*Mary Laniyan.
“Stop starting. Start finishing,” is a popular agile transformation principle used to shift organisations away from measuring activity and toward delivering value and measurable outcomes. Governments are not corporations, but the underlying economic principle is comparable. In government, the stakes are infinitely higher, they have a human cost.
The cost is measured in the lives of ordinary people, the pain of making ends meet, the anxiety of raising a family, the frustration of being unable to find meaningful work, the loss of dignity that comes from being unable to be productive and self-reliant, and, above all, the uncertainty surrounding the future of an entire generation of young Nigerians. That is why I dare say this: Nigeria does not need another beginning in 2027. Nigeria needs continuity, discipline and the courage to finish what it has started.
The problem with perpetual beginnings.
By the time the presidential baton changed hands in 2023, the Nigerian foundation had deteriorated significantly. Consequently, regardless of who assumed office, there was always going to be a period of pain, if the genuine intention was to confront the structural problems that had bedevilled the country for decades.
Structural reforms are rarely painless.
Much like a house with serious structural defects, a fresh coat of paint may make the building look beautiful in the short term, but it does not fix the structural issues at the core of its foundation. Eventually, the underlying problems return, and often with greater consequences. Nigeria cannot afford to keep painting over structural cracks. Fixing the foundation requires something that our political system has historically struggled with, and that is continuity.
The tyranny of the “pet project.”
As we look towards 2027, I believe it is not too early to appeal to the conscience of our political elites to embrace a mindset of “continuity for impact” and move away from the political “pet project” mindset.
Every administration naturally wants to leave its own mark. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but if we put Nigeria first and put on the hat of a relay race athlete, you win and Nigeria wins. Leaving your mark should not be more important than building on what already exists for a much needed outcome. A new administration arrives. A new set of priorities are announced. Existing programmes are renamed, abandoned, redesigned or simply starved of political attention. Years later, another administration arrives and starts the cycle all over again. The result is predictable, we become very good at starting and very poor at finishing and Nigeria pays the price.
Ajaokuta should never become normal.
I belong to a generation that still mourns the story of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. Ajaokuta represents one of Nigeria’s most consequential industrial missed opportunities, not merely because a steel plant was never fully realised, but because of the industrial ecosystem that could have developed around it. A functioning integrated steel industry could have supported engineering, manufacturing, construction, machinery, transportation, mining and a range of downstream industries. It could have created skills, supply chains and industrial capabilities that would have outlived any single administration. That is the tragedy of Ajaokuta.
We did not merely fail to finish a project; we potentially failed to finish an industrialisation strategy that would have revolutionized Nigeria for a generation yet unborn.
And then there is Mambilla.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Project represents another extraordinary missed opportunity. Nigeria has spent decades confronting one of the fundamental constraints on economic development, inadequate and unreliable electricity. We have repeatedly struggled to complete major projects capable of expanding the country’s power-generation capacity at scale.
Mambilla is a powerful reminder that infrastructure of national significance cannot be treated as the property of whichever administration happens to inherit it. If projects such as Ajaokuta and Mambilla had been successfully completed, integrated into the wider economy and properly maintained, I believe Nigeria’s economic trajectory could have been profoundly different. One finished project may not magically transform a nation, but it will create platforms upon which other opportunities can be built.
Continuity is not political loyalty, this is an important distinction. Continuity should not mean defending everything a previous administration did. It should not mean refusing to correct mistakes. It should not mean protecting failed policies because of political allegiance. Continuity means identifying what is strategically important to Nigeria, preserving what works, correcting what does not, and finishing what deserves to be finished.
A new administration should have the courage to say: This may not have been my project, but it is imperative that we finish it. That is the mindset we need. Imagine a Nigeria where successive administrations measured themselves not only by what they started, but by how many strategically important national projects they successfully completed. It is in this context that Hon. Minister Nyesom Wike comes to mind. He should be applauded for finishing a lot of projects that he didn’t start.
How do we make this work?
Every administration should have the opportunity to shine within a 20 to 30 year national development horizon, while plugging into a clearly defined Nigerian National Development Strategy that provides a consistent North Star.
The long-term strategy should set out where Nigeria wants to be in 20 or 30 years. Each administration should then be responsible for defining the specific priorities, reforms and measurable outcomes it will deliver during its tenure to move the country closer to that destination. The destination remains consistent; administrations compete on how effectively they move the country forward. This creates the right balance between continuity and accountability.
Let’s get Organised
“We are not outnumbered, we are out-organised.” The quote is widely attributed to human rights activist Malcolm X, I believe it resonates deeply with our context today. Nigeria is not short of people, ideas, talent, ambition or resources. We need government to create the conditions in which Nigerians can do more for themselves. Nigerians in my opinion, are the easiest to govern because of their resilience and grit. That is why 2027 should not simply be another political contest. It should be an opportunity to ask a more fundamental question: What must Nigeria continue, complete and institutionalise to leverage its people for a vibrant economy.
And if we genuinely want to change the trajectory of this country, perhaps the most important political and civic discipline we can embrace is also the simplest.
Stop starting.
Start finishing.
*Mary Laniyan
Systems Performance Coach