Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s foremost diplomat, Ibrahim Gambari, has said the country must strengthen democracy and good governance to support weak institutions as part of nation-building.
Gambari, who spoke on Thursday while meeting with a group led by Paschal Mbawuike, a US-based leader of Nigerians in the diaspora, also emphasised the need to strengthen national unity and security.
The Paschal Mbawuike-led group is currently in the country on a fact-finding mission to understand current developments in democracy and security ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gambari, a retired Nigerian diplomat who recently served as chief of staff to late former President Muhammadu Buhari and is the founder of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, also stressed the need for a peaceful Nigeria that benefits all citizens.
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He disclosed that the Savannah Centre, established to promote good governance, democracy and peace, has supported governments at all levels through advocacy, training and community development engagements.
The centre is also currently working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to foster peace, security and governance.
Gambari, the first United Nations under-secretary-general and special adviser to the UN secretary-general on African affairs, further emphasised the need to secure Nigeria’s North-Central region, which he described as “crucial to Nigeria’s stability.”
According to him, “Many people do not appreciate the position of the North-Central in Nigeria. There is no other place that is more diverse than the North-Central region in Nigeria.
“The region, often referred to as the food basket of Nigeria, has in recent times been bedevilled by insecurity, farmer–herder clashes and, more recently, incessant kidnappings of schoolchildren, especially in Niger State.”
Gambari, who again described the North-Central region as “crucial to the stability of Nigeria,” added: “We are the most southern part of the North and the most northern part of the South. We are the real Nigeria.
“We understand Nigeria. We are committed to the unity of Nigeria because, God forbid, should the country break up, we will have an identity problem.”
While commending the federal government under President Bola Tinubu for ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity, Gambari called on politicians to strengthen and stabilise Nigeria’s democracy, describing it as the only system of government that creates opportunities for every part of the country to thrive.
In his welcome address, Saulawa Bala, executive director of the Savannah Centre, said the organisation has been involved in training and efforts to deepen good governance across states and local governments since 2014.
He revealed that the centre played a key role in drawing global attention to the poor economic situation in the Sahel region in 2014, when it highlighted poverty-related challenges and warned of the dangers posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region, long before the crisis escalated.
“We are also involved in human capacity building across the states, with special focus on community development and training at the local government level to strengthen good governance at the grassroots,” he said.
“We believe that people should own their projects from conceptualisation to completion and also protect such projects.”
According to him, “The best policy for peace and stability is good governance, accountability and support for the poor.”
Mbawuike, while thanking his host, described Gambari as “Nigeria’s number one diplomat and the father of the diplomatic community in Nigeria.”
“We came to gain wisdom from you and also to thank you for what you have done for humanity in general,” he said.
He noted that the diplomatic community would continue to remember and honour Gambari for his role in restoring democracy in several African countries, including Angola, and for helping to end the apartheid regime in Southern Africa.
“We assure you that your wisdom and counsel will always be relied upon as Nigeria navigates its political landscape, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.”
