Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said Nigeria’s path to economic recovery in 2026 depends largely on the adoption of sound fiscal and monetary policies anchored on prudence, reduced wastage and disciplined public spending.
Ngige, a founding member, elder and major stakeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke at the weekend in Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, while addressing journalists.
According to the former senator and ex-governor of Anambra State, Nigeria must urgently cut waste in governance, manage resources prudently and “cut its coat according to its cloth” to pull the economy out of what he described as a prolonged doldrum.
“In 2026, the country needs good fiscal and monetary policies to move forward. We must curtail wastages, manage our resources prudently and activate the manufacturing and productive sectors of the economy,” Ngige said.
He explained that deliberate policies aimed at reviving manufacturing and production would stimulate economic recovery and generate much-needed employment, noting that the economy had remained largely comatose.
“We wish our country economic recovery, a better quality of life for citizens, prosperity in all respects and a return to our rightful place as the giant of Africa, with improved security for Nigerians,” he added.
Ngige also weighed in on the wave of political alignments and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, predicting increased defections across political parties, especially during and after party primaries.
“More realignments will come as we approach the 2027 elections. Once nominations begin, you will see defections and re-defections, particularly during party primaries. It is not new in Nigerian politics,” he said.
He, however, warned that such political manoeuvring does not easily succeed in Anambra State, describing the state’s politics as progressive and pragmatic, with little tolerance for indolence or electoral manipulation.
The former governor lamented what he described as the hijack of the APC structure in Anambra by politicians from other parties who, according to him, failed to build grassroots support for electoral success.
“I brought APC to Anambra and the entire South-East. We were doing well until about 90 per cent of PDP members infiltrated the party and took over its structures. Since then, the party has not won any significant election here,” Ngige said.
He attributed their failure to an overreliance on electoral manipulation rather than grassroots mobilisation, stressing that Anambra voters are enlightened and difficult to deceive.
Reflecting on his time as governor, Ngige expressed nostalgia over his battle with political godfathers and efforts to protect state resources, saying his administration laid the foundation for Anambra’s present development.
“The legacies are there. With limited resources, we showed that selfless leadership can deliver results. Roads we built over 20 years ago are still strong today,” he said.
Ngige highlighted achievements of his administration, including durable road construction, decentralisation of the state university, handover of schools to missionary bodies, construction of pedestrian bridges in Awka and investments in primary and secondary education.
“These are legacies that stood the test of time. Leadership is about impact, not billboards,” he concluded.
