Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is blessed beyond measure. Rich in natural resources, adorned with vibrant cultures, and filled with some of the most brilliant minds the world has ever known, the nation holds within it the potential to become not only Africa’s pride but the greatest nation on earth. Yet, despite this immense potential, Nigeria continues to wrestle with the same demons that have plagued her since independence in 1960. These demons are not just corrupt leaders or broken institutions, they are the principalities of mindset that have chained our collective progress.
In 1966, barely six years after independence, the first of these principalities struck with the bloody coup that toppled a young government and plunged Nigeria into decades of instability. That tragic chapter revealed a bitter truth, our real enemies are not only politicians or soldiers, but the corrupted values and selfish tendencies that we, as a people, have normalized.
We often point fingers at leaders riding in long convoys with blaring sirens, men and women who once crawled and begged for votes but, upon assuming office, suddenly transform into oppressors. Wicked? Perhaps. But their wickedness is only magnified because society itself fuels and excuses it.
Consider this, if your brother were appointed a local government chairman today, what would your advice to him be? You might outwardly say, “Don’t favour family or friends, serve the people faithfully.” But in truth, many would whisper something different which goes like, “Remember the poverty in our lineage, use this position to eradicate it. Don’t forget your own.” And so the cycle begins, what we call “our thief” is a saint, but when another steals, we cry for crucifixion.
This is the mindset principality, the belief that public office is a family inheritance, that power is a tool for personal enrichment, and that greed is justifiable when it benefits “our own.”
If Nigeria is to rise, this cancer of the mind must be cured. The solution is not hidden in foreign aid or endless constitutional reforms alone. It begins in hearts and homes. It begins with a return to the values that once defined us, empathy, love, humility, respect for culture, and the Yoruba philosophy of Omoluabi, the noble character that places integrity above gain.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) holds the power to lead this revolution. If it lives up to its mandate through aggressive campaigns, consistent programs, and a relentless re-education of citizens, it can solve up to 80% of our problems. Imagine a Nigeria where the youth are taught from early on that true greatness is not in hoarding wealth but in serving humanity. Imagine adults reminded daily that empathy is strength, that greed is poison, and that humility is the true crown of leadership.
When our mindset shifts, poverty will be conquered, not merely by government handouts, but by communities working in unity, industries built on trust, and leaders held accountable not by protests alone but by a culture that no longer tolerates deceit.
The truth is simple, Nigeria’s greatest enemy is not the politician, not the soldier, not even the foreign hand. It is the corrupted mindset that excuses greed, glorifies theft, and devalues empathy. But the moment we cleanse this mindset, nothing can stop us.
From the ashes of corruption can rise a nation where leaders emerge with dignity, where the poor are lifted by compassion, and where the world looks to Nigeria not as a sleeping giant but as a beacon of greatness.
The question is no longer “Can Nigeria be great?” The real question is are we ready to cleanse our hearts and embrace love, humility, and empathy?
If we are, then I boldly say, Nigeria will not just be a great nation, it will be the greatest nation in the world.
Bola Babarinde, writing from South Africa.
