Infrastructure Alone Can’t Fix Nigeria — Aina, Agba

​Sustainable national development requires a fundamental shift from merely erecting physical structures to intentionally building strong institutions, ethical leadership, and human capacity. This position was central at the 13th annual public lecture hosted by the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, held in Lagos under the theme, “Building to Last: Faith, Infrastructure and the Future of a Nation.”

​Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Segun Aina argued that while physical assets like roads, bridges, and power grids are vital, they cannot guarantee lasting progress without corresponding investments in people and integrity. Introducing the concept of “character infrastructure,” Aina defined it as the vital behavioral foundation determining how citizens deploy knowledge, resources, and authority.

​“We must build roads, but we must also build people. We must build power systems, but we must also build institutions. We must build schools, but we must also build character.”

​While acknowledging Nigeria’s immense potential—driven by a youthful demographic, rich natural assets, and a growing technology ecosystem—Aina noted that systemic challenges like poverty, insecurity, high living costs, and weak governance continue to frustrate growth. He maintained that competence must always go hand in hand with character, warning that competence without character remains unsafe.

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​Echoing similar sentiments, the event chairman and former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, cautioned political leaders against executing projects tailored primarily for public applause rather than actual societal welfare. He noted that effective planning must rely on credible multidimensional data addressing grassroots deficits in basic education, primary healthcare, sanitation, and rural connectivity.

​Earlier, the General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Dr. Sam Aboyeji, explained that the annual discourse reflects the church’s broader commitment to national transformation. He urged participants to move past intellectual engagement and embrace practical stewardship, ensuring that moral values actively shape public institutions, workplaces, and the country’s collective future.