By Ige Adekunle
Sango-Ota (Ogun), Jan. 1, 2026 (NAN) – In a critical assessment of Nigeria’s trajectory, Professor Evans Osabuohien, a leading economist and Head of the Economics Department at Covenant University, Ota, has issued a clarion call to the Federal Government. He urges a significant intensification of efforts to tackle the nation’s persistent security challenges throughout 2026, framing it not merely as a law-and-order issue, but as the fundamental prerequisite for economic revival and national prosperity.
Professor Osabuohien’s advice, delivered in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stems from a direct causal link he draws between national security and investor confidence. “I see a great future for Nigeria in 2026,” he stated, “but this potential is entirely contingent on the federal government intensifying efforts to decisively tackle the security problems plaguing the country. Security is the bedrock upon which all other economic and social plans are built.”
The professor elaborated that the current security landscape—encompassing banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, and regional insurgencies—creates a pervasive climate of risk and uncertainty. This environment deters both domestic and foreign direct investment, as capital naturally flows to safer havens. “There will be a restoration of confidence in the economy,” he explained, “only if the security challenges ravaging the nation can be reduced to the barest minimum. This reduction is not an end in itself; it is the catalyst for boosting investment, generating employment, and enhancing national productivity.”
To provide deeper context, Osabuohien’s argument aligns with established economic principles. Security is a primary public good—a foundational infrastructure without which markets cannot function efficiently. High security costs, supply chain disruptions, insurance premiums, and the loss of human capital directly erode profitability and stifle entrepreneurial activity. A secure Nigeria would unlock sectors like agriculture, solid minerals, and tourism, which are particularly vulnerable to instability but hold immense potential for job creation and export earnings.
Beyond immediate economic gains, the professor highlighted a cascading positive effect on human capital development. “We can anticipate renewed prospects and measurable progress in the education sector,” he noted. This is a crucial, often overlooked point. Insecurity leads to school closures, displaces students and teachers, and diverts public funds from educational budgets to security spending. A stabilized environment allows for consistent academic calendars, safer schools, and the redirection of resources back into teaching, learning, and research infrastructure.
In essence, Professor Osabuohien’s message is a holistic one: a secure 2026 is not an isolated goal. It is the essential enabling condition for achieving the government’s economic agendas, fulfilling social contracts in education and health, and ultimately, restoring a sense of national destiny. The task for the Federal Government, therefore, is to move beyond reactive measures and implement a comprehensive, intelligence-driven, and socio-economically inclusive security strategy that Nigerians and the world can believe in.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Modupe Adeloye and Yetunde Fatungase
