Corruption Is Not Nigeria’s Only Problem, Decades of Bad Economic Decisions Hurt More — Kalu

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said Nigeria’s economic decline is the result of decades of poor policy decisions and structural failures, rather than corruption alone.

The former Abia State governor argued that the common narrative attributing the nation’s economic troubles solely to corruption overlooks deeper issues that have accumulated since independence.

According to Kalu, successive governments failed to build a diversified economy and instead became heavily dependent on oil revenues while neglecting other productive sectors.

“Instead of building a diversified economy capable of withstanding global shocks, the nation relied excessively on a single source of income,” he said.

“When oil prices fell, the weaknesses in the economy became painfully obvious.”

The senator noted that the overreliance on crude oil revenues left Nigeria vulnerable to external economic shocks and exposed long-standing weaknesses in the economy.

He said the current situation should not be attributed to one administration, one generation or a single mistake.

“Successive governments, political leaders, institutions and even citizens have all contributed in different ways to the economic realities we face today.”

Kalu listed poor investment in education, inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent government policies, weak support for local industries and excessive import dependence among the major factors responsible for the country’s economic challenges.

He also criticised a national culture that encourages consumption rather than production.

“Poor investment in education, inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent economic policies, weak support for local industries, excessive import dependence and a culture of consumption over production have all played significant roles.”

The lawmaker further argued that important discussions about governance and economic management are often avoided.

“We rarely discuss how policy inconsistency discourages investors, how poor maintenance culture drains public resources, or how ethnic and political divisions sometimes take precedence over competence and national interest.”

Kalu stressed that economic growth or decline is shaped by decisions made consistently over time and warned that decades of poor choices cannot be reversed quickly.

While acknowledging the scale of the challenge, he said the focus should be on finding solutions rather than assigning blame.

“Recognising this reality is not about assigning blame. It is about learning from the past so that better choices can be made for the future.”

He urged policymakers to embrace accountability, long-term planning and reforms that support innovation, productivity and sustainable economic development.

Concluding on a hopeful note, Kalu said Nigeria still possesses enormous potential because of its vast human and natural resources.

“The same collective power that contributed to past mistakes can also be used to create a better future,” he said, calling for honest conversations about the country’s past decisions and the steps needed to move it forward.

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