Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has called for a national conference backed by law as a forum for the assessment of nation-building, arguing that Nigeria must embed structured, recurring engagement into its governance architecture rather than treating national dialogue as an ad hoc response to crisis. Delivering a lecture titled “Inclusive Governance and National Unity: Lessons from Delta State for a United Nigeria” in Lagos, Oborevwori outlined the need for a periodic conference of stakeholders.
The governor said the conference should bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including federal and state actors, traditional rulers, private sector leaders, civil society organizations, youth representatives, women’s groups, and marginalized communities. He explained that the objective of the conference is not merely discussion, but systematic review and recalibration of national priorities, particularly in relation to inclusivity, regional development, and equitable distribution of resources.
Oborevwori emphasised that these conferences should be designed around clear, measurable goals including the assessment of inclusivity in governance, regional development audits, policy feedback, conflict prevention, and trust building. He stressed the importance of legislative backing, stating that outcomes should not remain recommendations but should feed directly into legislative and executive action.
From a political economy perspective, periodic national conferences could provide a structured mechanism for addressing long-standing grievances over resource allocation, fiscal federalism, and political inclusion. Nigeria has experimented with national conferences in the past, including the 2005 National Political Reform Conference and the 2014 National Conference, but their recommendations have often been implemented partially or not at all. Legislative backing would address this weakness by embedding outcomes into governance processes rather than leaving them as advisory. However, the success of any such mechanism depends on political will and the willingness of stakeholders to commit to implementation.
