Is Nigeria a Disgraced Country? -By Hon. Femi Oluwasanmi

Since the U.S. President, Mr. Donald Trump has issued a military threat rhetoric against Nigeria, reactions have poured in from various quarters. Some Nigerians have insisted that the nation remains a sovereign state, fully capable of managing its internal affairs, while others have gone further to declare that the people would resist any form of foreign invasion, asserting that Nigeria is not a disgraced country. Yet, the question remains, is Nigeria truly not disgraced?

Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960 with a grand vision: to emerge as a formidable and respected voice on the global stage. For decades, the country lived up to that aspiration. During the oil boom era, Nigeria earned the title “Giant of Africa”, not merely because of its population or resources, but because it lent to other nations, supported liberation movements, and championed the independence of countries still under colonial domination.

Indeed, Nigeria considered her own independence incomplete until the entire African continent was free. Guided by this principle, Nigeria played a pivotal role in the struggle that brought an end to apartheid in South Africa and contributed significantly to the formation and funding of ECOMOG. These efforts underscored Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that no African nation would fall back into neo-colonial bondage.

The same spirit of Pan-Africanism inspired Nigeria’s economic support to nations in distress, fostering unity, peace, and prosperity across the continent. Sadly, the same country, once a beacon of hope and a bastion of stability, failed to prevent its immediate neighbor, Niger Republic, from sliding back into military rule.

It is on record that Nigeria once helped forestall military takeovers in various African countries. Ironically, today, South Africa, whose independence Nigeria helped secure, is competing with Nigeria for influence at the United Nations Security Council and, in some cases, appears intent on diminishing Nigeria’s global standing. Even Ghana, with its smaller population and economy, seems to command more international respect than Nigeria, while Nigerians living in Ghana now walk with subdued confidence, a far cry from the days when the mention of Nigeria inspired admiration and even fear across the continent.

Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, it took serious diplomacy to prevent Ghana from expelling Nigerian business owners, an episode reminiscent of the “Ghana Must Go” saga of the 1980s. These events collectively paint a picture of a nation whose prestige has been steadily eroded.

In truth, Nigeria has long been perceived as a disgraced nation, judging by Washington’s attitudes toward it, especially since the country became the epicenter of insecurity in West Africa. So, what Trump said was not new; he only merely echoed a sentiment that had been whispered in diplomatic circles for years. For instance, during Barack Obama’s presidency, he visited several African countries, including Ghana, but never Nigeria. What greater diplomatic signal could there be?

The only new thing is the Trump’s additional emphasis on “Christian genocide” which may be a reflection of his religious bias, and that is why Nigeria needed not to react with anger or defensiveness to his words but instead, his remarks should serve as a wake-up call for urgent introspection and reform.

Since 2009, Nigeria has battled the scourge of Boko Haram insurgency. The funds spent on combating terrorism could have revolutionized education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Yet, despite the enormous expenditure, insurgency continues to mutate into new and deadlier forms. This troubling evolution suggests that the so-called war on terror has become a lucrative enterprise for some, draining national resources through corruption and mismanagement.

Even more disturbing is the government’s approach of rehabilitating and empowering so-called “repentant” terrorists, while victims of their atrocities remain displaced, impoverished, and neglected. Adding insult to injury, public officials are seen posing for photographs with hardened bandits armed with sophisticated weapons, all under the guise of negotiating peace.

In many rural communities, insurgents and bandits have gone so far as to impose taxes, dictate local leadership decisions, and abduct young women, forcing them into marriage in exchange for “peace.” These are grim realities in a country that once helped other nations break free from tyranny and conflict.

Today, traveling by road from one region to another in Nigeria requires fervent prayers. Many consult spiritual leaders before embarking on journeys due to the ever-present fear of kidnapping. The scale of ransom payments and the frequency of abductions have turned Nigeria into a tragic parody of the greatness envisioned at independence.

Despite repeated assurances from successive administrations that they are “on top of the situation,” insecurity continues to worsen, while poverty spreads like wildfire. The middle class, the backbone of any healthy economy, has been nearly wiped out, leaving a widening gulf between the rich and the poor. The much-vaunted “renewed hope” now rings hollow to the suffering masses.

Rising inflation has further eroded the purchasing power of ordinary citizens. Meanwhile, opposition parties, which should serve as checks on government excesses, are embroiled in endless internal crises, rendering Nigeria’s multiparty democracy weak and ineffective.

The judiciary, once revered as the last hope of the common man, now often mirrors the interests of the powerful. Courtrooms have become battlefields where influence and connections outweigh truth and justice. Predicting judicial outcomes, especially in political cases, has become nearly impossible, as conflicting judgments and judicial inconsistencies continue to erode public confidence.

In this context, Trump’s harsh words, though diplomatically insensitive, reflect a painful truth. That is why rather than trading insults with the United States, Nigeria’s leaders should treat his comments as a challenge to restore the country’s lost glory. The government must urgently reform the nation’s security architecture, including approving the creation of state police, integrated but coordinated with the Nigerian police, to ensure effective security, especially in rural communities ravaged by terrorism and banditry because no life, regardless of religion or ethnicity, deserves to be lost to the cruelty of these criminals.

Also, instead of engaging in rhetorical battles, as seen with figures like former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode and others, Nigeria’s leadership should focus on rebuilding the nation’s strength, integrity, and global respect because as it is today, Nigeria currently lacks the military and diplomatic capacity to confront a U.S. strike, as demonstrated by America’s actions in Iran and other sovereign nations.

Therefore, reason must triumph over emotion. Nigeria must act, not react, to prove through governance, justice, and development that it is not a disgraced nation by rebuilding, reforming, and reclaiming the vision of greatness that inspired our founding fathers in 1960 so that the can country can be great again.

Hon. Femi Oluwasanmi,
Special Assistant to the Governor of Osun State,
Secretary, Ijesa South Special Assistants Forum,
Admin, Osun State Special Assistants Forum.
4th November, 2025.