Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to make governance measurable and accountable, with focus on the welfare and productivity of Nigerians if elected president.
Obi made the pledge in his Independence Day address on Thursday, promising to prioritise insecurity, education, healthcare, job creation and productive enterprise.
He said his administration would tackle insecurity to enable farmers to return to their farms, children to resume school and businesses to operate freely.
The former Anambra State governor also pledged to shift Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to one focused on agriculture, manufacturing, human capital development and job creation.
Obi cited his recent visit to an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Ramin Kura, Sokoto State, saying the conditions there reflected the hardship caused by insecurity and poverty.
He identified poverty, unemployment, hunger, insecurity, out-of-school children and inadequate healthcare among the country’s major challenges.
Obi said Nigeria’s problem was not a lack of resources but the failure to translate its resources into improved living conditions, productivity and shared prosperity.
He also pledged to spend his holidays within Nigeria if elected, including visits to different states to interact with citizens and better understand their challenges.
The NDC candidate called on Nigerians to demand accountability from public officials and said his administration would seek to build a secure, united and productive country.