The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has unveiled a five-point agenda for the transformation of Nigeria, promising to tackle insecurity, unemployment, low productivity, inadequate electricity supply and weak institutions if elected president in 2027.

Adebayo disclosed the agenda during an interactive session with journalists and members of the Middle-Belt Forum, where he also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that economic growth figures would have little meaning if they failed to translate into jobs, higher productivity, improved living standards and better opportunities for businesses.

He said Nigeria’s major challenges were rooted in weak institutions, poor accountability, low productive capacity and what he described as government-enabled criminality.

“What is sustaining criminality and violence in Nigeria is that it is either government sponsored or government enabled,” Adebayo said.

The SDP candidate pledged to dismantle structures that enable criminality and vowed that his administration would not tolerate the involvement of public officials in activities capable of undermining national security.

He also promised a comprehensive restructuring of the country’s security architecture, with greater emphasis on intelligence gathering, community responsiveness and crime prevention rather than a system that largely reacts after attacks have occurred.

On the economy, Adebayo rejected the reliance on headline economic growth figures as the primary measure of national progress.

He said the real indicators of economic performance should include the productive capacity and welfare of citizens, businesses and government enterprises.

He proposed a full-employment strategy, greater transparency in revenue collection, stronger financial accountability and a clear separation between public officials and government contracting.

Adebayo also advocated the decentralisation of economic production, saying states and local governments should play greater roles in sectors including agriculture and mining.

He proposed what he described as a “promotional tax regime” aimed at protecting living wages, stimulating investment and encouraging businesses to expand production rather than simply increasing government revenue.

Adebayo said Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, particularly those located across the Middle Belt, represented a major economic opportunity that remained largely untapped.

He argued that properly regulated mining could create substantial employment, increase government revenue and diversify the economy away from excessive dependence on petroleum.

The SDP candidate called for an end to what he described as the “criminalisation of mining”, insisting that the sector should be formally regulated and developed rather than left vulnerable to illegal operators and criminal networks.

On electricity, Adebayo said Nigeria must abandon what he described as outdated generation targets and begin planning for an economy capable of supporting large-scale industrialisation.

He proposed that the country target between 50,000 megawatts and 75,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity by 2050 through a combination of gas-fired generation, solar power and the rehabilitation of existing hydroelectric infrastructure.

“At least Nigeria now, any presidential candidate who is not giving you a plan for 50,000 megawatts is behind time,” he said.

Adebayo also criticised the existing electricity market, alleging that political interests had interfered with tariff collection and other critical aspects of the sector.

He called for the restructuring of electricity distribution companies and the energy procurement system to improve efficiency and ensure more reliable power supply to households and businesses.

On security, Adebayo said it would remain at the centre of his administration, promising to restructure the armed forces and wider security architecture to make them more responsive to communities while strengthening intelligence capabilities.

He argued that insecurity could not be defeated by simply responding to attacks after they occurred, insisting that the root causes and networks sustaining violence must be identified and disrupted.

According to him, effective security would require more than military intervention, stressing the need for stronger institutions, economic opportunities and a government capable of identifying and dismantling criminal networks before they strike.

The SDP candidate also outlined a foreign policy centred on international partnerships capable of strengthening Nigeria’s national security, education, technology and access to global markets.

He said his administration would give greater attention to Nigerians living abroad and deliberately integrate the diaspora into the country’s development strategy.

The engagement formed part of the SDP’s consultations with political and community stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, said the SDP was positioning itself to participate in a credible electoral process while contributing to Nigeria’s democratic development.

Gombe urged the Middle-Belt Forum to play a strategic role in shaping the country’s political future, describing the group as an important stakeholder in Nigeria.

“My request for them from the Middle Belt is that as one of the key stakeholders in our country, we came to unveil our manifesto and the manifesto of the candidate to them, so as we move on together toward the rescue mission of our dear country,” he said.

The chairman said the party was encouraged by the reception it received from members of the Middle Belt and their understanding of Adebayo’s policy proposals.

He expressed confidence that the engagement would deepen collaboration between the SDP and stakeholders in the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.