Nigeria today is witnessing unprecedented governance failure. Security has collapsed, schools and hospitals are decaying, and millions remain trapped in poverty. The world watches and asks: where are the Nigerian elites?
In countries where the elite class is functional, conscious, and uncompromised, societies thrive. Elites in those nations hold government accountable, provide visionary leadership, shape policies that uplift society, and speak for the marginalized.
But what do we see in Nigeria? An elite class that is largely compromised, self-serving, and silent in the face of urgent national emergencies. Leaders are protected for personal gain, narrow interests take precedence over public good, and ordinary Nigerians are left hopeless. The result is widening social inequalities and a stagnant nation.
A compromised elite class erodes the foundations of good governance, justice, and development. The country suffers because elites wield disproportionate influence—but use it for themselves rather than for society.
Elites should be the voices demanding accountability, the minds guiding ethical leadership, and the courage standing for justice and development. In other countries, civic-minded business leaders and public intellectuals pressure governments to uphold transparency and enforce anti-corruption laws. They show politicians that leadership is not merely about office, but about guaranteeing citizens’ welfare and safety.
Where nations have improved lives and safeguarded citizens, it is because their elites prioritized public welfare over personal gain, and justice over privilege. The lesson is clear: when elites serve society, the nation thrives.
Until Nigerian elites reclaim their purpose, the country will continue to drift—not led by vision, but by the whims of those who care only for themselves.
Nigeria deserves better. Its citizens deserve better. The pressing question remains: where are the elites who will make Nigeria better?
– Audu Liberty Oseni, PhD
Director, Centre for Development Communication
Email: libertydgreat@gmail.com
