The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, on Tuesday reaffirmed the party’s commitment to institutional stability, intellectual rigour and evidence-based decision-making, as he undertakes a facility tour of the office of The Progressive Institute (TPI) in Abuja.

Describing the visit as his first official engagement with the Institute, Professor Yilwatda commended the leadership and staff of TPI for their vision, resilience and commitment to building a strong intellectual foundation for the party.

“This is my first visit to the Institute, and I must commend the efforts made so far, particularly the deliberate steps taken to ensure its independence,” the APC Chairman said.

He described TPI as one of the cardinal objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the Institute is central to the broader task of stabilising the party and strengthening its internal democratic processes.

Professor Yilwatda noted that over the last six months, the APC leadership has deliberately focused on building structured relationships between the party and critical sectors of the country, including academia, civil society, development partners and the private sector.

He said this engagement framework aligns squarely with the mandate of TPI.

The Chairman further disclosed that he has held discussions with the European Union on potential collaboration, particularly in the area of research and conflict management, adding that such partnerships would naturally enhance the relevance and global outlook of the Institute.

To strengthen research output and data-driven strategy, Professor Yilwatda announced plans to build more capacity in research, noting this will directly support TPI’s work, especially in the areas of opinion polling, policy research and strategic decision-making.

“We need credible opinion polls and rigorous research to guide our strategic choices, and I expect the Institute to be of immense assistance to the party in this regard,” he said.

On capacity development, the APC Chairman assured that the party would engage all relevant stakeholders to ensure broad participation in TPI-led training programmes across the country.

He also pledged to explore ways of supporting the Institute with land acquisition, stressing that the location must be accessible to the international community, particularly visitors arriving through Abuja’s airport.

“We must develop this Institute to international standards, so that it can perform optimally and serve as a reference point for political research and training,” he added.

Earlier in his presentation, the Director General of The Progressive Institute, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, described TPI as the think tank and resource centre of the APC, designed to provide intellectual stability in an environment often characterised by political pressure and rapid decision-making.

“Political party offices are naturally intense,” Dr. Adebayo said. “But an institute like this exists to create stability, reflection and structure. In political foundations worldwide, institutes of this nature are the most effective tools for assisting leadership in reforming and sustaining party systems.”

He commended the APC leadership "for making the party increasingly attractive to Nigerians," noting that the surge in interest must be matched with strong ideological grounding and institutional coherence.

Dr. Adebayo outlined the Institute’s achievements over the last year, highlighting a robust training and capacity-building agenda including training of stakeholders across Nigeria and Europe, as well as NGOs and intellectuals, leading to policy recommendations submitted to the President. Others, according to him, are:

• Training of electoral and local government officers, party directors, and over 5,000 relevant stakeholders in Katsina State.

• Recent training programmes for commissioners, special advisers and other stakeholders in Niger State.

• Ongoing preparations to train permanent secretaries and other senior public officers.

Dr Adebayo stressed that the Institute remains firmly committed to the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to the effective dissemination of the Renewed Hope Agenda, ensuring that Nigerians at all levels understand and key into the President’s vision.

Dr. Adebayo disclosed that TPI is designed to be self-funding, with most of its current assets procured through proceeds from training programmes. However, he emphasises the need for a sustainable financial framework that would allow the Institute to operate independently while continuously giving back to the party.

He added that TPI has developed a strategic roadmap for international engagement, as well as a forward-looking plan for the next election cycle, with special focus on strengthening engagement with the media and non-governmental organisations, areas identified as critical but previously underutilised.

The Director General concluded by appreciating the APC Chairman for the facility tour and support.

Other senior staff of the institute who received the national chairman include Mallam Sanusi, director of training and programmes; Saad, Dr. Ibor Bassey, director of finance; Egos Queen Ezuma and director of legal studies.

PHOTO, L-R: Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) with Dr Lanre Adebayo, Director General of The Progressive Institute (TPI) during yesterday's visit of the Chairman to the institute