By Dapo Akinrefon
The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the 2027 general elections and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has unveiled an ambitious plan to restructure Nigeria’s governance and economy, promising to dismantle institutional bottlenecks, devolve more powers to states, strengthen security and redirect public resources towards productive sectors if elected president.
Under his proposed Reset Agenda, entitled: ‘Reset Nigeria: A governing programme for a productive, secure, capable and accountable federation’ Makinde is offering Nigerians a governing programme built around what he describes as the need to rebuild the relationship between government and citizens, restore the country’s federal balance and establish an economic system capable of translating Nigeria’s human and natural resources into better living standards.
The governor argues that Nigeria’s development challenges are rooted not simply in a shortage of resources or the absence of economic policies, but in institutional failures, excessive concentration of authority at the centre, poor coordination among government agencies and the inability of successive administrations to translate policy announcements into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
His proposal, therefore, goes beyond promising new infrastructure, social interventions and economic programmes. It seeks to alter the structure through which the government makes decisions, allocates resources and delivers public services.
Makinde’s argument is that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable economic growth under a system in which the Federal Government retains excessive control over critical responsibilities while state governments and communities bear much of the consequences of policy failures.
He traces some of the country’s present difficulties to the centralisation of authority during military rule, arguing that the return to democracy did not sufficiently restore the federal balance envisaged by Nigeria’s founding fathers.
According to him, the country must return to a system in which different levels of government have the authority, resources and institutional capacity to address problems within their jurisdictions, while remaining accountable for their performance.
“Reset Nigeria means correcting that course and building a federation capable of making our unity work,” he declared in presenting the programme.
The proposal comes against the background of widespread public dissatisfaction over the cost of living, insecurity, unemployment, unreliable electricity, poor infrastructure and the declining purchasing power of households.
Makinde acknowledges that Nigerians are experiencing the consequences of rising food, transportation, energy and housing costs, arguing that the government must move beyond explaining why economic reforms require time and demonstrate how those reforms improve the lives of citizens.
He maintains that although rebuilding institutions cannot happen overnight, the time required for reform should not become an excuse for inaction or institutional failure.
Economic restructuring and productivity
At the centre of the Economic Reset is a promise to reorganise the country’s economic priorities around productivity, domestic production, employment and the reduction of avoidable costs.
The APM candidate opines that Nigeria’s economic difficulties are compounded by the failure to connect agriculture, transportation, energy, manufacturing, finance and security into a coordinated production system.
He cites the difficulties farmers encounter in moving produce to markets, the high cost of electricity for manufacturers, the recurring expenditure on government-owned refineries and the delays businesses experience in dealing with public institutions as examples of a system that increases production costs and transfers the burden to consumers.
Rather than introduce a new policy for every problem, he proposes an integrated economic framework that would identify the country’s most important productive sectors and remove the obstacles preventing them from expanding.
His approach will be guided by five principles: establishing the true cost of government interventions, assigning responsibility for results, connecting related policies, setting measurable delivery deadlines and discontinuing arrangements that repeatedly consume public funds without delivering value.
One of his major proposals is to prioritise federal road construction around economically important corridors connecting farms, industrial clusters, ports, markets and border communities.
He holds the view that road construction should not be measured simply by the number of kilometres awarded or the amount of money released, but by the economic opportunities created through improved transportation.
Under the proposed Federal-State Road Compact, states undertaking projects on federal roads would have clearly defined agreements with the Federal Government on financing, reimbursement, construction standards, supervision and maintenance.
This, he believes, would end the uncertainty surrounding situations in which states spend substantial resources repairing federal infrastructure without knowing who will ultimately bear the financial responsibility.
Agriculture is another major component of the economic restructuring plan.
Makinde proposes a national food-production strategy that will bring farming, security, storage, processing, transportation and market access under coordinated delivery arrangements.
The initial priority commodities identified in the programme are rice, maize, cassava, beans and tomatoes, subject to further assessment of production capacity, household consumption and regional suitability.
Rather than attempting to run farms or processing businesses, the Federal Government would coordinate national standards, provide shared infrastructure, facilitate financing and address constraints that cut across state boundaries.
The governor’s argument is that increasing agricultural production alone will not bring down food prices if farmers cannot safely access their farms, preserve harvested produce or transport it to consumers.
He also proposes the development of selected industrial value chains, including food and agro-processing, textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and construction materials derived from locally available minerals.
The Federal Government, under his leadership, would work with states and private investors to identify infrastructure, energy, skills, financing and regulatory requirements for each selected sector.
