Founder of Chocolate City Group,Audu Maikori, has called for an end to what he described as Nigeria’s entrenched “handout culture” where electoral promises centre on bags of rice rather than structural economic development.

The 50-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur, who is vying for the Jaba/Zangon Kataf House of Representatives seatin Kaduna State, in an interview, outlined a legislative agenda focused on agriculture infrastructure, intellectual property reform, and gender representation.

Maikori, whose constituency is predominantly agricultural, said he would prioritise connecting farmers to markets and scaling production of the region’s key crops: ginger, maize, and yams.

“The average Southern Kaduna person is a farmer. But access to markets, the right fertiliser, and the right technology to grow and scale agriculture are missing.

“I believe that with my relationships and experience, I can bring that to bear,” he said.

He also addressed Nigeria’s creative economy, a sector he has worked in for two decades.

“Despite the global success of Afrobeats and Nigerian artists commanding international audiences, however,” he noted that the creative industries contribute approximately 0.33% to Nigeria’s GDP, a figure he attributed to weak intellectual property protections.

“Intellectual property is closely linked to GDP growth, but in Nigeria, we have not been able to harness the IP regime.”

ALSO, the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has warned that Islamophobia is becoming a growing concern in Nigeria, urging government authorities, the media and citizens to take deliberate steps to confront religious prejudice and discrimination.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the organisation said Muslims in many parts of the world continue to face institutional discrimination, social exclusion and unwarranted surveillance.

The group noted that while Nigeria is widely regarded as a country with deep religious diversity, incidents of Islamophobia are increasingly being disguised as matters of national security or ethnic tension.

According to the Executive Chairman of MPAC, Disu Kamor, Islamophobia must be recognised as a societal problem capable of undermining peace and coexistence if it is not addressed.

He said prejudice against Muslims threatens national unity and erodes trust among citizens.