NIGERIA AT THE BRINK: Corruption, impunity and the failure of leadership – Part 1
By HON ABUBAKAR MG
I am convinced that the real common enemy of the Nigerian people is not one ethnic group, not one religion, and not one region, but a ruling elite entrenched in corruption and protected by a culture of impunity.
Nigeria, in my humble but deeply considered view, is drifting dangerously toward collapse under the weight of retrogressive, corrupt, and visionless leadership that has plagued the country since independence in 1960. I say this not with bitterness, but with a heavy sense of responsibility as a citizen who has watched the steady erosion of hope, institutions, and national purpose. Our history has been unfortunate in leadership choices, but it would be dishonest of me to pretend that leadership alone carries all the blame. The citizens, disunited and often compromised by ethnicity, religion, fear, or personal gain, have also failed to rise collectively against the common enemy of progress.
I am convinced that the real common enemy of the Nigerian people is not one ethnic group, not one religion, and not one region, but a ruling elite entrenched in corruption and protected by a culture of impunity. Over the decades, these rulers because I deliberately refuse to dignify many of them with the title of leaders, have demonstrated a consistent lack of respect for the interests, welfare, and wellbeing of the Nigerian people. Governance has been reduced to a private enterprise, while public office has become a tool for personal enrichment rather than public service.
In my observation, these rulers have systematically destroyed the foundational pillars required for meaningful development and sustainable economic growth. This destruction is even more tragic when viewed against the backdrop of the enormous natural resources with which God has blessed Nigeria. From fertile land to solid minerals, from oil and gas to human capital, Nigeria possesses all the ingredients of greatness. Yet, abundance has paradoxically become our curse because it has attracted predators rather than patriots into positions of power.
I often reflect on the uncomfortable comparison between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai. From the early 1970s to date, Nigeria has earned more revenue from crude oil than the UAE. This is not speculation, it is a fact supported by historical data. Yet today, Dubai stands as a global hub for investment, tourism, innovation, and efficient governance. Nigeria, on the other hand, struggles to provide stable electricity, quality healthcare, or reliable security for its citizens. For me, the difference is simple and painful, leadership quality and national discipline.
What Nigeria has succeeded in nurturing over the years is not innovation or productivity, but banditry, political thuggery, and organized criminality often sponsored or tolerated by the political class. Democracy, in practice, has become detached from the will of the people. Elections are frequently reduced to rituals emptied of substance, where outcomes are negotiated by elites rather than determined by voters. As someone who lives in Nigeria, I do not rely on theory alone, I speak from lived experience and eyewitness accounts of systemic decay and institutional failure.
Take healthcare as a clear example. Many public hospitals in Nigeria still function as what was once described, quite accurately, as mere consulting clinics. Ironically, this description was made by Muhammadu Buhari in 1983. Yet decades later, and after Buhari himself spent eight years as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the healthcare system remained largely unchanged. For me, this exposes a deeper problem, a ruling class that diagnoses problems accurately when out of power but lacks either the will or the integrity to solve them when entrusted with authority.
Opinion expressed in this article is entirely that of the author and not of The DEFENDER.
