Prince Adewole Adebayo, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has said Nigeria can only achieve sustainable development by building strong, secure and productive communities at the grassroots level.

Adebayo made the call in Numan, Adamawa State, during a ceremony organised in his honour following the conferment of a traditional title on him by the Bachama Kingdom.

The event attracted traditional rulers, community leaders and residents from across the area.

Addressing the gathering, Adebayo described the Bachama nation as an integral part of Nigeria, stressing that the future of the country is inseparable from the well-being of its local communities.

“The development of this land is the development of Nigeria, because Nigeria is not an idea; it is the land and the people,” he said.

He described Numan and its surrounding communities as a “paradise entrusted to the people,” urging citizens to take collective responsibility for cultivating their land, managing resources equitably and raising families in safety and dignity.

Adebayo criticised what he described as the excessive centralisation of governance, arguing that decades of attempts to build Nigeria from major urban centres such as Lagos and Abuja had failed to deliver inclusive and lasting development.

“The only time Nigeria will truly work is when we build it from the communities,” he said, adding that national progress should be measured by the safety of homes, the quality of education available to children and the ability of young people to grow and thrive without fear.

According to him, meaningful development must enable families to farm and rear livestock peacefully, educate their children and contribute productively to the economy from their local environments.

Drawing comparisons with countries such as the United States, Germany and Russia, Adebayo said strong nations were built by citizens who prospered in their towns and villages, supported by access to basic amenities including electricity, water, security and economic opportunities.

He called for a Nigeria where citizens would no longer be forced to abandon their ancestral homes in search of survival in overcrowded cities, but could instead live dignified, secure and prosperous lives within their communities.