In Abuja on Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) sent a clear signal about the direction of its internal reforms and long-term political strategy. The National Chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, stepped beyond routine party administration to reaffirm a deeper commitment to ideas, institutions and evidence-based politics during his facility tour of The Progressive Institute (TPI).
For Professor Yilwatda, the visit was more than ceremonial. It marked his first official engagement with TPI, the party’s intellectual nerve centre, and a deliberate statement that stability within the APC will be driven not only by political structures but by sound research, ideology and institutional coherence.
Describing TPI as a core component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the APC Chairman underscored the Institute’s role in stabilising the party and strengthening its internal democratic processes. He praised the leadership and staff of the Institute for building an organisation that is deliberately insulated from daily political pressures, allowing it to function as a space for reflection, strategy and long-term thinking.
Over the past six months, Professor Yilwatda noted, the APC leadership has focused on forging structured relationships with key sectors of national life; academia, civil society, development partners and the private sector. According to him, this expanding engagement architecture aligns naturally with TPI’s mandate as a bridge between political leadership and intellectual resources.
The Chairman also revealed ongoing conversations with the European Union on possible collaboration, particularly in research and conflict management. Such partnerships, he said, would strengthen TPI’s global outlook and enhance its capacity to deliver internationally relevant political research and training.
Central to his message was the importance of data-driven decision-making. Professor Yilwatda announced plans to scale up research capacity within the party, with a strong expectation that TPI would play a leading role in opinion polling, policy research and strategic analysis. In an increasingly complex political environment, he stressed, credible data and rigorous research must guide the APC’s choices.
Beyond research, the APC Chairman emphasised capacity development, assuring that the party would work with stakeholders nationwide to ensure broad participation in TPI-led training programmes. He further pledged to explore support for land acquisition for the Institute, stressing the need for a strategically located facility in Abuja that meets international standards and is easily accessible to global partners.
Earlier, the Director General of The Progressive Institute, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, framed TPI as the stabilising intellectual engine of the APC. In an environment often shaped by urgency and pressure, he said, institutions like TPI provide the structure, reflection and continuity required for sustainable party systems.
Drawing from global best practices, Dr. Adebayo noted that political institutes remain the most effective tools for supporting party leadership in reform, renewal and long-term relevance. He commended the APC leadership for making the party increasingly attractive to Nigerians, warning that growing interest must be matched with strong ideological grounding and institutional discipline.
Highlighting TPI’s achievements over the last year, the Director General outlined an ambitious training and capacity-building record. These include engagements with stakeholders across Nigeria and Europe, policy-oriented interactions with NGOs and intellectuals, and training programmes that have reached thousands of electoral officers, party directors and public officials in states such as Katsina and Niger. Preparations are also underway to train permanent secretaries and other senior public officers.
Dr. Adebayo reaffirmed TPI’s commitment to the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the effective communication of the Renewed Hope Agenda, ensuring that the President’s vision is clearly understood and embraced at all levels of society.
He disclosed that the Institute is designed to be self-funding, with most of its assets acquired through proceeds from training programmes. However, he stressed the importance of a sustainable financial framework that preserves institutional independence while enabling continuous support for the party.
Looking ahead, Dr. Adebayo revealed that TPI has developed a strategic roadmap for international engagement and the next election cycle, with a renewed focus on media relations and engagement with non-governmental organisations; areas identified as critical to modern political organisation.
As the APC Chairman concluded his tour, the presence of senior TPI officials, including directors of training, finance and legal studies, underscored a shared resolve: to reposition the APC as a party where ideas, data and institutional strength guide political action.
In a political landscape often driven by immediacy, the APC’s renewed emphasis on intellectual infrastructure suggests a conscious shift, one that places long-term stability and ideological clarity at the heart of party governance.
