By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Delta State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Emmanuel Usiwoghene Unuafe, has criticised what he described as Nigeria’s growing dependence on cash handouts and symbolic empowerment programmes, warning that sustainable economic development can only be achieved through production, industrialisation and job creation.

In a policy reflection titled “Empowerment or Dependency? A Reflection on Nigeria’s Development Priorities,” Unuafe argued that successive governments have blurred the line between temporary social relief and long-term economic prosperity, warning that Nigeria risks institutionalising poverty by prioritising wealth distribution over wealth creation.

According to him, while there is dignity in every legitimate business, including small-scale ventures such as frying akara and producing kulikuli, government policies should aim to expand opportunities for Nigerian women beyond subsistence enterprises.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with honest enterprise,” he said.

“The real question is why we are limiting the dreams of millions of Nigerian women to survival-level businesses when government should be expanding their opportunities to become industrialists, manufacturers, technology entrepreneurs, exporters and employers of labour.”

Unuafe maintained that any government committed to genuine economic transformation should prioritise investment in productive infrastructure such as processing plants, cold-chain facilities, logistics networks and export markets instead of focusing mainly on distributing grants.

“If our vision for women’s economic empowerment begins and ends with micro-trading, then we have unconsciously accepted poverty as our national ambition,” he said.

The ADC governorship candidate also called for greater transparency and accountability in government empowerment programmes, particularly those involving the distribution of cash grants and vehicles.

He urged authorities to disclose the criteria used in selecting beneficiaries and establish measurable economic performance indicators, monitoring mechanisms, independent audits and job creation targets.

“These questions are not acts of hostility. They are the minimum questions responsible citizens should ask whenever public resources are deployed,” he stated.

Unuafe lamented what he described as Nigeria’s “economy of distribution,” where governments routinely distribute cash, palliatives, fertilisers, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines and grinding machines without addressing the structural causes of poverty.

“You cannot distribute a nation into prosperity,” he declared, adding that countries achieve lasting prosperity by producing goods and services that are competitive in global markets.

He argued that sustainable wealth is generated through manufacturing, research, technology, agriculture and value addition, stressing that investment in productive industries creates jobs, expands the tax base and drives long-term economic growth.

“Give one person ₦50 million and, without a productive ecosystem, the money may eventually disappear. Build an industry worth ₦50 million, and it can employ hundreds of people, generate taxes, stimulate local suppliers and continue creating wealth for decades,” he said.

According to Unuafe, Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a shortage of financial resources but what he described as “a shortage of developmental thinking.”

He noted that many successful economies promote innovation through competitive business financing, research commercialisation and incentives for local manufacturing.

While acknowledging that social intervention programmes may be necessary during periods of economic hardship, he insisted they should complement, rather than replace, long-term strategies for building a productive economy.

“The greatest gift government can give its citizens is not money. It is opportunity. The greatest form of social intervention is not a grant. It is a sustainable job,” he said.

Unuafe called for a fundamental shift in national priorities, urging political leaders to move from celebrating distribution to promoting production, enterprise and innovation.

“Our people deserve more than survival. They deserve an economy that allows them to dream beyond akara and kulikuli—not because those businesses lack dignity, but because the Nigerian woman possesses the capacity to build factories, lead multinational companies, pioneer new technologies and compete with the very best in the world,” he added.

He concluded that lasting national prosperity would only be achieved when government policies focus on expanding opportunities, strengthening productive sectors and reducing dependency.