As Nigeria marks its 65th anniversary of nationhood on October 1, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has issued a strong call to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, urging it to ensure the true benefits of self-rule are felt by citizens through concrete policies that alleviate poverty, hunger, and insecurity.
In a statement commemorating Independence Day, the organisation stressed that the celebration must move beyond parades and speeches to become a moment of sober reflection on the nation’s challenges and the required actions to fulfil the promise of freedom for every Nigerian.
CAPPA acknowledged the government’s reforms introduced over the past year, which have been commended both locally and internationally.
However, the group maintained that these recovery programmes must be judged not by their beauty on paper but by their tangible impact on households across the country, where hardship currently overshadows any recorded gains.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, asserted that Nigeria’s independence was founded on the hope that freedom would guarantee dignity.
He cautioned that 65 years after the Union Jack was lowered, "Nigeria cannot afford reforms that stabilise the books while destabilising households."
Oluwafemi noted the wide gap between official claims of an economy on the path of transformation and the stark daily realities faced by citizens.
He argued that the poor cannot benefit from economic recovery in the market, stressing that the true test of any policy is whether it improves the lives of people at the grassroots.
The promise of independence, he added, will only be fulfilled when citizens can afford decent meals, safe housing within their means, access to quality healthcare and public water services, and send their children to school without fear of exorbitant fees.
He urged the government to focus on closing existing gaps through people-centred policies.
CAPPA identified several urgent areas for government action, starting with food security.
Noting that many households are struggling to afford three meals a day due to persistently high food inflation, the organisation called for significant investment in local food production.
The call includes supporting farmers with inputs, storage, and market access, arguing that despite Nigeria’s fertile land and abundant labour, farmers are being held back by a lack of infrastructure and the spread of insecurity in food-producing regions.
Strengthening agriculture, CAPPA believes, would reduce import dependence and lower prices for affordable, healthy food.
Beyond availability, the group stressed that food security must also address quality and health.
CAPPA warned that as hunger rises, the market is being flooded with ultra-processed and sugary products, which fuel non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes.
The group renewed its call for stronger healthy food policies, including an increase in the current tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, clear front-of-pack warning labelling, and salt reduction targets.
On the economy, CAPPA issued a stern warning against excessive borrowing where loans are used for recurrent spending instead of productive investments, arguing this only deepens hardship.
The group advised the administration to cut down on frivolous expenditures, close leakages, prioritise transparent spending, and channel resources into critical sectors to boost the economy.
The statement also flagged security as a major national concern, noting that independence is meaningless if citizens live in fear of violence, kidnapping, or displacement.
CAPPA encouraged the government to invest in community policing and modern security infrastructure, and to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
For education, the organisation stated that the nation's future rests on an educated population, lamenting that rising school fees, underfunded public universities, and poor facilities are denying many children access to learning.
It called for increased budgetary allocations, incentives for teachers, and proper equipment for schools at all levels.
Finally, CAPPA identified corruption as one of the greatest obstacles to Nigeria’s development.
It called for stronger accountability measures to ensure public resources are not wasted or diverted.
"Public office must be treated as a trust. Nigerians deserve leaders who live modestly, account for every naira spent, and put the nation’s welfare above personal gain,” the organisation concluded.
CAPPA urged the Tinubu administration to use the anniversary to renew its commitment to grassroots welfare and called on Nigerians to equally play their part by holding leaders accountable and actively participating in civic life.
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