The 2026 Independence Day address by the 2027 presidential candidate of the Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has focused on Nigeria’s worsening security and socioeconomic challenges, with a call for urgent national reflection and a change in leadership approach.
Obi, in his Independence Day address titled “Nigeria at 66 — Looking Back, Looking Forward,” said the country’s 66th anniversary should go beyond celebration and serve as an opportunity to assess Nigeria’s current position, its desired destination and the steps required to achieve national development.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, agricultural potential and cultural diversity, as well as the sacrifices made by the country’s founding fathers and successive generations of Nigerians.
However, Obi said the country continued to face serious challenges despite the promises made by the APC-led government in 2023.
He listed widespread poverty, a high number of out-of-school children, insecurity, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, hunger, unemployment, substance abuse and low life expectancy among the major challenges confronting Nigerians.
According to him, more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty and severe hardship, while over 18 million children are out of school.
He also cited insecurity as a major national concern, noting that terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continue to threaten lives and livelihoods.
“Just recently, 37 young Nigerians in their productive age lost their lives,” Obi said, while highlighting the human cost of insecurity.
He further expressed concern over food insecurity, saying more than 40 million Nigerians could face extreme hunger by the end of 2026, while youth unemployment and underemployment had affected more than 35 million people.
Obi also raised concerns over drug abuse among young Nigerians, saying the rate stood at 14 per cent compared with a global average of six per cent, while life expectancy in Nigeria was about 54 years compared with a global average of 74 years.
The former Anambra State governor said the scale of the challenges required Nigerians to honestly examine the state of the country rather than attribute its difficulties to fate.
“Our greatest problem is not a lack of resources; it is the failure to convert our enormous resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity,” he said.
Obi disclosed that he and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso had returned from a two-day visit to Sokoto State, where they consulted residents on insecurity, poverty, out-of-school children, youth unemployment and drug abuse.
He said the delegation also visited an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis, where they encountered thousands of women and children displaced by insecurity.
According to him, many of the children at the camp lacked access to education, while mothers and children had limited access to basic healthcare.
“These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country,” he said.
Obi said the situation in Ramin Kura reflected the hardship experienced in several parts of the country and called for stronger leadership to address the underlying problems.
He, however, said his message was not one of despair but of hope and responsibility, insisting that a new Nigeria was possible.
“I dare to proclaim with full assurance that a new Nigeria is possible,” Obi said.
He pledged that, if elected, his administration would make governance measurable and accountable, with emphasis on security, education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and job creation.
He also promised to prioritise the safe return of Nigerians displaced by insecurity to their communities, saying no citizen should be forced to remain in an IDP camp because of failure to provide adequate security.
“We will confront insecurity decisively so that our farmers can return to their farms, our children can return to school, businesses can operate freely, and families can live without fear,” he said.
Obi urged Nigerians to use the independence anniversary to reflect on the country’s past, confront its present challenges and work towards a more secure, united and productive future.