Besides, the objective is to create an environment in which local businesses can expand production, generate employment and compete in domestic and international markets.
Refinery, electricity and fiscal reforms
On energy, the APM candidate promises to end what he describes as the cycle of public expenditure on government-owned refineries that fail to operate reliably.
He proposes an independent technical, financial, environmental and asset assessment of all government-owned refineries within the first six months of his administration.
Within 12 months, each refinery would be assigned one of three options: a partnership with a technically qualified private operator, conversion into a commercially viable petroleum, petrochemical, storage or logistics facility, or an orderly decommissioning process.
He proposes concluding viable transactions within 18 months and enforcing production or conversion milestones by the end of the third year.
The underlying principle is that government ownership should serve a demonstrable public interest and should not become a permanent excuse for financing commercially unsustainable operations.
On electricity, he proposes a targeted protection arrangement for low-income households, under which qualifying metered households would receive their first 50 kilowatt-hours monthly at a protected rate.
The arrangement would be funded through verified electricity delivered rather than estimated consumption, with priority metering for qualifying unmetered households.
He also proposes support for qualifying off-grid households through competitively procured solar-home-system and mini-grid connections.
On macroeconomic management, thenOyo State governor promises fiscal discipline, monetary stability and a transparent foreign-exchange market.
He noted that the Central Bank would retain operational independence in pursuing price stability, while the Federal Government would support monetary policy through responsible borrowing, improved revenue administration and measures to expand domestic production.
He rejects the defence of artificial exchange rates and preferential foreign-exchange arrangements that reward access rather than productivity.
His proposed fiscal framework would also restrict routine monetary financing of federal deficits, while requiring major borrowing proposals to disclose their purpose, repayment sources, foreign-exchange exposure and expected economic or social returns.
Foreign-currency borrowing, he says, should be exceptional and restricted to projects with identifiable foreign-currency earnings or concessional financing whose overall costs are demonstrably lower than domestic alternatives.
The proposals suggest an attempt to combine market-based economic management with targeted social protection, although their implementation would depend on the country’s fiscal capacity, the availability of reliable data and the cooperation of relevant institutions.
State police and decentralisation of security
Perhaps one of the most politically consequential proposals in the Reset Agenda is the planned decentralisation of policing.
Makinde argues that Nigeria’s security architecture places excessive operational authority at the centre while expecting governors and communities to respond to threats over which they have limited lawful control.
He believes the country’s security challenges cannot be adequately addressed through the deployment of more personnel, weapons and vehicles alone without improving intelligence gathering, local knowledge, communication and operational accountability.
His proposal is to complete and implement the constitutional, legal, financial and operational arrangements for state policing.
Under the framework, states seeking to establish their police services would be required to demonstrate sustainable funding, transparent recruitment, professional training and independent disciplinary and complaints mechanisms.
State police would concentrate principally on public safety and crimes within their respective jurisdictions, while federal security agencies would retain responsibility for terrorism, border security, organised crime and offences that cross state or national boundaries.
The two levels of policing would operate through interoperable communication systems, shared intelligence and common criminal records.
Governor Makinde, however, recognises the danger of transferring excessive security powers to state governors without adequate safeguards.
He proposes national standards governing the use of force, detention, investigation, firearms and human rights, alongside independent oversight and judicial review to prevent the abuse of state police for political, ethnic or religious purposes.
He also proposes a common Threat-to-Action Standard across security agencies, under which every credible security warning would have an identified lead agency, supporting institutions, a responsible command structure and a traceable response.
Serious security incidents would trigger operational reviews to determine what authorities knew, what action they took and where institutional failures occurred.
Beyond policing, he wants security operations connected to economic recovery in affected communities.
Under his proposed Security and Economic Recovery Plans, protection of farming communities, transport routes, schools, markets and health facilities would be linked to efforts to restore legitimate economic activities.
He argues that security should not be measured by the number of checkpoints established, vehicles purchased or arrests announced, but by reductions in attacks and abductions, the safe return of farmers to their land and the restoration of economic activities.
Devolution, resource control and a new federal arrangement
Makinde’s proposed Federal Responsibilities Review is another major plank of the governance reset.
Within his first year, he promised to examine the responsibilities currently exercised by the Federal Government and determine which should remain exclusively federal, which require national standards but state-level implementation, and which should be transferred principally to states or local governments.
The review would produce proposals for constitutional amendments, legislation, fiscal adjustments and transition arrangements.
His position is that transferring responsibilities without corresponding financial resources, personnel, assets and accountability would merely relocate existing institutional failures.
The proposal has particular implications for resource control and the management of solid minerals.
