Nigeria’s Dilema: Leadership and the Governed

The crisis of Nigeria is, at its root, a crisis of leadership. But it would be simplistic to heap the entire blame on those in power alone; the governed, too, are complicit. Far too often, the Nigerian electorate has proven susceptible to token inducements – a bag of rice, a few packs of noodles – trading away long – term progress for fleeting comfort.

 

This transactional politics has left the nation vulnerable to recycled leadership who, rather than nurture the system, have systemically weakened it. The painful irony is that those who brought Nigeria to its present state of decay are the very people who have benefited the most from its wealth.

They enriched themselves at the expense of the masses, yet still parade themselves as Messiahs capable of delivering the nation.

 

But how can one expect a thief to help recover what was stolen? That is Nigeria’s tragic reality; entrusting the same individuals who plundered our future with the mandate to rebuild it. Until Nigerians reject this vicious cycle – demanding integrity over inducements, and accountability over empty promises – the dream of national renewal will remain elusive.

 

Written by Festus Edovia, ANIPR, FICM.

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