BY NGOZI ONYEAKUSI

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has said Nigeria cannot achieve a strong economy without adequate security, just as lasting security cannot be guaranteed without a strong economy.

Daniel stated this on Thursday at the 7th Freedom Online Yearly Lecture held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where he served as Special Guest of Honour.

Speaking on the theme, “Economy and Security: The Future of Nigeria,” Daniel said the relationship between economic development and national security was inseparable.

He noted that Nigeria’s economy had recorded encouraging signs, including a 4.43 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2026, with improvements in the agriculture and services sectors.

However, he said economic progress should not be measured solely by Gross Domestic Product figures, but by the impact of growth on the daily lives of Nigerians.

“The true test of economic progress is not only what appears in GDP figures. It is what Nigerians experience in their daily lives,” he said.

Daniel challenged policymakers to consider whether young Nigerians could find decent jobs, farmers could safely access their farms, manufacturers could produce competitively and small businesses could survive the rising costs of power, transportation and finance.

He said these challenges were directly connected to the issue of security.
Security is economic infrastructure
According to Daniel, security should not be regarded solely as the responsibility of the military, police and other security agencies, describing it as an essential component of economic infrastructure.

He explained that insecurity affects food production when farmers are unable to access their farms, while unsafe roads increase transportation costs and excessive spending on private security reduces business competitiveness.

“When communities live in fear, investment is discouraged,” he said.

Daniel described the reported abduction of more than 7,800 people between July 2025 and June 2026 as not merely a security statistic but an economic warning.

He, however, cautioned against allowing Nigeria’s security and economic challenges to define the country’s national narrative, stressing that the country possessed enormous potential.

He identified Nigeria’s youthful population, entrepreneurial culture, growing technology sector, strong financial institutions and vibrant creative economy as major assets that could drive national development.

“Our challenge is to create the conditions in which Nigerian ability can flourish at scale. Those conditions include security,

infrastructure and opportunity,” he said.
Nigeria must move from oil wealth to human wealth
The former governor said while oil remained important to the Nigerian economy, the country’s future could not depend on crude oil alone.

He noted that the non-oil sector accounted for approximately 95.8 per cent of real GDP in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting the growing importance of agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, financial services, tourism, entertainment and the digital economy.

Daniel said the priority should be to transform the growth of these sectors into productive employment, higher incomes and improved living standards.

He stressed that young Nigerians required more than political speeches, saying they needed skills, employment opportunities, access to capital and technology, as well as an enabling environment where hard work and enterprise could translate into a better quality of life.

“If we give our young people opportunity, they will build Nigeria. If we deny them opportunity, frustration will grow and social stability will suffer,” he said.

Lagos, Ogun example of economic potential
Daniel cited Lagos and Ogun states as examples of what could be achieved when population, enterprise, infrastructure and opportunity are brought together.

While acknowledging that the two states still faced challenges, he said they demonstrated that Nigerians could be remarkably productive when provided with an enabling environment.

He urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to extend such opportunities across the country, so that young entrepreneurs in Aba, Kano, Ibadan, Jos, Port Harcourt and Maiduguri could build businesses with the same confidence as their counterparts in Lagos.

‘Nigeria’s capacity is greater than its problems’

Daniel, who handed over the platform to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to deliver the main lecture, said he remained optimistic about Nigeria despite the challenges confronting the country.

“I remain optimistic about Nigeria—not because our problems are small, but because our capacity is greater than our problems,” he said.

He argued that securing farms would strengthen food security, securing roads would boost commerce, while securing communities would attract investment.

He added that creating jobs and investing in young Nigerians would strengthen social stability and secure the country’s future.
“We have the people, the resources, the market and the entrepreneurial spirit. What we need is the security, leadership,

infrastructure and discipline to convert potential into prosperity,” Daniel said.
He urged Nigerians to recognise that the country’s future would ultimately be determined by decisions taken in the present.

“The Nigeria we want tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we make today,” he said.