Our leaders, afflicted by a mysterious moral and intellectual lethargy, appear incapable of harnessing the nation’s potential for the collective good. Ya Allah, cure them. For what is the excuse when the Almighty has given us everything we need to thrive?

Worse still is the state of our financial institutions. Nigerian banks, instead of playing their role as enablers of economic growth, have become passive vaults. They collect billions in deposits—many of them interest-free current accounts—yet they refuse to lend to those who genuinely need capital to create value.

In a functional economy, banks beg entrepreneurs to take loans. Here in Nigeria, banks impose impossible conditions and chase only the already-rich—those who don’t need loans. They ignore real businesses that could boost the economy, create jobs, and reduce poverty. How do we expect growth when our banks only serve those who don’t need their services, and ignore those who desperately do?

Our economy is not working because our priorities are upside down. Every state in Nigeria has the potential to generate wealth that could fund the national budget, if only the resources are explored, refined, and managed well. So what is holding us back? Laziness? Corruption? Fear of responsibility? Or is it just pure mismanagement?

We must ask hard questions and demand accountability. Nigeria is not poor—it is poorly managed. Until we address the leadership failure and financial dysfunction that plague this country, the dream of a better Nigeria will remain a distant illusion.