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2027 elections: Sanwo-Olu, Daniel link Nigeria’s economic future to security – EnviroNews
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Nigeria’s journey towards the 2027 general elections must be anchored on the understanding that economic prosperity and national security are inseparable, political and economic leaders said on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the 7th Freedom Online Yearly Lecture in Lagos.
The lecture, themed “2027 Elections: Economy, Security and Nigeria’s Future,” brought together policymakers, business leaders, media executives and other stakeholders at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja.
Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, chaired the event, while Senator Gbenga Daniel was the Special Guest of Honour. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, delivered the main lecture.
A recurring message from the speakers was that Nigeria could not build a strong economy without security, just as lasting peace and stability could not be achieved without economic prosperity and opportunities for citizens.
Senator Daniel, in his preliminary remarks, set the tone for the discussion, declaring that the relationship between security and the economy would be central to Nigeria’s future.
“Nigeria cannot have a strong economy without security, and it cannot have lasting security without a strong economy. The two are inseparable,” he said.
Daniel acknowledged encouraging economic indicators, including Nigeria’s reported 4.43 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter of 2026, but argued that the ultimate measure of economic progress should be its impact on the daily lives of citizens.
He asked whether young Nigerians could find decent jobs, whether farmers could safely access their farmlands and whether small businesses could survive rising costs of electricity, transportation and finance.
The former Ogun State governor described insecurity as not only a social and humanitarian challenge but also a major economic threat.
He noted that when farmers were unable to cultivate their land due to insecurity, food production suffered; unsafe roads increased transportation costs; and businesses forced to spend heavily on private security became less competitive.
Citing reports that more than 7,800 people were abducted between July 2025 and June 2026, Daniel said the figure represented more than a security statistic.
“It is also an economic warning,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, meanwhile, said Nigeria’s democracy had matured significantly and that the 2027 general election should be seen as a test of the country’s institutions and reforms rather than a struggle for national survival.
He noted that the 2027 polls would be Nigeria’s eighth consecutive general election since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
According to him, the country’s 28-year run under the Fourth Republic had surpassed the lifespan of all previous republics combined.
“In a region where the ballot box is under siege, Nigeria’s unbroken run of elections is the anchor,” Sanwo-Olu said, referring to recent political instability and military takeovers in several West African countries.
Speaking first as a Nigerian before identifying himself as a partisan politician, the governor defended the economic reforms of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He argued that the removal of the fuel subsidy was a difficult but necessary decision, describing the former subsidy regime as a major drain on public resources that could otherwise have been deployed to critical sectors such as infrastructure, education and healthcare.
Sanwo-Olu cited economic indicators, including reported GDP growth of 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, agricultural growth of 4.39 per cent, external reserves of about $53 billion, inflation at 15.9 per cent and record diaspora remittances of $947 million in July.
He said the reforms were beginning to lay the foundation for a more sustainable economy.
However, the governor warned that insecurity remained a major threat to the country’s economic gains and could also affect the credibility and smooth conduct of the 2027 elections.
According to him, banditry and other forms of insecurity could disrupt political campaigns, affect the movement of election materials and discourage voter participation.
He therefore called for early and comprehensive security planning ahead of the polls.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted a number of federal security interventions, including plans to expand the Nigerian Army to 12 divisions, recruit 28,000 additional personnel and establish a Navy Special Operations Command.
He also referenced joint security operations between Nigeria and the United States against terrorist commanders in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Lagos governor made a strong case for the establishment of State Police, describing it as one of the most consequential reforms Nigeria could undertake.
Drawing from Lagos State’s experience with the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Sanwo-Olu argued that security institutions were more effective when communities played an active role in supporting and holding them accountable.
“Security works best when the people who pay for it and the people who depend on it can see, and hold to account, the people who provide it,” he said.
He urged the next National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to complete the necessary constitutional amendments to enable the establishment of State Police.
Sanwo-Olu also turned his attention to the role of the media, calling for rigorous and responsible journalism as the country approaches another election cycle.
