By: iNewsAfrica Political Affairs Desk | May 25, 2025
From the late President Shehu Shagari’s 1983 campaign “For All Reasons” to today’s Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, Nigerian leaders have consistently promised the essentials—electricity, clean water, quality education, healthcare, food security, and industrial growth. Yet, after 40 years, the nation remains trapped in systemic dysfunction, poverty, and insecurity. As a new political season nears, Nigerians are rising to say: “No more propaganda—deliver results or step aside.”
Abuja, Nigeria – In 1983, late Nigerian President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, standing before a hopeful nation, pledged a vision of prosperity and dignity. His campaign manifesto promised 24/7 electricity, clean water in every village and town, quality education, robust healthcare, industrial transformation, and self-sufficiency in food production. For millions of Nigerians, it was a dream worth voting for.
But that dream never materialized.
That same year, Shagari’s administration was abruptly cut short by a military coup—yet his promises lived on as a template recycled by successive leaders, each invoking similar rhetoric with little to show in return.
Fast forward to 2025, and Nigeria is still chasing the shadows of those original promises. From Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programme to Abacha’s Vision 2010, Obasanjo’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda, Buhari’s Next Level, and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope—the Nigerian people have been sold the same script under different titles.
Power: Still in the Dark
Despite decades of investments, privatizations, and foreign loans, Nigeria’s national grid continues to collapse routinely. Over 90 million Nigerians lack access to reliable electricity. The dream of 24/7 power remains a campaign fantasy, not a national reality.
Water: A Thirsty Nation
In both rural communities and urban slums, clean water remains a luxury. Open wells, contaminated rivers, and broken boreholes are common, while government water projects are either abandoned or nonfunctional.
Education: Crumbling Foundations
Over 10 million children remain out of school—the highest in the world. Public universities and secondary schools suffer from underfunding, teacher strikes, outdated curriculum, and decaying infrastructure. The promise of “quality education” has been reduced to a slogan.
Industry & Jobs: A Hollow Vision
Shagari envisioned an industrialized Nigeria. Yet, the country still imports basic goods, with collapsed refineries, shuttered factories, and a dependency on oil exports. Youth unemployment is at record highs, pushing many into crime, migration, or despair.
Healthcare: Ailing Systems
Public hospitals lack drugs, beds, and doctors. Political elites jet off for medical treatment abroad while the average citizen dies of preventable illnesses at home. The promise of “effective medical services” is tragically ironic in a nation where childbirth still kills thousands annually.
Food Security: Hunger in the Land
Shagari’s pledge of food self-sufficiency has long been betrayed. Today, Nigeria imports billions worth of food while local farmers struggle with insecurity, floods, and lack of access to credit. Food inflation has made basic meals unaffordable for millions.
A Nation Tired of Propaganda
The pattern is clear. Manifestos are used not as blueprints, but as instruments of political manipulation. Every election cycle, Nigerians are handed shiny new promises that never survive beyond inauguration day. Instead of accountability, citizens are met with blame games, recycled excuses, and elite protectionism.
But times are changing.
Today’s voters are more informed, more vocal, and more disillusioned. The 2023 elections revealed a new level of political awareness and demand for transparency. With a growing youth population and a vibrant diaspora, the call for credible leadership is becoming louder and more unforgiving.
Enough Is Enough
Nigerians are not asking for miracles—they are demanding basic governance:
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Power that stays on.
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Schools that educate.
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Hospitals that heal.
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Water that flows.
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Food that nourishes.
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Jobs that empower.
This is not too much to ask. This is what every leader has promised—and failed to deliver.
As the 2027 elections inch closer, Nigerians must rise beyond ethnic loyalty, tokenistic handouts, and party propaganda. The future belongs to those who dare to hold leaders accountable, reject recycled failures, and vote with vision—not sentiment.
🗣️ iNewsAfrica Editorial Note:
Let history guide the future. Let broken promises fuel a national awakening. Let 2027 be the year Nigerians demand more than empty words.
“We remember, we endure, and now—we rise.”
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