Seyi Makinde’s 2027–2031 manifesto proposes reforms to reduce the cost of living, introduce state policing, improve education and transfer more responsibilities from the Federal Government to states.
The document, titled The Reset Agenda: A Governing Programme For A Productive, Secure, Capable And Accountable Federation, is organised around four pillars: economic reset, security reset, education reset and socio-political reset. It sets a three-year timeline for its principal commitments, with the fourth year dedicated to consolidating reforms and publishing results.
Jobs And The Economy
On the economy, Makinde’s agenda focuses on reducing the cost of production, supporting businesses and improving household purchasing power.
It identifies poor roads, insecurity, unreliable electricity, storage losses and high financing costs as factors driving up the prices of goods and services.
The document proposes connecting major agricultural production areas to markets through priority road corridors and developing value chains for five foods: rice, maize, cassava, beans and tomatoes.
On petroleum, it proposes an independent assessment of government-owned refineries within the first six months of the administration. Within 12 months, each refinery would be assigned a private operating partner, converted into another commercially viable facility or placed under an orderly decommissioning plan.
It also proposes a Domestic Energy Value Credit (DEVC) to give Nigerians a measurable share of the value generated from locally refined and consumed crude oil, potentially reducing the effective cost of qualifying petroleum products.
On electricity, the agenda proposes a coordinated national and state electricity market, with states taking greater responsibility for intrastate distribution and local supply.
It also targets bringing the federal fiscal deficit within the statutory ceiling of three per cent of GDP by the end of the third year and reducing the debt-service-to-revenue ratio to no more than 50 per cent.
Security And State Policing
A major security proposal is the establishment of state police services, with the first year dedicated to developing the legal framework, recruitment conditions and division of responsibilities between federal and state authorities.
The second year would focus on preparing states, training personnel and establishing oversight arrangements, while compliant state police services are expected to be operating by the end of the third year.
The manifesto also proposes a common system for security agencies to ensure credible threats have an identified lead agency, response timeline and clear operational responsibility.
For communities affected by terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, it outlines recovery plans combining security operations with the restoration of farming, schools, markets, healthcare and transportation.
Other proposals include stronger border surveillance, improved intelligence sharing and investigations into allegations of police extortion, unlawful detention and extrajudicial killings.
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Education And Healthcare
On education, Makinde proposes a National Foundational Learning Guarantee aimed at ensuring children acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Primary Three.
The agenda targets at least 50 per cent of Primary Three learners meeting minimum proficiency standards in literacy and 65 per cent in numeracy within three years.
It also proposes reducing the learning gap between the five highest-performing and five lowest-performing states by at least 25 per cent.
Other commitments include improving teacher training, expanding technical and vocational education, strengthening school safety and connecting skills programmes to employment opportunities.
On healthcare, the manifesto proposes an essential primary-care guarantee that would specify the services participating facilities must provide, including medicines, personnel and referral arrangements.
It also plans to expand health insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable Nigerians, with priority for maternal care, childhood immunisation and treatment of preventable diseases.
Housing And Governance
On housing, the agenda proposes expanding access to decent homes through serviced land, improved property-title systems, housing finance and partnerships with private developers. It does not specify a national housing construction target.
Under its socio-political pillar, the document proposes reviewing the responsibilities of federal, state and local governments to move more decisions closer to the communities affected by them.
It also calls for constitutional and fiscal reforms to support the transfer of responsibilities alongside funding, personnel and accountability.
On solid minerals, it proposes giving states a greater role in decisions on exploration and exploitation within their territories, including participation in mining-licensing processes.
For local governments, it proposes constitutional amendments that would allow states to create, merge or reorganise council structures through transparent processes involving affected communities and legislatures.
Implementation And Accountability
The manifesto proposes publishing a consolidated delivery plan within the first 100 days of the administration, identifying responsible institutions, deadlines and measurable outcomes.
It also promises quarterly public scorecards showing whether commitments are completed, on track, delayed or not achieved.
The agenda says its principal commitments will be pursued within the first three years, with the fourth year dedicated to addressing implementation gaps and publishing independently verified results.
Ademide Adebayo
