candidates and parties that, according to him, would actually be contesting the election.

The Accord spokesman said the Federal High Court's affirmation of Hashim had removed a major uncertainty surrounding the party’s presidential candidacy and would further energise its campaign ahead of the 2027 polls.

He said Accord would intensify its grassroots mobilisation across Kwara and take its “New Direction” message to voters, with emphasis on economic transformation, affordable energy, security, industrialisation and accountable governance.

Esinrogunjo urged Kwarans to scrutinise the parties and candidates on the ballot and make their choice based on the future they want for Kwara and not those who wants to take kwara backward.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 presidential election.

The court’s declaration, on Monday, brings a major legal dispute over the party’s presidential ticket to a decisive conclusion.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in his judgment, dismissed the preliminary objections filed against Hashim’s suit and rejected the purported letter relied upon to communicate the cancellation of the party’s presidential primary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court also ordered the Accord Party to upload Hashim’s name to INEC as its presidential candidate, effectively recognising his emergence from the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.

Hashim had approached the court seeking recognition as the duly nominated presidential candidate of Accord Party, where he maintained that he was the sole aspirant and winner of the May 30, 2026 primary.

His case was argued by Henry Akunebu, SAN; who urged the court to compel the party to recognise Hashim and forward his name to INEC.

Akunebu had challenged the validity and evidential value of documents relied upon to dispute Hashim’s emergence, particularly a purported letter notifying INEC of the cancellation of the presidential primary.

He argued that the alleged cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and imprimatur and questioned the circumstances surrounding its receipt by INEC.

Accord’s position was represented by T.W. Olusesi, who maintained that the presidential primary had been cancelled and that no valid primary produced Hashim as the party’s candidate.

Counsel for INEC, D.J. Gusen, similarly argued that the commission did not monitor the purported primary because it had received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.

Justice Umar, however, dismissed the preliminary objections and rejected the purported cancellation letter, paving the way for the court to recognise the outcome of the May 30 primary.

The judgment follows months of legal contest over the Accord Party presidential ticket and the party’s failure to submit Hashim’s name to INEC despite his claim that he had emerged as the winner of the primary.

Hashim had argued that the party’s refusal to upload his name violated the Constitution, Electoral Act 2026 and relevant INEC regulations and guidelines governing the nomination of political party candidates.

In his originating summons, he asked the court to determine whether Accord Party could validly refuse to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after the conduct of a primary in which he emerged as the winner.

He had also sought, in the alternative, an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.

Hashim maintained throughout the proceedings that he was a registered and financially compliant member of Accord Party, had paid the prescribed ₦50 million presidential nomination fee and contributed ₦7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration programme.

He also maintained that INEC officials monitored the May 30 primary at which he emerged as the sole aspirant.

In his reaction to the ruling, Hashim dedicated the victory to God and called for reconciliation among stakeholders and party members.

“I give God the Glory for this victory, I dedicate the victory also to all stakeholders and our dear party members and my hardworking legal team .We are grateful to tthe Judiciary that has done justice on this matter.

“We won’t leave anybody behind…We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections .The march to a New Nigeria has started …” said Hashim.

The order provides a judicial resolution to the immediate dispute over the party’s presidential nomination and places Hashim's candidacy on the official electoral process.

stepaside1:
The problem with people like Hashim Olawepo and Adebayo is that talk is cheap. I don't listen to those without pedigree and performance in something similar to what they are proposing. How can Hashim say he will produce 4 million barrels of oil per day in 24 months? It shows a fundamental ignorance of how things work.

What is our production capacity today? No more than 2.5 million barrels per day. To almost double that capacity, you need massive investments in wells drilling, processing facilities installation, oil evacuation pipeline facilities, storage and exporting facilities. Easily we are talking of about $5bln investment TODAY that takes about 4 years of project execution timing to achieve.

What is the basis of N605/litre, going down to N200-300 per litre in some months to come? Same thing with Adebayo's plan and others like them. They simply don't understand what they are proposing.

When I look at candidates' proposals, I layer execution capacity on it. Same as someone telling me that they will get power generation and distribution capacity to more than 30GW in 2 years or so. That thinking lacks a fundamental understanding of how things work. I just listen to it, laugh at it and move on.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said the economic positions of Accord Party and Social Democratic Party presidential candidates, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and Adewole Adebayo deserve serious public attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.


https://www.tiktok.com/video/7692695563426516245?_r=1&_t=ZS-9AHGSZarlTQ

Ajaero made the remarks during an interview, at the weekend , with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policy of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Rather than focusing on Atiku's proposal, the NLC president said he had examined the positions of Hashim and Adebayo and found their approach sufficiently different to warrant engagement.

