Dear Reader,
If you are a Nigerian living in Nigeria, you have likely noticed a troubling pattern, the absence of continuity in governance. Each administration arrives with grand declarations, yet when its tenure ends, many of its projects are abandoned, either because little was accomplished or because the succeeding government refuses to continue what was started.
Every election season feels like the country is gaining independence all over again. A “new Nigeria” is promised, as if nothing meaningful had ever existed before. Instead of building on previous efforts, successive governments often appear more concerned with discrediting their predecessors than delivering measurable progress. This raises a serious question, what is fundamentally wrong with our political structure that continuity is treated as optional?
After careful observation, one conclusion becomes difficult to ignore. Many politicians do not operate with “Nigeria first” as their guiding principle. Instead, it often appears to be self first, party second, family third and the nation somewhere further down the list. If this perception is accurate, then the electorate must ask itself: are these the individuals we want steering the future of the country?
Governance should not be partisan when it comes to development. If a project benefits citizens, it should not matter which political party initiated it. Roads, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure are national assets and not party trophies. Yet politicians routinely migrate between parties, publicly attack one another during campaigns, and later reconcile for political convenience. If such flexibility exists for personal gains, why can it not exist for national development?
The absence of continuity has cost Nigeria dearly. Since 1960, road construction has remained a central campaign promise. Decades later, it still dominates political rhetoric. The yardstick for measuring good governance in many states remains “how many roads were constructed.” Should a country of Nigeria’s size and potential still be measuring progress primarily by asphalt?
Recently, I travelled by road from Abuja to Warri. From Lokoja to Warri, there were scarcely two uninterrupted minutes of smooth driving. Bad roads were compounded by numerous checkpoints, leaving one to question both state and federal oversight. When infrastructure repeatedly fails across administrations, accountability becomes blurred. Who bears responsibility, the current officeholders or their predecessors?
If current patterns continues, there is a real possibility that future administrations will suspend or abandon infrastructure initiated today. This is not an argument for one party rule. It is a call for institutional maturity. Nations develop when governance transcends personalities and party lines.
In Warri, public praise is currently directed toward Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for ongoing road construction. That recognition is deserved where progress is evident. However, it also prompts a question of, what were previous administrations doing? Sustainable governance should not require constant resets.
The economic reality for many youths in parts of the country remains troubling. When legitimate opportunities are scarce, social instability grows. Development must go beyond visible infrastructure; it must include economic empowerment, skills development, and long-term planning.
Nigerians must begin to demand more. Not just roads. Not just campaign promises. But continuity, accountability, and governance that places national interest above political rivalry. But beyond infrastructure, deeper issues in education and security also need urgent attention.