The Independent Media and Policy Initiative has challenged opposition presidential candidates to present Nigerians with alternative economic blueprints capable of growing the economy to $1trillion within four years.
The think-tank said presenting such plan ahead of the 2027 presidential election would be a better campaign strategy for opposition parties than engaging in mudslinging, personal attacks and criticism of the government.
In a policy brief by its Chairman, Omoniyi Akinsiju, IMPI advised the presidential candidates to focus on economic policies that could be subjected to measurable and verifiable tests rather than what it described as populist rhetoric.
The organisation said the candidates should make a $1trillion economy a central commitment in their manifestos.
It said, ‘We challenge the larger political class, especially presidential candidates, to headline their manifestos with a commitment to growing Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion over the next four years.
‘This is the only logical path forward for Nigeria. It ensures that any candidate who wins the 2027 presidential election will move the country past the era of managing scarcity and distributing handouts.’
According to the IMPI, achieving a $1trillion economy would expand national production and help transform Nigeria’s growing population from an economic burden into a major productive asset.
The group said meeting the target would, however, require clearly defined sectoral milestones rather than wishful thinking.
‘To demonstrate true readiness for national leadership, alternative presidential candidates must anchor their economic agendas to a single, measurable, and uncompromised destination: propelling Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2031,’ it said.
The IMPI argued that any manifesto that failed to provide a pathway to the target would amount to an intention to manage poverty rather than create sustainable wealth.
The think- tank said the administration of President Bola Tinubu had already set a target of achieving a $1trillion economy and challenged opposition candidates to explain how they would achieve a better outcome.
‘Having officially anchored the administration’s current medium-term target around a highly realistic $1 trillion economy by 2030, the federal administration has shown clarity, execution capacity, and the momentum to scale national wealth.
‘Therefore, the burden of proof now shifts entirely to the opposition,’ the IMPI said.
It also challenged the candidates to identify the productive sectors they would reform and explain how they would do so without dismantling what it described as critical foundations, including unified foreign exchange windows and improved fiscal discipline.
IMPI also enjoined Nigerians to reject presidential candidates who fail to provide a clear pathway towards building a larger economy within four years of assuming office.
‘Any alternative candidate who refuses to commit to a $1 trillion manifesto headline admits a lack of vision to lead a modern Nigeria, and an intention to govern through fiscal rationing and poverty distribution rather than systemic wealth generation,’ it said.
‘Nigeria cannot afford another election cycle dominated by tribal sentiments, personal grievances, or vague manifestos. If the opposition truly represents a better alternative for the Nigerian people, they must step up, show their calculations, and give us a granular roadmap to a $1 trillion economy,’ the IMPI said.