“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim's position and I think he's an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them.”

Ajaero contrasted their positions with those of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as sharing broadly similar economic thinking.

“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right.”

He said Hashim and Adebayo, by contrast, were bringing “new ideas worthy of engagement.”

Ajaero’s comments have drawn attention to Hashim's economic platform, particularly his Energy First agenda, which places affordable energy, increased domestic production, industrialisation and productive capacity at the centre of his proposed economic transformation.

Hashim has proposed a ₦605 per litre starting petrol price, with a longer-term target of ₦200–₦300 through lower production costs, domestic refining, increased crude production and improved efficiency.

He has also pledged to raise Nigeria's crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months, while expanding domestic refining and energy infrastructure as part of a broader plan to make Nigeria a major global energy power.

HallahGeisher:
Day dreamer. Even if he sights one there where will he get the workers . Will they not be imported or you think it's those almajiri arrangements and connections. They will need to work in a refinery

ayoncox:
Ilorin or you mean Kwara State. Where is the water body or land that it will be sited may be you mean Jebba instead

funshint:
From your responses I can see that you're largely ignorant. Kenya has offshore oil if you don't know. The failure of Kaduna refinery should be a pointer that citing a refinery far from source is not feasibly a wise idea.

ednut1:
lamu where the refinery will be located has access to the Indian Ocean. She is only chasing clout this is not lobbying. Dangote cannot give her audience. He deals with presidents and governors not rubber stamp state house members

Kenya is also next door to the arab countries that are loaded with crude oil

The youngest female lawmaker in Nigeria, Hon. Rukayat Shittu, has invited Africa's leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote, to consider Kwara State as a location for a future refinery or major energy investment, following a legal dispute surrounding the proposed Dangote refinery project in Lamu, Kenya.

Rukayat, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, made the invitation in a personal appeal online to the billionaire industrialist, urging him to take a fresh look at Ilorin's strategic location, expanding infrastructure and emerging investment opportunities.

Her intervention comes after a Kenyan court ordered parties to maintain the status quo concerning disputed land earmarked for Dangote's proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, pending further proceedings.

The court action followed a petition by residents challenging aspects of the land acquisition and development process.

Against this backdrop, Rukayat said Nigeria should be ready to present alternative opportunities to Nigerian investors looking to undertake major industrial projects.

According to Rukayat, Ilorin offers a combination of strategic geography, expanding infrastructure, access to major markets and emerging industrial opportunities that could make it an attractive location for a future Dangote investment.

“Ilorin sits strategically between Nigeria's North and South, with access to major markets and an emerging network of roads, energy infrastructure, agro-industrial development, logistics and new urban infrastructure,” she said.

She argued that the opportunity should be viewed beyond the construction of a refinery.
A major energy project, she said, could become the anchor for a wider industrial ecosystem involving petrochemicals, manufacturing, storage, logistics, engineering, transportation and other energy-intensive businesses.

“When one door becomes legally uncertain, Nigeria should be ready to show you another door. Ilorin is that door,” she said.

Rukayat pointed to ongoing and emerging developments in roads, urban development, agro-industrial infrastructure, energy and logistics as complementary investments that could support the emergence of a broader industrial corridor around Ilorin.

“A refinery does not exist in isolation,” she said.

“It needs roads, power, water, logistics, storage, engineering, skilled workers, suppliers and markets.”

According to her, the convergence of these developments with Ilorin's strategic location provides an opportunity for Kwara to position itself as an industrial and logistics gateway between Nigeria's northern and southern markets.

She also stressed that any eventual investment would have to comply with Nigerian land laws, environmental requirements, regulatory approvals and proper engagement with affected communities.

Her immediate objective, she said, was to get Dangote to examine the opportunity.

“Come and see the land. Come and see the location. Come and see what is changing.”
“Come to Ilorin, Alhaji Dangote. Let's talk.”

Rukayat said Kwara should seek to transform its geographical advantage into an economic advantage by attracting major industrial investments and developing the ecosystem required to support them.

She said the proposed refinery conversation should also be viewed within the broader question of how Nigeria can expand industrial capacity beyond established economic centres.

For Rukayat, the objective is not simply to attract a refinery, but to create an industrial ecosystem capable of generating jobs, businesses, technical skills, logistics opportunities and new economic activity.

“Kwara should not merely consume industrial wealth. Kwara should be ready to host it.”

The Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has challenged Nigerians to reject the idea that the country must remain a third class nation, urging citizens to take greater ownership of Nigeria's future ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In an Independence Day message released in Abuja, yesterday, Hashim explained that Nigeria's prolonged underdevelopment was not the result of a lack of resources, but of the failure to deploy the country's enormous human, natural and institutional capacity for transformation.

He identified poverty, human trafficking, insecurity, institutional capture, the weakening of the civil service and the breakdown of security infrastructure among the factors holding the country back despite its enormous potential.

Hashim maintained that Nigeria's young population should be transformed from a development challenge into the country's greatest economic advantage through skills, education, employment and productive opportunities.

“Nigeria is not a poor country. We have behaved like a poor country because we have consistently underutilised the enormous capacity available to us.”

He said the consequences of poor governance extend beyond economic statistics, affecting the security, dignity and future of ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, human trafficking, unemployment and insecurity thrive where citizens lack economic opportunity and institutions are too weak to protect vulnerable people.

“You cannot permanently defeat trafficking without defeating the conditions that make human beings vulnerable to trafficking,” said Hashim.

The Accord Party candidate insisted that the 2027 election should provide Nigerians with an opportunity to take greater responsibility for determining the country's direction.

He urged voters to demand clear visions, measurable targets and accountability from political candidates rather than allowing elections to be reduced to personalities, ethnicity, religion or political slogans.

“Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. We must stop behaving as spectators in the affairs of our own country.”

Hashim argued that an Accord administration would target the transformation of Nigeria into a $4 trillion economy within 8 vears ,an economy driven by increased production, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, technology and services.

He added that Nigeria must move from an economy focused largely on distributing resource revenues to one that creates wealth through production and value addition.

Hashim reiterated his proposal to raise Nigeria's crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months of an Accord administration.

According to him, the target would be pursued through the recovery of commercially viable shut-in oil wells, improved security, investment in production infrastructure, better crude evacuation and reforms to petroleum production costs.

He equally stressed that additional crude production must become a foundation for domestic industrialisation.

“Four million barrels a day cannot simply mean four million barrels exported. Nigerian crude must power Nigerian industry.”

Hashim also reaffirmed his proposal for ₦605 per litre as the starting sustainable petrol price, with a longer term objective of reducing the price towards ₦200–₦300 per litre.

He said the policy would be based on lowering the actual cost of producing and delivering energy rather than returning to an opaque subsidy system.

The Accord candidate maintenaned that Nigeria must transform its oil and gas resources into the foundation of a globally competitive energy and industrial economy.

He proposed substantial expansion of crude production, refining, petrochemicals, gas processing, electricity generation, pipelines, storage and other energy infrastructure.

“Nigeria must stop exporting the raw material and importing the finished value. We must capture the value chain here.”

Hashim argued that affordable and reliable energy would be central to reviving Nigeria's manufacturing sector and reducing production costs across the economy.

He equally proposed making West African integration a central pillar of Nigeria's foreign policy, arguing that the region represents a major opportunity for Nigerian economic expansion.

He contended that Nigerian manufacturers, farmers, energy companies, financial institutions and technology businesses should be positioned to serve a much larger integrated West African market.

“Our neighbourhood is not a burden, we are one family. West Africa is Nigeria's strategic economic space.”

He argued that Nigeria's rapidly growing young population could become the country's greatest economic advantage if government invests deliberately in technical education, professional skills and productive employment.

“Our young population should be Nigeria's greatest economic asset. We must give them the skills and opportunities to turn their energy into wealth.”

He said renewal of the civil service and public institutions would be equally important, arguing that ambitious economic targets cannot be achieved without a competent and accountable state.

“We cannot build a $4 trillion economy with institutions that cannot perform. The Nigerian state itself must be rebuilt.”

Hashim contended that Independence Day should remind Nigerians that political independence must ultimately be matched by economic and institutional independence.

“The Nigeria we want cannot be outsourced. It cannot be imported. It must be built by Nigerians.”

To him, the 2027 election gives Nigerians an opportunity to choose not merely a government but a national direction.

“We are offering the vision. We are offering the leadership. But the ultimate power belongs to Nigerians.”

He concluded that “our independence gave us ownership of Nigeria. It is time to exercise that ownership.”

AMINDA:
Welcome to the Atiku Plan. Tinubu should drop all ego aside and implement this plan to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians. Governments cannot exist without giving one form of subsidy or the other to the citizens.

showboy2301:
I think the opposition has nothing for Nigerians.

Do you have anything new you can bring to the table? No

Show us what you can do differently, even if it's all lies like Obi-Lamba

ElSudani:
Tinubu is already doing that. Also, I don't know how your proposal could have been possible without the tough decision to abolish the fuel subsidy.
Honor to whom Honor is due.

