Nigeria on the Brink: Power-Hungry Leaders Must Wake Up Before the Collapse Is Irreversible

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Today, what matters most is Nigeria the once-great “Giant of Africa” tottering dangerously on the brink of political, economic and social collapse. The warning signs are clear to both citizens and foreign observers: security has imploded, the economy is in free fall and leadership is fixated not on governance, but on power retention and elite capture.

The British-born foreign journalist, David Hundeyin, recently remarked: “What we are witnessing in Nigeria is not misgovernance, it is deliberate state sabotage. You cannot destroy a country this comprehensively by accident.” This chilling diagnosis encapsulates the painful reality of a nation being asphyxiated by its very custodians.

A Nation Under Siege

Nigeria is in a state of war. The Nigerian Security Tracker, a project by the Council on Foreign Relations, reports that over 63,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram, bandits and state security forces since 2011. Under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who took over in 2023 amidst a disputed election and judicial controversy, insecurity has worsened. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, more than 4,000 Nigerians were either killed or abducted across the country, according to SBM Intelligence.

Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, Plateau and Niger States remain theatres of bloodshed. The armed forces are overstretched, morale is low and intelligence operations are ineffective. The recent attack on a military convoy in Niger State that left 23 soldiers dead underscores the collapse of national defense infrastructure. Worse still, there has been a deafening silence from the presidency, no strategy to reverse the trend; just recycled promises and arrogant posturing.

As Femi Falana (SAN), renowned human rights lawyer, warned in a press briefing:
“We cannot run a country where lives are being lost daily and those in power are more concerned with traveling abroad, awarding themselves privileges and weaponizing poverty against their citizens. This is not governance, it is gangsterism.”

Economic Collapse: From Giant to Beggar
The economic outlook is just as grim. Nigeria’s naira has lost over 70% of its value against the dollar since June 2023, when President Tinubu abruptly removed fuel subsidies and floated the currency without a buffer plan. This triggered hyperinflation, with food prices soaring beyond the reach of the average Nigerian. As of March 2025, inflation stands at 34.1%, while food inflation exceeds 45%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The World Bank has confirmed that over 133 million Nigerians now live in multidimensional poverty, a devastating indictment of an oil-rich country whose leaders claim to be “reforming” the economy. Meanwhile, over 55% of the federal budget is used to service debt, leaving little room for capital investment or social welfare. Corruption in public finance remains unchecked and no major convictions have been recorded under this administration, despite overwhelming evidence of looting in ministries and parastatals.

Leadership in Disgrace

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of Nigeria’s decline is the quality of leadership. While the country bleeds, President Tinubu has spent more time outside the country than inside, embarking on over 18 foreign trips in less than a year, according to media tallies. His handlers claim these are for investment drives, yet no tangible result has been seen. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Nigeria fell to $468 million in 2024, down from over $2.5 billion in 2014, as investors flee a country plagued by policy inconsistency, Insecurity and poor infrastructure.

Instead of leadership, Nigeria is governed by power blocs of ethnic, religious and political cronies. State capture is now institutionalized, with critical institutions like the judiciary and electoral commission operating under executive pressure. The 2023 presidential election was marred by rigging, voter suppression and result tampering confirmed by both local and international observers like the EU Election Mission.

As Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of Nigeria’s Human Rights Commission, put it:

“Nigeria is not being governed; it is being auctioned. Those in power are only interested in who controls what, who loots what and who silences who. The people are incidental to their power calculus.”

A Time to Choose: Reform or Ruin
It is no longer enough to “pray for Nigeria.” Prayer without purpose is procrastination. Nigeria must undergo an urgent political renaissance driven by citizens, activists, professionals and ethical leaders. There must be a shift from the current political structure based on patronage and tribal loyalty to a meritocratic, transparent and accountable governance model.

First, the president must cut the cost of governance. Over N10 billion was spent on installing solar panels at Aso Rock in 2024 at a time when over 80% of Nigerians lack regular electricity. This kind of reckless spending must end. Secondly, there must be a total overhaul of the security architecture, including better funding, training, and welfare for the armed forces. Third, institutional reforms are needed: the judiciary must be independent, the electoral system digitized and the civil service professionalized.

Most importantly, the leaders must stop the obsession with 2027. Instead of jostling for succession, they should focus on salvaging a country on the edge of civil implosion. Power for power’s sake has become the most destructive disease in Nigeria’s political space.

As Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka once declared:
“Only those who are deaf to the cry of humanity can continue to pretend that all is well in Nigeria. This is a nation crying for revolution, if not by blood, then by conscience.”

Citizens Must Rise
While blame rests squarely on those in power, the citizens cannot afford to remain spectators. Silence is complicity. Nigerians must demand accountability at every level: local, state and federal. Civil society must intensify advocacy, the media must remain bold, and the judiciary must regain its spine.

Young Nigerians in particular, have a role to play. The #EndSARS protest of 2020 was a powerful reminder of people power. That movement was not a failure it was a rehearsal. Another reckoning is coming and this time, it must be total, peaceful and sustained. Civic education, voter registration, peaceful protest and citizen journalism are tools the people must wield.

A Final Warning
Nigeria is tottering. Foreign analysts see it. Local observers live it. The warning lights are flashing red. If urgent, people-focused and ethical leadership is not activated, Nigeria could slip into a failed state status becoming a refugee-producing zone and a threat to regional stability.

The burden is heavy, but the time is now. There is still a narrow window to rescue Nigeria from the abyss. Our leaders must shed their obsession with power and embrace the responsibility of service. Governance is not a coronation; it is a contract. If they cannot fulfill it, they must step aside or be pushed aside by history.

As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Let us not be neutral.
Let us rise.
Let us speak.
Let us act.
Nigeria is bleeding, but it is not yet dead; there is still time barely.