Restructuring in Nigeria must be embraced as a national reform strategy, not a sectional demand, Ambassador Sarafa Ishola stated at the Penpushing anniversary

Restructuring in Nigeria has become an unavoidable national priority, not a sectional request, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola declared on Thursday in Abeokuta.

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The immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom made this bold statement while chairing the 7th Anniversary Lecture of Penpushing Media at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

The theme resonated with urgency as political leaders, civil society members, and journalists gathered for what became a charged but constructive conversation on the country’s future.

Ambassador Ishola, also a former Minister and 2027 Ogun governorship hopeful, stated, “The federalism we operate today neither grants real autonomy to the federating units nor stimulates the competitive development needed to drive national growth.”

He argued that restructuring in Nigeria should move beyond devolving powers and embrace broader institutional reforms, fiscal responsibility, and citizen-driven accountability.

“True federalism is about responsible governance, institutional clarity, fiscal equity, and, above all, accountability,” he said.

Ishola also underscored the importance of shifting citizen mentality, urging Nigerians to recognize the sacrifices of public officials to encourage better leadership.

Former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, delivering the keynote speech, criticized the ongoing constitutional amendment as cosmetic and wasteful.

“You don’t patch a cracked foundation—you rebuild,” she said. Ezekwesili insisted that restructuring in Nigeria must start with an entirely new constitution.

Both speakers agreed that the country’s political structure is fundamentally flawed and requires bold, systemic reforms.

They described the call for restructuring as a matter of survival, not ideology.

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The Penpushing anniversary lecture closed with a consensus: if Nigeria is to move forward, the conversation around restructuring in Nigeria must become mainstream, solution-driven, and citizen-led.