Accord Party Presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Hashim, has declared that under an Accord Party administration, Nigerian refineries will have access to Nigerian crude at a strategic domestic price, giving them the cost advantage to compete aggressively in the sub-regional markets and transform Nigeria into a global energy power.

Hashim has also promised to deliver cheaper petrol to Nigerians.

The Accord Party presidential candidate made the declaration at the weekend, in Ilorin, Kwara State, during the Diaspora Dialogue, when he spoke on Fuel Subsidy and the Politics of 2027; anchored by Prof. Farooq Kperogi, Prof. Moses Ochonu and Dr. Osmund Agbo.

Hashim spoke against the backdrop of rising petrol prices and growing pressure on global energy markets.

He said Nigeria’s greatest economic mistake has been to treat crude oil primarily as an export commodity instead of using it as the foundation of National Industrial Power.

“Nigeria has spent decades giving the world our crude and buying back the value created from it. Our Energy First policy will reverse that equation.

“Our crude is our strategic advantage. We will put that advantage behind Nigerian industry. Refining and petrochemical industries are a core part of our immediate industrialisation strategy as we aim to be the world most reliable energy source.”

Hashim also added that Dangote Refinery and other qualifying Nigerian refineries would be able to access Nigerian crude under a strategic domestic pricing framework rather than being treated simply as foreign buyers competing for an internationally-traded commodity.

“If the crude is Nigerian and the refinery is Nigerian, the Nigerian economy must capture the advantage.

“Our refineries will buy Nigerian crude at a strategic local price, not international crude economics so they can produce competitively, expand aggressively and conquer international markets starting first with the African region.”

Hashim stressed that the policy would not be designed to favour any single company.

“This is not a Dangote subsidy. It is a Nigerian industrial strategy.
“Dangote will benefit because it has invested at extraordinary scale. Other existing refineries will benefit. New refineries will benefit. Any Nigerian refinery that meets the required efficiency, transparency and performance standards will have access to the same framework.

“We are not creating one protected champion. We are going to create an army of Nigerian energy champions.”

Hashim said an Accord Party government would also use direct government investment and strategic joint ventures to expand Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity by an additional one million barrels per day within three years.

He said the objective is not simply to produce more petrol, but to establish Nigeria as Africa’s leading refining and petrochemical hub.

“We want to be Africa’s refining and petrochemical hub, not just a huge crude exporter.

“We will use government investment strategically and deploy joint ventures where necessary to expand refining capacity, deepen petrochemical production and ensure that Nigerian crude creates value in Nigeria before it is exported,” he said.

According to Hashim, Nigeria must move beyond the ambition of becoming merely self sufficient in refined petroleum products to becoming a country whose energy companies compete and win globally.

“We don't want Dangote merely to dominate the Nigerian refining market. We want Dangote to compete with the world's biggest energy companies. It started doing this by being the largest supplier of aviation fuel to Europe in the last few months.

“We want Nigerian refineries supplying Africa. We want Nigerian petrochemicals companies competing globally. We want Nigerian energy traders operating internationally"

“We want Nigerian companies to shape the global energy market.”

Hashim said the local crude strategy must be matched by a dramatic increase in Nigeria’s crude production.

He has proposed recovering approximately 3,000 shut-in and non-producing wells and raising National crude production towards 4 million barrels per day within 24 months of an Accord Party administration.

“It makes no economic sense for a country, with thousands of oil wells sitting idle to behave as though crude is scarce.

“We will recover commercially viable shut-in wells, restore production infrastructure, improve evacuation and security, and bring Nigeria’s lost barrels back into the economy.”

But Hashim said the additional barrels must not simply become additional exports.

“The real question is not whether Nigeria can produce four million barrels. The real question is; what will Nigeria do with four million barrels? Under our Energy First policy, we will use those barrels to power Nigerian industry.”

Hashim also doubled down on his proposed ₦605 per litre petrol price within the broader Energy First philosophy, adding that Nigeria should reduce energy costs by reducing the underlying cost of production and expanding productive capacity rather than permanently subsidising consumption.

“₦605 is not our destination. It is a starting point in a transition from subsidising consumption to building productive capacity.

“We want to make energy cheaper because Nigeria produces more, refines more and captures more value, not because government endlessly pays the difference.”

He said the long term objective is to bring petrol prices down towards ₦200–₦300 per litre as crude production rises, domestic refining expands, efficiency improves and logistics costs fall.

“The cheaper energy we are promising Nigerians will not be based on accounting magic.

“It will come from producing more, refining more, wasting less and capturing more value within Nigeria.”

