We have consistently maintained our belief that Nigeria possesses an abundance of human resources in addition to other necessary resources to propel it to greatness. This is a proven reality, not just a theory! History is on our side! The problem of inadequate leadership (and following) has long been the main obstacle to this potential grandeur! Yes, this dilemma also affects the followers! Even if not everyone can be a partisan politician, politics is still vital! As our representatives, we must demonstrate interest in the people who will hold positions of authority. But what are we prioritizing? As a people, what do we want? What type of nation do we wish to create and leave for the next generation? With all due respect, some people, like those who participated in the World Athletics Championships held in Oregon, USA, were trying their hardest, while many others were (and still are) preoccupied with politics and worthless politicians who are longing after governmental seats in 2023!

At the aforementioned World Athletics Championships, Tobi Amusan smashed the existing world record in the 100-meter hurdles and established a new one. This accomplishment took time to acquire! A few of the reasons for this are intense concentration and hard labor! That’s why it’s important to support the finest! The greatest people ought to work for you! The finest ought to be honored! These are the actions of those reasonable people in which Nigerian “leaders” enrol their wards or children in educational institutions and embezzle impudently obtained cash from the public coffers. This is a strong reason for Nigerians to inquire as to how these politicians intend to rescue us from the terrible situation they have gotten us into! We ought to cease permitting these politicians to divert our attention with meaningless statements! It is time to ask these irreversible crooks important questions by concentrating on what unites us as a people!

With a season-best jump of 7.02 meters, Ese Brume, another African record holder, won a silver medal in the women’s long jump final at the Championships. After winning a bronze medal in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, Ese Brume became the first Nigerian to win a medal at two consecutive World Championships. What a remarkable record! Many Nigerians were made to smile by Tobi and Ese’s outstanding performance at Oregon! It was time to acknowledge once more that we are “Nigerians”! It was fantastic to watch them take the podium for medals once more! Who wouldn’t be proud and amazed by fellow citizens performing such heroic deeds? Tobi’s happy tears were visible. We understood there is more to that stream of tears because we can connect. Everybody has a unique experience. That’s how life works! Listen to Tobi’s remarks from a post-race interview with Sport Africa on British Broadcasting Corporation: “…I thought about giving up.The traditional Nigerian tactic is to give you the impression that you’re not good enough.

Next, we inquire as to why Nigeria’s system is designed to disfavor merit. Why does it detest showing out its best side? Should things stay this way in the system? Has Nigeria benefited from the “Nigerian factor”? Now, have a listen to a sports analyst as they provide live analysis. On July 24, 2022, at the aforementioned championship, Tobi says the following at the starting line before the final race in the 100 meters hurdles: “..Tobi Amusan; Commonwealth champion, African champion, and as of an hour and a half ago, world record holder with 12.12 [seconds]…is about making history and becoming the first Nigerian world champion. would be an instance of eternal life for Tobi Amusan that would never be taken away.Hear the commentator once again at the finish line: “Tobi Amusan! Take a peek at the timepiece! It’s unbelievable! She’s done it once more! She breaks two world records in one evening and becomes the first-ever world champion from Nigeria! Oh, how clever you are! What a platform to learn this on, and she’s accomplished both tonight: two world records in 12.06 [seconds]. Anyone fortunate enough to be present tonight will never, ever forget it! That was really impressive! We weren’t sure she could pull it off again! Dare we? Dare we? Tonight, Nigeria—the magnificent country of Africa—is on top of the globe! An Amazon has brought in a night of of unprecedented, unprecedented glory and speed that was utterly, utterly incredible…..”

Indeed, we are proud of these fellow countrymen for participating in Nigerian colors. Although it is known that they were found “locally,” has Nigeria made significant investments in them? Does Nigeria actually own any sporting facilities? For what reason do Nigerian athletes perform better abroad? Better facilities and incentives, is the response! This is the reason we find it hilarious when some fools expect academics and lecturers at Nigerian universities to conduct world-class invention experiments using kerosene stoves as Bunsen burners! Where can one find world-class performance with archaicness in the twenty-first century? There are some hilarious Nigerians around! Don’t let anything divert our focus from the topic at hand! Tobi and Ese deserve recognition, just like other Nigerian celebrities (alive or dead) in sports and other respectable human endeavors both inside and outside of Nigeria that are too many to list here! They have shown that admirable, nearly unique, characteristically tough Nigerian spirit! That unquenchable spirit is real! We anticipate further success for these athletes, as well as for all other citizens pursuing their lawful professions across the globe. We implore you not to let the acts and inactions of the scoundrels who are currently “kneeling on the necks” of the majority of Nigerians deter you from going to and from Nigeria. Together, we’ll overcome them. We’re sold! Time is of the essence! Nigeria will step up to the podium in the international community in the not too distant future to accept medals! Nigerians are undoubtedly special. They are easy to lead and diligent workers. They’re not requesting too much! All they desire is to live as people do. They are requesting that the appropriate people lead them. As we previously stated, the problem facing the nation is this—poor leadership! On the streets, no one is actually requesting money to be shared. Not at all. An environment that fosters skill development and showcases one’s strengths is what is being demanded. That’s what several nations have been able to enable for their citizens and foreigners alike.

The youth are therefore being challenged head-on in order for that bright Nigerian future to not only exist, but also likely perish, in our collective imagination! They are meant to own the future. They therefore have important roles to play in making this happen! To take charge of and safeguard their future, they must awaken, open their eyes, remain vigilant, and take the appropriate action or actions! Here, we are discussing their future. These enduring dream destroyers should lose their tomorrow now, rather than tomorrow. The sooner, the better! Without sugarcoating it, issues should be the focal point of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. Unfortunately, there are enough divisive issues among Nigerians, particularly the youth, that haven’t helped and won’t aid in the nation’s efforts to progress. Permit us to end this essay with a lengthy quotation from Reuben Abati’s July 26, 2022, article, “2023: Politics without Ideas.”

There are problems that are currently in the public domain yet have been neatly disregarded. NNPC, a recently established commercial corporation, operates in an industry that generates 80% of the nation’s foreign exchange profits. How are the presidential contenders going to address that? Nigeria is experiencing a crisis in its debt-to-revenue ratio, with debt service costs surpassing revenue by over 119%.

The national grid keeps collapsing and operating in an epileptic manner. There is up to 18.6% inflation. The country is experiencing unemployment. Likewise, food inflation

In the cited article, Abati continued by saying that:

“Life is so insecure, terrorists are threatening to abduct the President, Senators and Governors and either kill them or sell them into slavery, and they sound very serious about that objective. They even attempted to interact with the presidential guards in Abuja yesterday. The nation is also dealing with a severe foreign exchange crisis; in fact, things are so bad that bakers are threatening to walk off the job because they are unable to get raw ingredients and foreign exchange.

The aviation sector is down. The key challenge is how to salvage the country’s currency, which has lost everything, including its integrity. Actually, this nation is headed toward Venezuela, if not toward Sri Lanka or Lebanon. Those who aspire to be in power in this nation ought to be concerned about these crucial issues.

Erakhrumen is a professor at the University of Benin’s Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management.