Under the present constitutional arrangement, the Federal Government retains primary control over mineral resources, including licensing, while states contend with many of the environmental, security and social consequences of mining activities within their territories.
Makinde proposes giving state governments a greater role in decisions concerning the exploration and exploitation of solid minerals within their territories.
Although the Federal Government would continue issuing mining licences under the existing constitutional framework, states would be formally involved in the process and allowed to raise concerns about land use, environmental protection, community interests and public safety.
He also proposes publicly accessible registers of mining licences and beneficial ownership, stronger cooperation between federal and state regulators and improved mechanisms for tackling illegal and dangerous mining.
The broader implication is that states would have greater influence over the economic activities and natural resources within their territories, although the precise extent of this devolution would require constitutional and legislative changes.
For Makinde, the objective is not to weaken the federation but to make federalism more functional by ensuring that decisions are taken at the level best equipped to deliver results.
Education, healthcare and social protection
The proposed reset also places considerable emphasis on human capital development.
In education, Makinde wants the country to move away from measuring success primarily through school enrolment, the construction of buildings and the number of certificates awarded.
He proposes a National Foundational Learning Guarantee under which every child should acquire basic literacy and numeracy by the end of Primary Three.
Working with state governments, his administration would target at least 50 per cent of Primary Three pupils meeting the national minimum proficiency standard in literacy and 65 per cent in numeracy within three years.
The programme would include teacher training, classroom support, regular assessment and additional instruction for children who have fallen behind.
He also proposes stronger links between technical education, vocational training, apprenticeships and industry requirements, arguing that public investment in skills development should be judged by whether beneficiaries acquire recognised competencies and secure employment or establish businesses.
At the tertiary level, he wants universities and other institutions to place greater emphasis on practical experience, research and the application of knowledge to Nigeria’s development challenges.
His healthcare proposal is to strengthen existing reforms, particularly primary healthcare, and establish a clear guarantee of essential services in participating states.
Federal health funding would increasingly be linked to verified service delivery rather than the existence of buildings or the submission of administrative documents.
The administration would also strengthen health insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable Nigerians, prioritising maternal healthcare, childhood immunisation, emergency stabilisation and treatment of diseases responsible for preventable deaths.
On social protection, Makinde proposes an accountable gateway connecting existing federal and state systems, including the National Social Register and cash-transfer programmes.
The objective would be to establish transparent eligibility requirements, traceable payments and an appeals mechanism for people wrongly excluded from assistance.
He says the system should be capable of responding to poverty, disability, displacement and sudden economic or climate-related shocks without creating new emergency lists whenever a crisis occurs.
Public accountability and rebuilding citizens’ confidence
A central theme running through the Reset Agenda is the demand for greater accountability in public administration.
Makinde believes Nigerians have become accustomed to government announcements that are not followed by clearly identifiable results.
To address this, he proposes that every major government commitment should have an identifiable lead institution, a delivery timetable, measurable targets and an officer responsible for reporting progress.
Within the first 100 days, his administration would publish a consolidated Reset Delivery Plan identifying the responsibilities of ministries, departments and agencies, the legal and administrative steps required, funding arrangements and three-year implementation milestones.
He also proposes extending what he calls the ‘Tell Government Once’ principle across public services, allowing government agencies to obtain verified information already held by other institutions instead of repeatedly demanding the same documents from citizens.
Procurement plans, awarded contracts, beneficial ownership and implementation records would be published in accessible formats, subject to legitimate national security and privacy restrictions.
He promises to strengthen professional standards in the civil service, protect judicial and prosecutorial independence and ensure that public appointments and promotions increasingly reflect competence, performance and integrity.
On democratic governance, he supports reforms to improve transparency in electronic accreditation and transmission of election results, political financing and the appointment of electoral officials.
He also pledges to protect peaceful protests, journalists, civic organisations and political opponents, arguing that criticism should not be treated as disloyalty to the country.
The Oyo experience and the presidential test
Makinde’s justification for offering Nigerians the Reset Agenda rests partly on his experience as governor of Oyo State since 2019.
The programme cites interventions in agriculture, infrastructure, education, healthcare and security as evidence of what he believes can be achieved through better planning and institutional coordination.
Among the examples highlighted is the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, which the document credits with attracting private investment and supporting youth training.
It also cites the rehabilitation and upgrading of healthcare centres, improved health-insurance enrolment and the restoration of academic activities and accreditation in state-owned educational institutions.
In security, the document points to reductions in selected crime categories during his first term and the establishment of a toll-free emergency response number.
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