Hashim said refining should only be the beginning of Nigeria’s energy transformation.

“We must stop thinking of petroleum as petrol.
“The crude beneath our soil can become petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, lubricants, plastics, fertiliser feedstock, petrochemicals and thousands of industrial products.

“That is where the real economic transformation lies.”

He said an Energy First government would, therefore, build an integrated energy industrial ecosystem around Nigerian crude and gas, supported by pipelines, ports, storage, electricity, transportation, security and predictable regulation.

“Government will build the ecosystem. Nigerian entrepreneurs will build the companies. Nigerian companies will conquer the markets.”

“Our job is to make Nigerian energy companies less dependent on Nigeria’s limitations.”

Hashim said the emergence of the Dangote Refinery has demonstrated that Nigerian capital can operate at global scale.

“Dangote has shown the world what Nigerian capital can build. Now Nigeria needs a government with the ambition to match that investment.

“Our job is not to make Dangote dependent on government. Our job is to make Dangote less dependent on Nigeria’s limitations.

“We want to give Nigerian energy companies the crude advantage, infrastructure, policy certainty and strategic support required to compete anywhere in the world.”

Hashim said the ultimate objective of Energy First is to change Nigeria’s position in the global energy economy.

“For decades, the world bought Nigerian crude and created wealth from it elsewhere.

“Energy First will ensure that Nigerian crude creates Nigerian industries, Nigerian companies, Nigerian jobs and Nigerian global champions.

“Local crude. Local refining. Global products. Global markets. Nigerian companies. Global energy power.”

TWoods:
We won't be missed. We simply make up numbers; we are utterly irrelevant.

TWoods:
“Every major African declaration should answer a simple question What are we prepared to do if our position is ignored?”

The answer is nothing. African speeches and positions are never taken seriously, even by fellow African countries, and are routinely ignored.

The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has called on African leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly to move beyond speeches and appeals and begin backing African positions with concrete diplomatic, economic, legal and security action.

In a statement authorised by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro said Africa has spent decades articulating concerns about international law, sovereignty, foreign interference, global inequality, conflicts and reform of the international system, but has too often failed to match those positions with the capacity required to make them consequential.

“Africa does not have a shortage of speeches. Africa has a shortage of power behind its speeches,” Hamzat said.

He urged African leaders to approach the United Nations as representatives of sovereign states with clearly defined interests and the capacity to defend those interests.

“A sovereign position must have sovereign capacity behind it. African leaders should not approach the international system as petitioners seeking permission to defend Africa’s legitimate interests,” he said.

Similarly, demands for respect for African sovereignty must be accompanied by stronger African security, intelligence, economic and institutional capacity.

“Every major African declaration should answer a simple question What are we prepared to do if our position is ignored?” Hamzat asked.

PeacePro stressed that its position is not a call for confrontation with other parts of the world or for Africa to isolate itself from the international community.
Rather, it is a call for strategic equality.

“Africa should cooperate with the United States, China, Russia, Europe, India and every other global power where such cooperation advances African interests. But meaningful partnership requires the capacity to negotiate, not merely the obligation to comply,” Hamzat said.

PeacePro called for a new approach to African diplomacy that it described as “Speech to Action Diplomacy.”

Under this approach, major positions announced by African leaders at the UN should be followed by measurable actions at national, regional or continental levels.

If Africa defends international law, PeacePro said, it should strengthen African legal and diplomatic mechanisms capable of defending it.

If Africa opposes foreign interference, it should develop the intelligence, institutional and economic resilience required to resist it.

If Africa demands economic sovereignty, it must invest in financial institutions, industrialisation, energy security, technology and intra-African trade.

If Africa calls for peace and security, it must develop the financial, logistical and military capabilities necessary to sustain African led peace operations.

And if Africa demands greater influence in global governance, it must build the economic and diplomatic leverage necessary to make that influence meaningful.

PeacePro said Africa's own Agenda 2063 provides a strategic vision of a continent that is united, resilient and influential in global affairs. The challenge, it said, is translating that vision into institutional capacity and measurable action.

He called on African governments to deliberately build the capabilities that determine strategic autonomy, including energy, food, finance, technology, industry, defence, maritime security, transportation, education, intelligence and institutional governance.

“Africa should not merely tell the world what it wants. Africa must build the capacity to make its choices consequential,” Hamzat said.

He added that “The era of speeches without strategy, declarations without implementation and demands without enforcement must give way to an era of African capacity, African coordination and African strategic action.”

PeacePro said the true measure of African sovereignty would not be the applause received after an African president delivers a powerful speech at the United Nations.
“It will be what Africa is capable of doing after the speech is over.”