A call for sweeping reforms has come from Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who says Nigeria must overhaul its economic and political systems to deliver better outcomes for citizens.
Makinde made the call in his latest newsletter, “The Business of Governance,” arguing that the country’s difficulties cannot be blamed solely on those occupying public offices. He said repeated changes in government and new policies had done little to address poverty, insecurity and limited opportunities confronting millions of Nigerians.
“Over the years, we have changed governments, introduced new policies and promised ourselves new beginnings. Yet, for millions of Nigerians, the fundamental outcomes have remained largely the same.
“Too many of our people are still trapped in poverty. Too many families work hard without experiencing real progress. Too many young Nigerians are unable to see a clear path from education to opportunity.
“Insecurity continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods, while many of the institutions created to serve the people do not work as effectively as they should,” Makinde said.
The governor maintained that the focus should shift towards reforming the systems and institutions responsible for the country’s persistent challenges.
“This tells us that Nigeria’s challenge is bigger than the individuals occupying public office at any particular time. We must address the systems, institutions and structures that continue to reproduce outcomes that do not serve the majority of our people”, he added.
Using petrol pricing as an example, Makinde said the debate should not be limited to whether fuel subsidy should be restored or remain removed. He argued that Nigerians should have access to the information used to determine pump prices, including crude oil benchmarks, refining costs, exchange rates, logistics, taxes and levies.
“These should be publicly accessible and sufficiently clear for Nigerians to interrogate the basis of the price they are paying and compare it with the alternatives”, he said.
Makinde also criticised the argument that Nigerians should bear higher fuel costs to discourage smuggling.
“Nigerians should not be made to bear the cost of government’s inability to secure its borders,” he said.
He said his proposed “Reset Nigeria” agenda would assess whether Nigerians were receiving a fair share of the country’s natural resources.
“The petroleum question should therefore not simply be whether subsidy should return or remain removed. It should be whether the pricing system we are using is the right one for Nigeria and whether it allows Nigerians to derive a fair benefit from the natural resources they own’, he said.
Makinde said details of his alternative petroleum pricing approach would be unveiled in the coming weeks. He described Reset Nigeria as “a national movement to rebuild Nigeria’s systems and institutions so that Nigeria works for every Nigerian.”
The governor said the process would require accountable leadership and active participation from citizens.
