No More Excuses: Nigeria Must Rise Through Unity and Vision.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

Integrity is not optional; it is survival. United we rebuild – NO MORE EXCUSES, ONLY RESULTS.

Nigeria stands at a crossroads. Blessed with human capital that numbers in the hundreds of millions and with resources that should have secured prosperity for every citizen, the nation instead wrestles with UNDERDEVELOPMENT, FRAGMENTATION and the CORROSIVE EFFECTS of POOR GOVERNANCE. The cure is neither sentimental nor simple; it is structural. When vision meets unity (when a clear, courageous national plan is backed by an unwavering commitment to integrity and justice) nations rise. Nigeria can and must be that nation. This is not rhetoric. It is a prescription grounded in evidence, proven theory and the lived experiences of countries that have turned crises into breakthroughs.

First, the facts: Nigeria now has a population exceeding 230 million people (Africa’s Largest) a demographic engine that, IF WELL-GOVERNED, could deliver a continental renaissance. Yet chronic weaknesses persist. Recent official recalculations show Nigeria’s GDP grew after rebasing, revealing a larger economy than previously recorded, but that statistical upgrade masks stubborn problems: unemployment, especially among youth, widespread informality in the labour market and persistent poverty for millions. These are not abstract numbers; they are human destinies deferred.

Why has such potential failed to translate into sustained progress? Because institutions (the rules, norms and organizations that structure public life) remain too often extractive rather than inclusive. Scholars such as Daron Acemoglu have shown that nations fail when political and economic institutions reward a narrow elite who capture state power and divert wealth away from development. In short: growth without inclusive institutions becomes theft dressed as policy. Nigeria’s challenge is not merely TECHNICAL; it is POLITICAL.

Corruption and weak accountability are not peripheral problems; they are central. Transparency International’s sustained analysis of governance around the world underscores how corrupt practices erode public trust, distort markets and lock countries into cycles of underperformance. For Nigeria, this means that every naira misallocated is an opportunity lost; a CLINIC not BUILT, a CLASSROOM SHUTTERED, a MICRO-ENTERPRISE that never SCALED. The structural fix requires the unglamorous work of building systems that make theft harder and public service more attractive.

Structural reform cannot succeed without social cohesion. Unity is not uniformity; it is a pact between diverse citizens to prioritize the common good. Nigeria’s pluralism (ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS, REGIONAL) is a strength when governed through institutions that guarantee rights, distribute opportunities fairly and punish wrongdoing impartially. Unity under a robust legal framework transforms diversity into an engine of creativity and resilience rather than a battlefield for resources.

Concrete steps to rebuild Nigeria must combine vision with relentless execution:

Reform institutions, not personalities. Reform is local and institutional. It demands independent judiciaries, merit-based civil services and transparent procurement. As economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has argued in her public interventions and writings, NATION-BUILDING requires “Decisions – tough, unpopular, but necessary ones.” Strong institutions reduce the scope for patronage politics and create predictable rules for investors and citizens alike.

Make anti-corruption systems bite. Transparency alone is insufficient; enforcement that produces consequences is essential. Strengthen anti-corruption courts, protect whistleblowers, modernize asset declarations and bring procurement into the open with digital platforms. The combination of technology and legal will turns OPACITY into ACCOUNTABILITY.

Invest in human capital at scale. Nigeria’s greatest asset is its people. Focus on universal basic health coverage, quality primary education and vocational pathways that link young people to real jobs. Tackling the twin demons of youth UNEMPLOYMENT and UNDEREMPLOYMENT requires PUBLIC-PRIVATE apprenticeship schemes, accelerated investment in agriculture & manufacturing and targeted microfinance that incentivizes formalization.

Economic diversification with small-business engines. The rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP exposed a larger services and digital economy. Policymakers must now catalyze this momentum: reduce the cost of doing business, stabilize exchange-rate policy to attract long-term capital and provide targeted support to SMEs that create most jobs. Dambisa Moyo’s critique of aid (that external money can entrench bad governance) is a cautionary reminder: true development must be led by domestic reforms that create incentives for productivity and accountability.

National civic compact and truth-telling. A durable rebuild requires a national conversation; not the shallow, media-driven variety but a serious civic compact that identifies past failures, names responsible parties where appropriate and charts a shared path forward. Truth commissions, constitutional reform conversations and civic education campaigns can transform grievance into collective responsibility.

A security architecture that respects rights. Without safety, investment and innovation stall. Security responses must be intelligence-led, rights-respecting and accompanied by socio-economic measures that address the root causes of banditry, insurgency and criminality. Militarized responses alone will never deliver lasting peace.

These steps are neither utopian nor untested. Countries that have broken cycles of extraction did so by aligning elite incentives with national interest, by making corruption risky & costly and by investing in the long-term capacities of their people. Acemoglu’s research into institutions confirms that inclusive political settlements unlock sustainable prosperity; Okonjo-Iweala’s career demonstrates that competent, courageous policy-makers can nudge nations toward better outcomes. Evidence matters: it delivers results when combined with political courage.

Let us be blunt: Nigerians have been failed by POOR LEADERSHIP, COMPLACENT BUREAUCRACY and VESTED INTERESTS that prefer the status quo. YET BLAMING ALONE ACHIEVES NOTHING. The pathway forward is accountability paired with an affirmative agenda that attracts broad social ownership. Civil society, business, faith groups and political leaders must each accept a share of responsibility and a share of sacrifice. That is the compact of national rebuilding.

We must also seize the moment. The world is not waiting for Nigeria to get its act together; capital, talent and geopolitics are mobile. Neither are opportunities wholly outside our control. With the right reforms, Nigeria will reclaim its position as an engine of African growth and a leader in continental governance. The recalibrated GDP and recent signs of growth are promising signals; but they must be translated into lived improvements for ordinary Nigerians: cleaner water, powered clinics, functioning schools and dignified work.

In closing, a fierce, disciplined optimism is required: optimism that acknowledges failure, names it, but refuses to hide behind it. Unity without vision is directionless. Vision without unity is fragile. When vision meets unity; when a shared plan rooted in integrity, justice and evidence is embraced by citizens and enforced by institutions and then NATIONS RISE. Nigeria’s renaissance is possible. It will not be granted; it will be built, brick by painstaking brick, by a citizenry and leadership willing to choose the country’s future over short-term gain.

“Change,” as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has insisted, “is about decisions; tough, unpopular, but necessary ones.” Let our leaders and our people make those decisions now. The cost of delay is not merely economic: it is moral. Rebuilding Nigeria is an obligation to future generations. Let us meet it together.

George O. Sylvester
Published by saharaweeklyng.com