Experts call for shift from politics to governance before 2027

Experts in governance, academia, civil society, and media have called on Nigeria to dissociate politics from governance for the growth of the country.

They stated that politics should no longer be a game of survival, but a tool to fashion lasting development in the country.

While maintaining that “Nigeria urgently requires a shift from politics to governance for national growth,” the panellists emphasised the need for the country to recalibrate its leadership ethos.”

The forum noted that governance must once again take its rightful place at the heart of the leadership.

The occasion was the second edition of the Advocate Publication Ltd Annual Lecture Series, themed “Between Governance and Politics: The Delicate Balancing to Ensure Growth and Development.”

Delivering the welcome address, Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, Chief Executive Officer of Advocate Publication Ltd, publishers of Advocate Newspaper, noted that the lecture series was borne out of a desire to trigger vital conversations about the nation’s development.

“We are disturbed by a trend where the obsession with political survival overshadows the responsibility of governance”, he stated, lamenting that “office holders get sworn in and immediately begin preparing for the next election.

“Nigeria cannot progress when leaders treat governance as a secondary concern.

“We must begin to interrogate what value politics brings if it fails to deliver development. This platform is our contribution to nation-building — to inspire a reset in thinking and practice among our political leaders,” he stated further.

Chairman on the occasion, Olorogun Austin Emaduku, described governance and politics as two forces that must operate in synergy.

According to him, “Governance is about policy implementation, while politics is about power dynamics. But if power is pursued without a governance agenda, the people suffer.

“We need to strike a balance that ensures both serve the national interest,” he said.

Emaduku argued that “sustainable growth can only come when politics supports governance rather than obstructing it,”

He maintained that “strong institutions, ethical leadership, and active citizen engagement are necessary pillars for this balance” just as he urged citizens not to be passive but to demand accountability.

In a keynote address, a development economist, Prof. Abanum Innocent Ifelunini, stated that “Nigeria’s underdevelopment can largely be traced to the politicisation of governance”.

“When short-term political interests take precedence over long-term planning, there can be no meaningful development. We must rethink politics and insist on responsible governance,” he advised.

Prof. Ifelunini, while speaking to journalists shortly after the event, further emphasised the “need for continuity in economic policy and national planning.

“Governance must not stop because politics is heating up. Politicians must understand that true leadership means looking beyond the next election,” he said.

The moderator of the panel session, Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, who is also the Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative, noted that citizens have a role to play in bridging the gap between politics and governance.

“Too many Nigerians only wake up during elections and go back to sleep afterwards. Governance begins where politics ends — we must learn to hold leaders accountable all year round,” he submitted.

Egedegbe added that events like the lecture series were timely, especially with unfolding political developments in Delta State.

“The relevance of this conversation cannot be overstated. Citizens must stop clapping for politicians who fail to deliver. Our silence is complicity,” he said.

Discussants at the event included Prof. Andrew Agboro, Amb. Stella Odika and Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli, both echoed the need for electoral reforms, institutional strength, and public enlightenment to fix the imbalance between politics and governance in the country.