If Nigeria wants to shift from election cycles based on personality and ethnic math to something that actually changes living standards, infrastructure like Ajaokuta Steel, the refineries, and inter-state roads should be front and center.
Here’s why those 3 should be campaign issues, and how they affect voters:
- Ajaokuta Steel Development
What it is: A $5-8B integrated steel plant in Kogi State, 98% built but never operational since the 1980s. It was meant to produce 1.3M tons of steel/year and supply Nigeria’s construction, auto, and manufacturing sectors.
Why it matters for campaigns:
Import substitution: Nigeria spends $3-4B/year importing steel and iron products. A working Ajaokuta cuts that outflow and saves funds
Jobs: Conservative estimates put direct jobs at 10,000+ and indirect at 500,000+ across mining, transport, and construction.
Industrial multiplier: Steel is the backbone of manufacturing. No country industrialized without domestic steel. It affects cost of housing, vehicles, machinery for every Nigerian.
Campaign angle: “Why has Ajaokuta been abandoned for 40 years?” Forces candidates to show if they understand industrial policy vs. just giving contracts.
- Nigeria’s Refineries
What it is: Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries have combined nameplate capacity of 445,000 bpd but have run at <10% for years. Nigeria exports crude and imports refined fuel, spending $10-15B/year on imports pre-subsidy removal.
Why it matters for campaigns:
Fuel price & inflation: Refined fuel is 25-30% of Nigeria’s import bill. Domestic refining reduces pressure on FX and stabilizes pump prices.
Jobs & value chain: Refineries create petrochemical, fertilizer, and plastics industries. Dangote Refinery is proof it’s feasible at scale.
Subsidy debate: Without working refineries, subsidy removal just transfers money to foreign refiners. With them, savings stay in Nigeria.
Campaign angle: Candidates should be forced to explain timelines, financing, and accountability for fixing/refurbishing the refineries. “We’ll fix it” isn’t enough anymore.
- Inter-State Link Roads
What it is: Nigeria’s federal road network is 36,000km, but <30% is in good condition. Key corridors like Lagos-Kano, East-West Road, Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-Onitsha are economic lifelines.
Why it matters for campaigns:
Food inflation: 40%+ of post-harvest losses in Nigeria are due to bad roads and transport costs. Connecting farming states to markets cuts food prices.
Security: Poor roads enable kidnapping and slow security response. Good roads increase police/military reach and reduce isolation of rural communities.
Regional integration: Roads between states break down economic silos. A farmer in Benue should be able to get produce to Lagos in 24hrs, not 4 days.
Campaign angle: This is tangible. Voters know which roads are death traps. Candidates can be pinned down on specific corridors, timelines, and funding models – PPP, tax credits, SUK, etc.
Why this should define presidential campaigns
Measurable: Unlike vague promises, you can measure tons of steel, liters of refined fuel, km of road completed. It reduces empty rhetoric.
Economic multiplier:
These 3 affect cost of living directly – food, transport, housing, manufacturing.
National unity angle: Ajaokuta is in the North-Central, refineries are South-South/North, roads connect all zones. It forces candidates to talk about national projects, not just zonal patronage.
Private capital: These projects show if a candidate can attract and manage PPPs and foreign investment, which is key given Nigeria’s debt and budget constraints.
The problem now
Most campaigns talk about these projects in year 1, then abandon them for political appointments and budget padding. Voters don’t hold candidates to infrastructure KPIs after elections.
What would make it real:
Ask candidates for a 4-year milestone plan with cost, financing, and penalties for non-delivery. Publish quarterly progress dashboards. Make it a debate issue.
– Benjamin Ibrahim writes from Lokoja, Kogi state.
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