From religious journeys to cultural tourism, Nigeria must learn to turn its resources, beliefs and heritage into instruments of national development.
Yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu travelled to Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria. There is nothing inherently wrong with his religious beliefs or his desire to seek divine intervention for our country. He is neither the first Nigerian president to undertake such a journey nor likely to be the last. I respect every individual’s right to worship according to their convictions.
However, the issue goes beyond President Tinubu or those who may have initiated or supported the journey using public resources. It raises a more fundamental question about governance, national priorities and our capacity to distinguish personal religious convictions from the responsibilities of public office. When religious activities involve state resources, whether locally or internationally, citizens are entitled to ask legitimate questions about their purpose, cost and public benefit.
What is the significance of travelling to another man’s land to pray when God is believed to be everywhere and capable of answering prayers anywhere? Surely, our country can pray for peace, prosperity and progress without necessarily crossing international borders. Let the President enjoy his rest, and may he return safely and in good health.
**The real issue, however, is not prayer; it is the lack of foresight, management and ambition that has prevented Nigeria from realising its enormous potential since independence in 1960.**
For decades, we have demonstrated a troubling inability to transform our natural resources, human capital, cultural heritage and institutional opportunities into sustainable national prosperity. We have often prioritised immediate political interests over long-term planning, symbolism over measurable outcomes, and public expenditure over strategic investment. The consequences are evident in our infrastructure deficits, unemployment, weak public institutions, poor urban planning and the persistent hardship experienced by millions of Nigerians.
Consider Saudi Arabia and Israel. Despite their complex relationship and differences, both have developed internationally recognised religious and historical attractions that contribute to tourism, employment and economic activity. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has built a substantial tourism economy around religious pilgrimage, while also investing in broader tourism diversification. The lesson for Nigeria is not to imitate their religious practices but to understand how heritage, strategic planning, infrastructure and effective management can generate economic value.
Nigeria possesses equally valuable, and in many respects diverse, cultural assets. Our traditional festivals, historical sites, indigenous architecture, music, arts, cuisine and religious heritage could support a vibrant tourism industry. Yet we continue to underutilise these opportunities because of inadequate planning, poor maintenance, weak coordination, insufficient investment and a lack of sustained ambition.
Take the Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu-Ode, for example. It is a remarkable expression of Yoruba identity, fashion, horsemanship and communal pride. However, beyond the celebration itself, we must ask difficult but necessary questions: What lasting improvements does the festival bring to the host community? How much investment goes into roads, sanitation, public spaces, accommodation, transport and environmental renewal? What opportunities are created for young people, local businesses and artisans?
The same questions apply to the Egungun festivals celebrated across Yorubaland and beyond. These traditions possess immense cultural and tourism value. With proper planning, documentation, promotion, security, infrastructure and private-sector participation, they could attract domestic and international visitors while creating jobs and preserving our heritage for future generations.
This is where our lack of foresight becomes particularly evident. We organise events but often fail to build industries around them. We celebrate culture without adequately investing in the environment that sustains it. We attract visitors without consistently developing the infrastructure and services that would encourage them to stay longer, spend more and return. A festival should not end when the last drumbeat fades; it should leave behind stronger businesses, improved infrastructure and a better quality of life for the host community.
I also believe that our religious and cultural institutions should be encouraged to contribute more deliberately to national development. God answers prayers everywhere, including at the shrine in our family house in Ibadan. I recognise and respect the different beliefs of Nigerians, whether Christian, Muslim or adherents of traditional religions. No citizen should be compelled to abandon their faith. Rather, we should encourage peaceful coexistence and explore how our diverse traditions can contribute to tourism, cultural preservation and economic development.
Our challenge is not a shortage of prayers, resources, talent or opportunities. It is the failure to manage these advantages with discipline, creativity, accountability and a clear national vision. Successive administrations have had opportunities to build a country where public spending produces measurable results, cultural heritage generates prosperity, and future generations inherit stronger institutions than those we met.
**A great nation is not built by prayer alone, nor by natural resources alone, but by the combination of faith, foresight, competent leadership, sound management, productive citizens and sustained national ambition.** Prayer may inspire hope, but governance must translate that hope into policies, institutions and tangible outcomes.
As Nigerians, we must learn to ask not only what we believe, but also what we are building. We must respect religious convictions while insisting that public resources serve the public interest. We must celebrate our culture while investing in its economic potential. Above all, we must move from ceremonial gestures to purposeful nation-building.
Nigeria has what it takes to become a great nation. What we have lacked for too long is the consistent leadership, foresight, management and ambition required to make that greatness a reality.
Let us be serious for once.
By Bola Babarinde