Corruption is Holding Back Nigeria’s Progress, Says SDP Presidential Candidate

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has said corruption is the main reason Nigeria is facing economic and security problems. He believes that without transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service, the nation will keep struggling with insecurity and poverty.

Adebayo spoke on Wednesday at the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity in Kaduna State. He urged political leaders to adopt responsible governance and real solutions to the country’s socio-economic and security issues.

His comments were shared with journalists by his media aide, Ade Alabi.

He noted that Nigeria's problems can be solved if leaders show the political will to govern properly. He said, "I have discovered that there is no problem that we have in Nigeria that good governance and leadership will not resolve in three years."

He added, "Corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to Nigeria’s progress. No policy or institutional reform will succeed unless it is anchored on transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service."

Adebayo mentioned that Northern Nigeria has the human and natural resources to boost economic growth. He insisted that the growing population in the region should be seen as an asset, not a burden.

He said, "The North has the people, the land, and the resources to prosper. What is needed is leadership that can harness these enormous potentials for the benefit of the people."

He called on leaders and stakeholders to stop just talking about the reasons for insecurity and start implementing real and lasting solutions.

Adebayo also pushed for more investment in agriculture, saying it is key for creating jobs, ensuring food security, and building wealth in Northern Nigeria.

On education, the SDP candidate expressed worry about the high number of out-of-school children in the North. He warned that sustainable development will be hard to achieve without better investment in quality education.

He said, "We cannot build a prosperous nation while millions of children remain out of school. Education is the foundation of security, productivity, and national development."

The Arewa Awareness Summit gathered traditional rulers, academics, political leaders, professionals, and others to discuss ways to promote unity and fight insecurity in Northern Nigeria.