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By Olasunkanmi Akoni and Jeffrey Akpabor
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and quality rights advocate, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has said that the 2027 statesmanlike predetermination volition beryllium determined by the campaigner who demonstrates an unwavering committedness to law replacement, genuine devolution of powers, and fiscal federalism.
Speaking successful Lagos connected Wednesday during the presumption of a argumentation papers titled “Devolution Is the Solution: Fundamental Reform Agenda for Nigeria’s Transformation,” Agbakoba said Nigeria’s prosperity depends connected simultaneous governmental and economical restructuring.
He argued that law replacement, alternatively than amendment, was indispensable to rebuild the federation connected dependable principles of devolution and fiscal autonomy, with states owning their resources and retaining astatine slightest 50 per cent of revenues.
According to him, national powers should beryllium constricted to currency, defence, outer affairs, and immigration, portion states should power police, electricity, coagulated minerals, airports, intra-state commerce, education, and healthcare. Local governments, helium added, should beryllium liable for superior education, superior healthcare, water, sanitation, section roads, markets, and elector registration.
Agbakoba said the 2027 elections indispensable absorption connected which campaigner commits to these cardinal reforms.
“Every campaigner indispensable perpetrate to a caller constitution, authorities constabulary with operational independence, assets power with a minimum 50 per cent derivation, afloat implementation of the Oronsaye Report, and authorities divestment from commercialized enterprises,” helium said.
He added that the adjacent president indispensable besides prosecute reforms successful the maritime and aviation sectors, judicial translation for declaration enforcement, captious minerals and abstraction manufacture development, and cultivation enlargement susceptible of unlocking ₦15 trillion successful export potential.
Agbakoba described the projected reforms arsenic a roadmap to a “golden age” of development.
“If these foundational reforms are afloat implemented, Nigeria volition participate a aureate property of development. This is not hyperbole but mathematical certainty,” helium declared.
He projected that specified reforms could alteration ₦500 trillion yearly budgets, double-digit GDP growth, and monolithic ceremonial economical information by implicit 200 cardinal Nigerians.
“We volition witnesser infrastructure rivaling Asian miracles, acquisition and healthcare matching developed nations, exertion hubs competing globally, cultivation abundance feeding Africa, and an concern gyration creating millions of jobs,” helium stated.
Agbakoba warned that clip was short, noting that if elections are moved to November 2026, Nigeria has little than 2 years to unafraid wide commitments from candidates.
“This is not astir choosing betwixt Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, oregon others. It’s astir selecting whoever demonstrates genuine committedness to law replacement, devolution, and fiscal federalism,” helium emphasized.
He maintained that Nigeria’s persistent crises stem from a flawed governance operation alternatively than argumentation deficiencies.
“The existent strategy reliably produces insecurity, economical stagnation, and organization decay due to the fact that authorities and economics are inherently local. Only foundational restructuring done devolution tin unlock Nigeria’s ₦500 trillion economical potential,” helium said.
Agbakoba besides urged the authorities to exit commercialized ventures, freeing implicit ₦10 trillion successful superior for backstage sector-led growth. He projected that with due reforms, Nigeria could execute 10–12% yearly GDP growth, 5–7% involvement rates, and a 100-million-strong mediate people wrong a decade, propelling it into the apical 10 planetary economies by 2035.
“We volition either person the courageousness to restructure Nigeria present oregon permission our children to inherit the whirlwind. The reply indispensable beryllium written successful the ballot container of 2027 and inscribed successful a caller constitution by 2030,” Agbakoba concluded.
The station Agbakoba: Devolution, fiscal federalism volition signifier 2027 presidency appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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