By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said the Northern region has suffered more from decades of poor leadership and corruption than from insecurity or population growth.
Adebayo, who described the North as Nigeria’s greatest untapped economic asset, said the region possesses the land, population and productive capacity required to drive the country’s economic transformation if its leaders prioritise good governance over politics.
The SDP candidate spoke at the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity in Kaduna, where he said discussions about Northern Nigeria had been dominated by challenges while its strengths and opportunities remained largely ignored.
“The problems confronting Northern Nigeria are obvious to everyone. Nobody needs to be convinced that they exist. What we need now is leadership that is prepared to implement the solutions,” he said.
Adebayo argued that Nigeria’s governance crisis was self-inflicted, stressing that citizens have the power to change the country’s direction through the ballot box.
“We are not powerless. Leaders emerge because people elect them. If Nigerians begin to vote based on competence, integrity and performance instead of sentiment, leadership will change and governance will improve,” he said.
Describing himself as a “Northerner by choice”, Adebayo said his years of living, working and investing across the region had convinced him that solutions to its development challenges lie within its people and resources.
He rejected the argument that the North’s growing population is a burden, saying the region’s youthful population could become a major economic advantage if properly educated, trained and empowered.
“Many countries are struggling with declining populations and ageing workforces. Northern Nigeria has an abundance of young people. If we educate, train and empower them, they will become the engine of Nigeria’s prosperity,” he said.
The SDP candidate identified corruption as the biggest obstacle to national development, warning that no economic policy could succeed if public resources continued to be diverted for personal gain.
“It doesn’t matter how well government is designed; corruption will destroy every good policy unless we confront it decisively,” he said.
On economic development, Adebayo called for increased investment in agriculture, describing the sector as a key pathway to job creation, poverty reduction and tackling insecurity.
He said his agricultural investments across Northern Nigeria had created employment opportunities for hundreds of people, demonstrating the region’s potential to become Nigeria’s food basket and industrial hub.
Adebayo also advocated reforms in the education sector, proposing a system that combines Western and Islamic education to produce graduates with modern skills and strong moral values.
He said such an approach would help reduce the number of out-of-school children while preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Northern communities.
The SDP presidential candidate urged Northerners to focus on practical solutions to the challenges confronting the region, insisting that Nigeria’s future depends largely on the quality of leadership chosen by citizens.
“The North is not a burden on Nigeria. It is one of the country’s greatest strengths. With visionary leadership, accountability and active citizen participation, this region can become the foundation of Nigeria’s economic revival,” he said.
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