2027: Obi Unveils ‘Production First’ Agenda , Says Nigeria Can Work

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, on Friday launched his 2027 campaign with a promise to shift Nigeria “from consumption to production,” outlining sweeping reforms in security, economy, education and healthcare if elected alongside his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Addressing journalists at his Onitsha GRA residence, Obi said the official commencement of campaigns on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, presented Nigerians a chance to scrutinize records and plans “at a time of grave uncertainty in our rapidly changing world.”

“I enter this contest with one firm conviction: Nigeria can work, and Nigeria must work,” Obi said.

Citing IMF data, Obi noted that 63 per cent of Nigerians — over 140 million people — live at or below the national poverty line.

Humanitarian agencies, he added, estimated 35 million people would need food assistance during the 2026 lean season, while 3.6 million remained internally displaced due to conflict and insecurity.

“These are more than statistics. They reflect the daily realities of Nigerian families, farmers, workers, students, and businesses,” he said. “Yet I do not believe Nigeria lacks the ability to overcome these challenges. We have the people, resources, market, talent, and enterprise.

Obi anchored his pitch on his experience in the private sector and as governor of Anambra State, where he said he prioritized education, healthcare, infrastructure, fiscal discipline and institutional capacity.

He described Kwankwaso as bringing “different but complementary governing experience” from Kano State, where the former governor focused on education, technical training, scholarships and infrastructure.

“Our experiences are different, but our conclusion is the same: Nigeria must invest in its people and manage public resources with discipline,” Obi said. “Public office is not a reward; it is a responsibility to the people,” he stated.

The core of the NDC agenda, Obi said, was to place “production, investment, enterprise, and human capital at the centre of how we lead.”

He listed the key proposals of his NDC- led federal government if elected to include: agriculture which he said would be achieved by securing farming communities, expanding irrigation, improving rural roads and storage, and linking farmers to finance and markets.

Another key sector according to him would be industry which would be pursued through strengthening of manufacturing and agro-processing to export finished goods and capture more value.

Business climate would also be prioritised by removing unnecessary regulatory and infrastructure barriers for entrepreneurs.

Public finance would be strengthened by cutting wasteful spending, ensuring every naira has a clear purpose, and raising revenue without stifling businesses.

“The goal is not growth for its own sake, but an economy that produces more, employs more people, creates wealth, and improves living standards,” he said.

“Nigeria cannot import its way to prosperity. We will produce more of what we consume, process more of what we produce, and compete more effectively in global markets,” he said.

Obi also emphasised security, and, said that no nation can prosper when citizens cannot farm, travel or do business safely. His plan calls for improved intelligence gathering, better coordination among security agencies, stronger policing and border management, and greater use of technology.

He also backed “lawful community-based systems” for early threat detection and argued for decentralizing security management “with strong systems of coordination between the levels.”

Addressing root causes, he said, it is critical as according to him, “Farmers cannot produce food if they cannot reach their farms safely. Children lose the chance to learn when they cannot attend school safely.”

Calling Nigeria’s young population “our greatest asset,” Obi pledged to expand basic education, universities, and technical and vocational training to secure a “demographic dividend.”

On health, he described primary healthcare indicators as “very poor,” with infant and maternal mortality among the worst globally, and promised to expand access to essential medicines and equip health workers.

Obi also outlined a region-by-region productivity plan: expand agriculture and livestock in the North-West; reconstruction and trade in the North-East; food processing and minerals in the North-Central; manufacturing, tech and creative economy in the South-West; entrepreneurship and infrastructure in the South-East; and value-added oil, gas, maritime and fisheries in the South-South.

The FCT, he said, “Must demonstrate what efficient urban planning, transportation, housing, sanitation, security, and public services can achieve.”

Referencing the World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria Development Update, Obi said the task is to turn reforms into “improved livelihoods, stronger human capital, wider opportunities, and inclusive growth.”

He urged an issue-based campaign and asked Nigerians to “examine each candidate’s record and proposals, ask tough questions, and demand evidence behind every promise.” He warned against politics driven by “propaganda, ethnicity, religion, elitism, or cronyism.”

In a direct challenge to opponents, Obi committed that he and Kwankwaso “will take our message directly to Nigerians” and will not “delegate this duty to proxies.”

“No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates to the hustings, and expect Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country,” he said. “Any presidential candidate who lacks the resolve to travel across the country, meet the people, and respond to their questions lacks the capacity to govern it.”

He closed by pledging to begin “the journey of resetting Nigeria by uniting it, securing it on the path of economic and inclusive growth.”