Nigeria Not A Nation, Says Muoghalu, Doubts What Future Holds for it

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and economist, Kingsley Moghalu, has expressed concerns about the future of Nigeria, stating that the country is not a nation, but rather a territorial state.

According to Moghalu, the lack of nationhood is the primary reason why Nigeria has been unable to reach its full potential, and that corruption, which many believe is the main problem, is actually a symptom of a deeper issue.

He argued that the absence of nationhood has led to a focus on power and primitive accumulation by the political class, rather than governance and delivering public goods.

Moghalu also stated that the economy has been stagnant due to the lack of a clear vision, and that it is driven by access to economic rents by contending interests, rather than wealth creation for the majority of Nigerians who live in poverty.

To become a nation, Moghalu believes that Nigeria must address two fundamental questions: how to manage the problem of state formation, where disparate tribes with different worldviews were lumped together, and the causes and consequences of the Nigerian Civil War. He criticized Nigerian leaders for being cowards and failing to provide a strategy for healing and closure.

Moghalu proposed two paths to nationhood for Nigeria: the emergence of a transformative leader with a transcending vision, or the recognition of tribes as a reality and the negotiation of a constitutional framework that guarantees rights and inclusion for all Nigerians. He emphasized that only true federalism can work and secure a future for Nigeria.

The economist also praised former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the only pan-Nigerian leader since 1999, who revised his views on nationhood in his later years. Moghalu expressed his disappointment that he has not seen a truly national leader for Nigeria since then.