Nation Building is Not Tea Party

Governance structure, infrastructure, intrastructure, and culture can and should be customised to each country context. 

Laundry lists and consensus governmental frameworks sold by thought leaders in developed countries should never be adopted without reckoning unique domestic realities of developing countries. A rethink is necessary to adapt any good element gleaned from other economies.


For a country like Nigeria with over 250 ethnic nationalities, 500 languages, and widespread ethnic fractionalisation, national leaders must develop and implement a unifying vision and regional governance structure to create a wholesome national culture. 


Otherwise, internal conflicts and cessationist calls stirred by segments of the country that feel marginalised would continue to deter development and investment prospects of the country. Decades of implementing an unfit governance framework has only intensified conflicts and slowed the pace and pattern of development.


Without needing to reinvent the wheel, the landmark constitution laid by the founding fathers of Nigeria, which prioritised regional blocs and specialisation needs revisiting, if we must chart a path for sustainable, balanced, and inclusive development.


We seriously and urgently need to move away from working towards elections to nation-building and unity-in-diversity.


Citizens are the real governors of the polity and we must hold our leaders accountable to create the future we want.


Long live Nigeria, one nation under God!


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