Ubani to Govs: Revitalise nightlife to create jobs, reduce crime

By Henry Ojelu

Prominent legal practitioner and public policy advocate, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, has urged state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to prioritize the establishment of a structured night-time economy as a deliberate policy for job creation, crime reduction, urban renewal, and national rebranding.

In a policy paper dated August 6, 2025, titled “Revitalizing Nigeria’s Nightlife Economy: A Strategic Pathway to Economic Growth, Job Creation, Crime Reduction, and Urban Renewal,” Ubani made a compelling case for transforming Nigeria’s underutilized night hours into an economic engine that could benefit millions.

The paper was addressed to all 36 state governors, the FCT Minister, and federal and state commissioners in charge of economic planning, tourism, security, youth development, and urban renewal.

Ubani described the night-time economy as economic and social activities that take place between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., including entertainment, hospitality, transportation, logistics, security services, night markets, and creative expressions.

These sectors, he said, create interconnected value chains and generate vast employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women.

He argued that a functioning night economy could absorb thousands of unemployed or underemployed Nigerians across sectors such as event promotion, hospitality, security, tech, and logistics.

Ubani cited the UK Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA), which reported 1.9 million jobs sustained by the night economy in 2023, noting that Nigeria—with its population of over 220 million and a youth demographic exceeding 60 percent—could surpass this number with the right policy frameworks.

He noted that night economy offers a “triple dividend” of mass job creation, crime reduction, and national rebranding and further explained that by creating economic opportunities, especially for idle youth, the model would reduce their vulnerability to crime, drug abuse, cultism, and unrest.

 According to him, “a functional nightlife replaces gangs with sound systems, violence with creativity, and hopelessness with enterprise.”

He also highlighted evidence showing that areas with regulated night activities and street lighting experience reduced rates of petty crime and violence.

Creating structured, supervised night zones, he said, would foster better relationships between youth and law enforcement.

Ubani emphasized that building a vibrant night economy would also help rebrand Nigeria as a progressive, creative, and investment-ready African nation.

He said Nigerian cities can emerge as global destinations for music, culture, and tourism, just like Cape Town, Nairobi, and Accra.

With global recognition in music, Nollywood, and fashion, he argued that Nigeria already has the raw materials to lead Africa’s nightlife transformation.

To realize this vision, Ubani proposed a phased strategy. In the short term, he recommended that state governments and the FCT Administration set up Night Economy Task Forces, conduct feasibility studies with youth inclusion in mind, and pilot safe zones with job incubation programs.

In the medium term, he advised the creation of Night Economy Districts, investments in infrastructure, institutionalized police-community partnerships, and promotion of youth-led cooperatives in entertainment and hospitality.

For the long term, he called for the expansion of 24-hour economic models to urban and semi-urban areas, establishment of a Night Economy Dashboard to track jobs and revenue, and evidence-based policy planning for sustainable development.

Ubani concluded that revitalizing nightlife in Nigeria is not a luxury but a necessity, especially in a country where over 50 million young people are seeking economic inclusion.

 He warned that continued neglect of this opportunity would deepen unemployment, insecurity, and underdevelopment.

“This is a call to action. Let us awaken Nigeria’s nights—not into chaos, but into commerce, culture and civic pride. Let us keep our youth engaged—not in violence or addiction, but in productive enterprise,” he said.

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