The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged Nigerians to demand tangible development and people-focused projects from their state governors and local government chairmen. He made the remarks on Monday in Abuja during the public presentation of Vicious Red Circle, a book on human trafficking authored by Alex Oriaku.
Speaking at the event, Yilwatda highlighted the substantial increase in monthly allocations to states and local governments, insisting that leaders now have the resources to do more for their citizens.
“No governor in Nigeria receives less than three times, up to four times what they used to obtain before. None. Just two years ago, there was a distribution of about ₦400 billion per month but today, the last allocation was ₦2.2 trillion. So they can do more for their people,” he said. “I would encourage you to speak to your governors. Speak to your local government chairmen. Let them do more.”
Yilwatda, who assumed leadership of the APC amid criticism of government economic policies, expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to steer the country toward economic recovery.
The discussion also addressed the humanitarian crisis of human trafficking, with Nigeria remaining a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked persons despite efforts by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) since 2003. Hundreds of women and children are trafficked annually for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude.
Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed, described human trafficking as one of the most dangerous transnational crimes, comparable to drug and arms trafficking. He called for a “whole-of-society approach” involving civil society, faith-based organizations, and community actors to dismantle trafficking networks.
Reviewing the book, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr. Ike Neliaku, highlighted the link between corruption, manipulation, and exploitation, urging Nigerians to reject the culture of silence that allows trafficking to persist. Oriaku explained that Vicious Red Circle seeks to expose the cycle of exploitation and build empathy for victims.
Meanwhile, in Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma said his administration is using increased federal allocations to provide basic infrastructure. The state’s Chief Press Secretary, Hon. Oguwuike Nwachuku, noted that workers now enjoy a minimum wage of ₦104,000, emphasizing the government’s commitment to improving living standards.
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