Gbenga Daniel says Nigeria’s economic future depends on security, jobs and infrastructure at Freedom Online’s 7th Annual Lecture in Lagos

Senator Otunba Engr Gbenga Daniel, former Ogun State governor and Senator representing Ogun East, has called for stronger security, infrastructure and economic opportunities as essential foundations for Nigeria’s long-term prosperity at Freedom Online’s 7th Annual Lecture in Lagos on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

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Daniel, who served as Special Guest of Honour at the event held at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja, said Nigeria could not build a strong economy without security, just as lasting security would remain difficult to achieve without a strong economy. The lecture was themed “2027 Elections: Economy, Security and Nigeria’s Future.”

His remarks came shortly before Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was scheduled to deliver the main lecture at the event, which brought together political leaders, public officials, media professionals and other stakeholders to examine Nigeria’s economic and security challenges ahead of the 2027 elections.

Daniel acknowledged that Nigeria’s economy had shown encouraging signs, pointing to the 4.43 per cent real GDP growth recorded in the second quarter of 2026.

The National Bureau of Statistics data showed that the economy grew faster than the 3.89 per cent recorded in the first quarter, while the non-oil sector accounted for 95.84 per cent of real GDP.

Services remained the largest contributor, while agriculture also recorded stronger growth.

But Daniel cautioned against measuring economic progress solely through headline growth figures.

He said the more important test was whether ordinary Nigerians could feel the improvement in their daily lives.

“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?” he asked.

For Daniel, those questions cannot be separated from the country’s security situation.

He argued that security should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of the military, police and other security agencies, but as part of the infrastructure required for economic activity to flourish.

“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,” he said.

Daniel also cited the scale of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis as an economic concern.

A recent SBM Intelligence report estimated that 7,825 people were abducted across Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, while at least 1,142 people were killed and N7.78 billion was paid in ransom.

The senator said such figures should be viewed not only as security statistics but also as warnings about the wider economic consequences of insecurity.

“If communities live in fear, investment is discouraged,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Daniel struck an optimistic tone about Nigeria’s prospects, pointing to the country’s young population, entrepreneurial culture, technology sector, financial institutions and creative economy.

He said the priority should be to create an environment in which Nigerian talent and enterprise could operate at scale.

According to him, security, infrastructure and opportunity must form part of that enabling environment.

Daniel also argued that Nigeria must continue reducing its dependence on crude oil by strengthening productive activity across the wider economy.

The latest GDP figures reinforce that point, with the non-oil economy accounting for more than 95 per cent of real GDP in the second quarter.

Agriculture, information and communication, real estate, trade, financial services, manufacturing and construction were among the sectors supporting growth.

He said the challenge was now to translate that diversification into productive employment, higher incomes and better living conditions.

Young Nigerians, in particular, would require more than political promises, Daniel said.

“They need skills, employment, access to capital, technology and a society in which enterprise and hard work can lead to a better life,” he said.

Daniel warned that failure to create such opportunities could deepen frustration among young people and eventually undermine social stability.

“If we give our young people an opportunity, they will build Nigeria. If we deny them opportunity, frustration will grow and social stability will suffer,” he said.

He pointed to Lagos and Ogun as examples of what could happen when population, enterprise, infrastructure and opportunity converge, while acknowledging that both states still face significant challenges.

His broader argument was that the conditions for economic opportunity should not be concentrated in a few parts of the country.

Daniel said a young entrepreneur in Aba, Kano, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt or Maiduguri should be able to pursue a business with the same confidence as an entrepreneur in Lagos.

The former Ogun governor has previously linked Nigeria’s security challenges to economic conditions.

In 2021, Daniel argued that unemployment and the failure to engage Nigeria’s large working-age population were contributing to insecurity, saying that economic management could help address some of the country’s security problems.

His latest intervention therefore extends an argument he has made previously: that security and economic policy cannot be treated as separate areas of governance.

As he concluded his remarks, Daniel returned to the choices facing Nigeria ahead of the next phase of its political and economic development.

“The Nigeria we want tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we make today,” he said.

He argued that securing farms would strengthen food security, protecting roads would support commerce and securing communities would encourage investment.

For Daniel, investment in young Nigerians is equally central to national stability.

“If we create jobs and invest in our young people, we strengthen social stability and the future of the nation,” he said.

He ended on a note of confidence, acknowledging the scale of Nigeria’s problems while insisting that the country’s capacity was greater.

“I remain optimistic about Nigeria, not because our problems are small, but because our capacity is greater than our problems,” Daniel said.

He identified Nigeria’s people, resources, market and entrepreneurial spirit as major assets, but said those advantages would require security, leadership, infrastructure and discipline to translate potential into prosperity.

Daniel then handed the floor to Sanwo-Olu, who was scheduled to deliver the main lecture at the 7th Annual Lecture of Freedom Online.

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The event organisers had said the gathering was designed to examine the relationship between the 2027 elections, economic development, national security and Nigeria’s longer-term future