A former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has stressed that achieving the desired dream of inclusive growth and strongly positioning Nigerian youths for future leadership roles in national development will depend on the prioritization of security issues and human capital development at all levels of governance in the country.
The former governor, who made this remark as the Special of Honour at the 7th Yearly Lecture of Swaaya Limited, Publishers of Freedom Online medium, maintained that security and economic development remained so much interwoven that without security no economic plans can translate to any benefit in real terms for any country.
Noting that Nigeria’s economy has recorded encouraging indices, including growth of 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, with agriculture and services showing improvement, Daniels pointed out that the true test of Nigeria’s economic progress cannot be assessed based not only what appears in GDP figures but by what Nigerians experience in their daily lives.
He quipped: “Can a young person find decent work? Can a farmer safely reach the farm? Can a manufacturer produce competitively? Can a small business survive the cost of power, transport and finance? Can investors commit their resources with confidence?”
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The frontline politician said that these questions linked directly to security issues, noting that security is not merely a matter for the military, police and other agencies but also an essential part of economic infrastructure.
According to him, when farmers are afraid to cultivate their land, food production suffers, when roads are unsafe, the cost of transporting goods rises, when businesses spend excessively on protection, their competitiveness declines, and when communities live in fear, investment is discouraged.
Daniel explained that the reported abduction of more than 7,800 people between July 2025 and June 2026 was, therefore, not only a security statistic but also an economic warning.
But then, he maintained that Nigeria must not be defined only by its challenges as the country possesses enormous potential, including a young population, a dynamic entrepreneurial culture, a growing technology sector, strong financial institutions, a vibrant creative economy and businesses succeeding across Africa.
The former governor said that the challenge for leaders remained to create the conditions, including security, infrastructure and opportunity, in which Nigerian ability can flourish at scale.
While noting that oil remains important to development, Daniel pointed out that Nigeria’s future cannot depend on oil alone, with non-oil sector accounting for approximately 95.8 per cent of real GDP in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting the growing importance of agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, financial services, tourism, entertainment and the digital economy.
He clarified: “Our task is to convert these sectors into productive jobs, higher incomes and better living standards.
“This is especially important for Nigeria’s young people. They need more than speeches. They need skills, employment, access to capital, technology and a society in which enterprise and hard work can lead to a better life.
“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 added.
He noted that Lagos and by extension Ogun state offered an important example of what can happen when population, enterprise, infrastructure and opportunity come together, with both states demonstrating that Nigerians are remarkably productive when given an enabling environment, despite some challenges.
The former governor said the wider national challenge remained the need to extend that opportunity across the country, so that a young entrepreneur in Aba, Kano, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt, or Maiduguri can build with the same confidence as one in Lagos.
In his conclusive remarks, Daniel maintained that the Nigeria we desire tomorrow would be determined by the decisions we make today.
He further clarified: “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 and the future of the nation.
“I remain optimistic about Nigeria—not because our problems are small, but because our capacity is greater than our problems.
“We have the people, the resources, the market and the entrepreneurial spirit. What we need is the security, leadership, infrastructure and discipline to convert potential into prosperity”, Daniel added.
