Today is 1 October, 2025 and Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, yet the nation stands as a tragic caricature of statehood, a hollow shell of unfulfilled promises and squandered potential.
By every modern metric of a successful country — economic stability, human development, security, infrastructure, and governance — Nigeria teeters on the brink of failure. At 65, the nation is a cautionary tale of how corrupt leadership has turned the plundering of public funds into a disgraceful, despicable national sport, leaving millions of Nigerians worse off than they were at independence in 1960.
Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered a national broadcast to commemorate the occasion, but millions ignored it. Nigerians no longer trust their rulers or the government at any tier —federal, state, or local. Many couldn’t even watch or listen, not out of choice, but because the country remains shrouded in darkness, unable to power itself 65 years after breaking free from colonial rule!
By global standards, successful nations boast robust economies, high human development indices, functional infrastructure, and accountable governance. Nigeria fails spectacularly on all counts. The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Nigeria 161 out of 189 countries, with a score of 0.548, far below peers like Ghana or Kenya. Over 50% of Nigerians live below the international poverty line, surviving on less than $2.15 a day, despite the country’s vast oil wealth and natural resources. Inflation has soared to over 33% in 2025, rendering basic necessities unaffordable. The naira, once a symbol of promise, is now a global laughingstock, with exchange rates against the dollar exceeding 1,600:1. Unemployment hovers at 40%, with youth joblessness even higher, fueling despair and crime.
This is not progress; it is regression.
The great Achebe hit the bull’s eye long ago: The root of Nigeria’s malaise is its leadership — a cabal of kleptocrats who have weaponised corruption into an art form. From the federal corridors of Abuja to state capitals and local government offices, stealing public funds is not an aberration but a norm. Leaders siphon billions into offshore accounts in the Global North and glitzy vaults in Dubai, while the masses languish in poverty.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reports recovering over ₦700 billion in looted funds since 2020, yet convictions of politicians remain rare, and the stolen wealth continues to flow unabated. This is not governance; it is organised crime masquerading as leadership.
The international community, particularly the Global North, must act decisively. Western banks and financial havens like London, New York, and Dubai must stop serving as safe havens for Nigeria’s stolen wealth. Freeze these accounts, repatriate the funds, and hold complicit institutions accountable. The Nigerian masses deserve justice, not platitudes.
President Tinubu’s broadcast today was a masterclass in delusion. His claims of progress — economic reforms, infrastructure development, and improved security — are hollow to a population battered by reality. Nigerians don’t believe his outlandish self-praise because their lives tell a different story. Poverty is not an abstract statistic; it is the empty pots in kitchens, the children out of school, and the graduates hawking goods on gridlocked streets. Insecurity is not a policy debate; it is the 1,500 Nigerians killed by bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers in the first half of 2025 alone, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). It is the 3,000 abductions reported annually, with families bankrupted by ransom payments. Even rogue state actors, like elements of the Nigeria Police Force, contribute to the body count, extorting and brutalising citizens with impunity. The EndSARS protests of 2020 exposed this rot, yet little has changed. Nigerians are not safe in their homes, on their roads, or even in their places of worship.
The state of Nigeria’s infrastructure is a national disgrace. In 2025, the country generates a paltry 4,000 megawatts for a population of over 220 million — less than a small European city. Frequent grid collapses, with the 10th occurring in September 2025, plunge homes and businesses into darkness. Bad roads, like the Lagos-Benin Expressway or the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, are death traps, claiming thousands of lives annually. The Nigerian Railway Corporation’s services are a shadow of their colonial-era predecessors, with outdated tracks and erratic schedules. Healthcare is a nightmare: hospitals lack basic equipment, and 70% of Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for medical care, per World Bank data. Clean water is a luxury; over 60 million Nigerians lack access to potable water, forcing reliance on contaminated sources. These are not the markers of a nation at 65 but of one regressing to a pre-modern state.
Compare Nigeria in 2025 to 1960. At independence, the nation brimmed with hope. The Nigerian Pound (later changed to naira during the Civil War) was strong, infrastructure was functional, and institutions like the University of Ibadan rivaled global standards. Today, those institutions are crumbling, and the masses are worse off. Life expectancy has stagnated at 54 years, lower than Ghana’s 64. Infant mortality remains high at 54 per 1,000 births. Education is in tatters, with 20 million children out of school, according to UNESCO. These are not the fruits of independence but the bitter harvest of misrule.
The international community must not stand idly by. The Global North, which has profited from Nigeria’s looted billions, has a moral duty to act. Implement stricter anti-money laundering laws, sanction complicit banks, and support Nigerian civil society in demanding accountability.
The Nigerian masses are not complicit in their leaders’ crimes; they are victims of a predatory elite.To Nigeria’s rulers, the message is clear: stop stealing public funds. Deliver good governance. Build roads, hospitals, and schools. Provide power, water, and security. Your legacy is not measured in offshore accounts but in the lives you uplift.
At 65, Nigeria deserves better than a leadership that treats its people as collateral damage in a looting spree. The masses are watching, and their patience is not infinite. Act now, or history will judge you as the architects of a failed state.
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