The Convener of Arewa Think Tank (ATT), Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, has urged the United Kingdom and other foreign countries issuing travel advisories on Nigeria to “give the country some breathing space” as the 2027 general elections approach.

Yakubu said while foreign governments had a responsibility to alert their citizens to security risks, such advisories should not create unnecessary tension or portray the entire country as unsafe.

Reacting to the UK’s latest travel advisory reportedly covering 11 states, he said, “We want to send a strong message to the UK and all these foreign countries issuing travel warnings against some states in Nigeria. We are peaceful. Why should it always be when we are moving towards an election that they issue these threats?”

He urged the foreign countries to be cautious in issuing such warnings, stressing that Nigeria needed stability as it tackled its security and economic challenges.

Yakubu also defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy, urging Nigerians to scrutinise political promises to restore the policy ahead of the 2027 elections.

He questioned how governments would fund salaries and other obligations if the subsidy was restored, noting that state governments had been able to meet some of their financial commitments since its removal.

“Since Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy, state governments have been able to pay salaries and they have been able to do so many things,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to give the Tinubu administration more time to consolidate its economic reforms.

“We should allow Tinubu to complete his eight years and solidify this foundation he has started,” he said.

On the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, Yakubu described efforts to revive the facility as important to Nigeria’s industrial development.

He said a functional steel industry would boost industrialisation, create jobs and reduce the country’s dependence on imported industrial materials.

Yakubu also called on religious leaders to avoid making statements capable of heightening political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.

“If they want to join politics, they should derobe themselves and join politics,” he said, arguing that clerics who wish to participate directly in partisan politics should do so openly rather than use religious platforms for political campaigns.

He called on political actors, foreign governments and religious leaders to act responsibly as the country moves towards another election.