Nigeria’s democratic experience shows a clear pattern: elections are regular, but the quality of leadership remains inconsistent. The result is a cycle of unmet expectations, weak institutions, and low public trust. If the country is to break this cycle, the conversation must shift from who wins elections to how leaders are prepared for governance.
This is the space the 36 Political Elevation Group (36 PEG) is occupying.
Operating across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 36 PEG is a non-partisan platform focused on leadership development, civic education, and policy engagement. We are not in the business of running candidates for the sake of it. Our focus is on building a pipeline of individuals who understand public service as a responsibility, not a reward.
Why this matters now:
Nigeria’s challenges — insecurity, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and economic instability — are not primarily about a lack of resources. They are about leadership choices. When political recruitment prioritizes loyalty, ethnicity, and financial muscle over competence and integrity, governance suffers.
36 PEG’s intervention is to create structured pathways for mentorship, policy literacy, and accountability. Through training workshops, community forums, and youth and women inclusion programs, we are working to raise leaders who can manage public resources transparently and deliver results.
From Kogi to the Federation:
Kogi State illustrates the point. As the confluence state linking North and South, it has significant potential in agriculture, solid minerals, and transport. Yet the gap between potential and reality remains wide.
In Kogi and other states, 36 PEG is pushing for issue-based politics over personality-driven campaigns. We are engaging young people and women not as election tools, but as future leaders and policy participants. The aim is to create a political culture where performance, not patronage, determines relevance.
Expanding our mandate:
Beyond leadership grooming, 36 PEG is strengthening its role in governance monitoring and citizen advocacy. We are developing frameworks to track budget implementation and service delivery at state and local levels. By making this information accessible, we empower citizens to demand accountability and give credible leaders the public backing they need to succeed.
Our operating principle:
Credibility is built on consistency. 36 PEG assesses public officials and aspirants based on track record, competence, and public interest. Party affiliation is secondary. This non-partisan stance is what allows us to work across divides and promote national cohesion.
Under the coordination of our Director General, Hon. Chief Sanmi Isola Oluleye, we are consolidating structures in all states and the FCT to ensure this work is sustained beyond election cycles.
Elections alone do not produce good governance. They only create opportunities for it. The real work is in preparing leaders, holding them to account, and sustaining civic pressure for better outcomes.
36 PEG is committed to that work. If more organizations adopt this model, Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process will gradually shift from patronage to merit, and from short-term politics to long-term development.
Written by Prince Dan Olaitan Dada, President, 36 Political Elevation Group (36 PEG)
