Reforms must not become punishment, ANA tells FG

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has urged the federal government to put a human face on its economic reforms, warning that many Nigerians are struggling with rising hardship and declining living standards.

ANA’s National President, Usman Akanbi, made the call in his opening address at the association’s 45th International Convention, held on 30 October at the Mamman Jiya Vatsa Writers’ Village in Mpape, Abuja.

Mr Akanbi acknowledged what he described as the government’s bold structural reforms and efforts to improve infrastructure but said their success should be measured by their effect on citizens’ welfare.

“Today, many Nigerians are facing an acute economic crunch and a nose-diving standard of living,” he said.

“Reforms, however well-intentioned, must not be perceived as punishment.”

The ANA president said the government must prioritise policies that restore public confidence and give young Nigerians reasons to believe in a better future.

“No nation can grow when its young people have lost hope,” he said. “And without hope, no reform can succeed.”

Drawing from Thomas Jefferson’s position that the pursuit of citizens’ happiness was the legitimate duty of government, Mr Akanbi said public welfare should remain central to policymaking.

Insecurity, poor roads

The ANA president also urged the federal government to intensify efforts to address insecurity, saying writers and other Nigerians who travelled by road remained exposed to kidnapping, armed robbery and other dangers.

He described journeys to Abuja through several hinterland roads as difficult and unsafe, citing collapsed bridges and deteriorating road networks.

Mr Akanbi argued that while proposed coastal and border roads might have long-term benefits, roads connecting farms, villages, markets and towns deserved greater attention.

“The ordinary Nigerian feels that the hinterland roads  the roads that connect farms to markets, villages to towns, and our state chapters to the centre should have been given far greater consideration and priority,” he said.

“A nation is fed and held together by its hinterland.”

Warning ahead of 2027 elections

Mr Akanbi also cautioned politicians and their supporters against inflammatory conduct as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

He urged political actors to exercise restraint and avoid turning electoral competition into hostility or violence.

“We must ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in an environment devoid of rancour, bitterness and ill will,” he said. “Our politics must not become a war.”

The ANA president maintained that building a functional country required cooperation between citizens and those entrusted with public office.

“Nation-building is a collective task. Government cannot do it alone, and citizens cannot thrive without responsible government,” he added.

Insecurity ‘censoring imagination’

The convention was themed “Literature, Security and the Place of Nigeria in the World.”

Explaining the choice, Mr Akanbi said insecurity affected not only lives and livelihoods but also artistic expression and intellectual development.

He described insecurity as “the greatest censor of the Nigerian imagination,” noting that creativity and reading could not flourish where farmers could not access their farms, traders were afraid to travel, and children could not attend school safely.

Mr Akanbi said Nigerian writers also had a responsibility to tell the country’s story, especially when international narratives about Nigeria were often dominated by insecurity and fear.

He urged authors to reclaim that narrative through works that acknowledged the country’s challenges without losing sight of its possibilities.

ANA’s recovery from internal crisis

Reflecting on the association’s history, Mr Akanbi recalled that ANA was established in 1981 under the leadership of novelist Chinua Achebe to defend freedom of expression, promote literary excellence and foster unity through writing.

He said the association had since established literary prizes, publications and annual conventions while supporting generations of Nigerian writers.

However, he acknowledged that ANA had also endured significant challenges, including internal divisions following its 2019 convention in Enugu.

According to him, the crisis fractured the association, led to legal disputes, and threatened its continued existence as a professional body.

Mr Akanbi credited ANA’s trustees, elders, fellows and state chapters with helping the organisation overcome the dispute.

“You held the line. You are the true heroes of this renaissance,” he told them.

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Plans

The ANA president said the association’s plans would focus on institutional development, writers’ empowerment and stronger engagement with the government.

He said ANA intended to complete and fully utilise the Mamman Jiya Vatsa Writers’ Village as an international creative resort and sanctuary for writers.

The association also plans to provide workshops and publishing support for established and emerging authors while reviving literary clubs in schools.

Mr Akanbi said ANA would also seek a more active role in national orientation, cultural diplomacy and the creative economy.

He thanked the federal government for allocating the land for the writers’ village in 1986. He acknowledged the Nigerian Copyright Commission’s role in helping authors benefit from the reproduction of their works.

The ANA president said the association would continue to defend writers’ interests while contributing to conversations about Nigeria’s development, security and international image.