Apathy not an option in the quest for a better Nigeria

The Nigerian government has numerous duties towards its citizens, with the protection of lives and property as the primary duty. It is also the duty and responsibility of government to build and provide social amenities, provide jobs and employment, as well as cater for the basic needs of its citizens. This, however, is not the […]

The Nigerian government has numerous duties towards its citizens, with the protection of lives and property as the primary duty. It is also the duty and responsibility of government to build and provide social amenities, provide jobs and employment, as well as cater for the basic needs of its citizens.

This, however, is not the case in Nigeria today, as the country has been faced with bad successive regimes.

The Nigerian government has succeeded in turning our beloved country into a society with corrupt politicians who promise us the tomorrow that may never come; society where the elite use the back door while we wait for the front door to be opened; society where education is an imaginary skill if you do not sign a deal; society that teaches its young not to follow their dreams; and a society where a few elite continue to enrich themselves and their children while many wallop in poverty, and a society where Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, rape, ritual killings, corruption and the likes continue to thrive. 

No one seems to care anymore because the situation has lingered that it has become the new “normal.” But at what point do we draw the line and say, “We have had enough?” You hear words like, “This is Nigeria,” to justify bad behaviour; because the average Nigerian feels defeated and therefore seems to have apathy for politics. They become neither interested in politics nor concerned about what the leaders are doing. They stand aloof and are scared to demand accountability from the political leaders or those in authority.

Nigeria is in desperate need of good leadership in order to activate a comprehensive redirection of the country from state failure to steady gaits towards the respected heights that it deserves. I believe that the task of stopping and ending bad governance is a task that all Nigerians must be committed to if we want to have a country that we all can be proud of and call our own. It starts with getting involved in important discussions as the 2023 elections loom large. 

Example, by lending our voices to debates about issues that matter, understanding the system and being interested enough to know what happens in our space politically, economically and socially.

The 2023 elections are just around the corner. This is our opportunity to challenge the status quo. During elections, citizens should vote for good governance and not for those that have given them food or money, because money or influence cannot shield any of us from the effects of weak leadership and poor governance. Your vote is your power and your voice. We must be intentional about the future that we want because our collective future is at stake.

Nabila Jamilu wrote from Abuja