He urged journalists and editors to intensify fact-checking, confront disinformation and resist the spread of manipulated videos and false information from anonymous social media accounts.
The governor also called for greater media attention to women and young people seeking political office, while encouraging journalists to report not only challenges but also positive developments across the country.
“I am asking you to give the same energy to what is working: the business that opened, the student who got the loan, the town whose road finally arrived,” he said.
“Patriotism is not propaganda.”
Sanwo-Olu said the fundamental question for Nigerians in 2027 should go beyond the election itself to how the country would use its democratic mandate to deepen reforms, improve security and create opportunities for its growing youth population.
He cited what he described as President Tinubu’s non-interference in the August 15 Osun governorship election as evidence of Nigeria’s growing democratic maturity.
“Let 2027 be remembered not as the election Nigeria survived, but as the election at which Nigeria came of age,” he said.
Earlier, Lai Mohammed said Freedom Online had distinguished itself over the years through its commitment to informing the public and stimulating national debate.
He described the theme of the lecture as particularly timely as Nigeria prepares for another critical electoral cycle.
Mohammed said security remained a fundamental condition for economic development, noting that businesses and investors were unlikely to commit resources in an atmosphere of uncertainty and instability.
“Security is the precondition for economic growth. No business thrives in an atmosphere of uncertainty, and no foreign or local investor deploys capital where safety cannot be guaranteed,” he said.
He added that economic inclusion was equally important for political stability, arguing that a society that provided meaningful opportunities for young people would be less vulnerable to manipulation, violence and social unrest.
The former minister stressed that the 2027 elections should not be viewed merely as a contest for political power.
“The 2027 election must be viewed not merely as a contest for power, but as a commitment to continuity and nation-building,” Mohammed said.
“Politics must never be allowed to override governance.”
Daniel, in his contribution, called for a deliberate shift from dependence on oil wealth towards investments in human capital and the non-oil economy.
He noted that the non-oil sector accounted for approximately 95.8 per cent of Nigeria’s real GDP in the second quarter of 2026, driven by sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, financial services, tourism, entertainment and the digital economy.
“Our task is to convert these sectors into productive jobs, higher incomes and better living standards,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s young population represented a major opportunity but warned that the country must provide young people with skills, capital, technology and an enabling environment.
“If we give our young people opportunity, they will build Nigeria. If we deny them opportunity, frustration will grow and social stability will suffer,” Daniel said.
He pointed to Lagos and Ogun states as examples of how infrastructure, enterprise and supportive policies could unlock economic opportunities.
The challenge, he said, was to replicate such an enabling environment across other commercial and industrial centres, including Aba, Kano, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt and Maiduguri.
“The Nigeria we want tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we make today,” Daniel said.
“If we secure our farms, we strengthen food security. If we secure our roads, we strengthen commerce. If we secure our communities, we attract investment. If we create jobs and invest in our young people, we strengthen social stability.”
Mohammed also urged Nigerians to engage constructively with efforts aimed at addressing the country’s economic and security challenges, noting that the problems required patience, institutional strengthening and national cooperation.
He charged the media to remain professional and responsible as the country moves closer to the elections.
According to him, the press must be “robust without being reckless; critical without being destructive; patriotic without becoming partisan; and free without forgetting the enormous responsibility that comes with freedom.”
He warned that sensationalism, fake news and disinformation could worsen instability during election periods.
Closing the event, Mohammed said Nigeria’s collective responsibility ahead of 2027 was to strengthen existing institutions and reforms while continuing to demand accountability and progress.
He expressed optimism about the country’s future, arguing that Nigeria possessed the capacity to overcome its numerous challenges.
“Our duty is to strengthen the foundations already being laid, not merely to critique them,” he said.
The 7th Freedom Online Yearly Lecture thus placed the spotlight on what could become one of the defining issues ahead of the 2027 elections: the need to simultaneously build a secure nation and a productive economy capable of delivering jobs, investment and improved living standards for Nigerians.
