By May 2023, Nigeria will have had 24 years of unbroken democracy. On May 29, 1999, the then-Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, handed over to the newly elected civilian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the country erupted in delight.

Finally, Nigeria would begin her road towards growth and sustainability for all. During his speech, then-President Obasanjo called the day as “the beginning of a genuine renaissance” in Nigeria. The term renaissance is derived from a French word meaning “rebirth.” In retrospect, was it the start of a genuine rebirth in Nigeria?

Many have criticized Nigeria’s political structure for being rife with corruption, godfatherism, and a lack of visionary leadership. So much so that, in their agony and naivety, many people have wanted for Nigeria to revert to military rule in the hope of restoring sanity and economic stability. This is partly due to the seeming stability of the exchange rate from the time the late General Sani Abacha gained power in 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998. For five years, the naira-to-dollar exchange rate never altered from N22 to $1, while in the parallel market, the naira was trading as high as N88 to $1 (using the adjective ‘high’  to qualify N88 to $1 in 2022 might be a stretch but you get the point).

It is crucial to emphasize, however, that democracy, no matter how difficult it appears to be in Nigeria right now, is the closest thing we can get to a system that can safeguard everyone. Despite ongoing obstacles, over 24 years of democracy under two important political parties—the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress—may be viewed as a step forward.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has missed opportunities, shattered hopes, and lost talent. Many segments of the economy have lacked progress. Education is crying out for aid. Security has degenerated to the point where the typical citizen considers the safety of their lives and possessions to be their personal responsibility. There is the issue of police violence, which sparked the #EndSARS movement. In addition, the country is deeply in debt. Inflation is at an all-time high, and Nigerians are unable to afford three square meals, which have become a luxury. Even the power sector is so corrupt that the measures used by smaller countries to generate power are too difficult for our authorities to implement. According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate was 33% in 2019 and is expected to rise as more people lose their work due to the pandemic. The country appears to be disintegrating under the weight of numerous difficulties.

Nigeria is at a crossroads, and the people demand a miracle. One of my professional colleagues once stated, “Nigeria is not something that anyone would want to acquire as personal property.” As a result, I feel sorry for Nigeria’s next president.

The past seven years of our existence as Nigerians have been agonizing. This is not to suggest that the current dictatorship, commanded by Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has failed in all areas. However, communication is essential, and this dictatorship has failed to communicate effectively and keep the population informed of the small progress accomplished. The concept of servant leadership has been undermined.

According to an OCED.org article, Nigeria is the world’s largest Black nation: “One out of every four Africans and one out of every five persons of African origin is a Nigerian.” This reflects our collective power, talent, talents, and resilience. Nigerians are fantastic people – they are hardworking, innovative, creative, brave, kind, family-oriented, and so on. Young people have argued that all they need is an enabling atmosphere in order to survive and establish the country they want. They want leadership, but it must possess all of the progressive attributes of a visionary leader.

Leadership combines service, management, and hard labor. Whoever emerges as the president of Nigeria in 2023, whether Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, or Peter Obi of Labour Party.

Nigerians are awaiting the transformation President Buhari promised in 2015. It makes no difference if the future President does not make this commitment; that expectation is simply part of the package of being President of Nigeria. As a result, combating corruption and bringing about actual change has become an inherited campaign promise, and the next president must be seen to hit the ground running from the start and ensure that true positive change occurs.

Pay close attention to the upcoming election’s campaign season (September/October). Beyond asking what, we must start asking, “How?!”

As Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the PDP Presidential running mate, stated on Channels TV’s Politics Today, it is a collective fight for hope.

The  struggle for change remains constant.