Renowned economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has described Nigeria as a “failure,” attributing the nation’s decline to a ‘’lack of alternative thinking and the capture of both the legislature and judiciary.”
Utomi made these comments during an interview with Punch, where he criticised the current state of Nigeria’s political and economic systems.
Utomi expressed his dismay over the current National Assembly, stating that it is the “worst thing that has happened to the country” as it has ‘failed to provide a platform for meaningful debates that could help solve Nigeria’s problems.’ According to him, the political class is more focused on self-interest than the common good.
“Nigeria is a failure right now; democracy is not working. We all know that; anybody who does not know that is fooling himself. We have total judicial capture; we have legislative capture, so there is no alternative thinking in the country,” Utomi said.
He added that in times of crisis, such as the one Nigeria currently faces, the nation should adopt a “war cabinet” approach, with leaders and citizens pulling together to solve problems. Instead, Utomi said, the leadership continues to live lavishly, calling on Nigerians to sacrifice while failing to lead by example.
“When you have that kind of problem, you come to the point that James Robinson was making when he says a classic example is Nigeria which knows what to do but cannot seem to do it,” he noted.
Utomi highlighted the leadership of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a model, recalling his decision in 1976/1977 to adopt a low-profile mode of governance during the oil crisis, cutting personal expenses and travel. He contrasted this with today’s political class, accusing them of misusing public resources.
“Anybody who watches the way people in power spend public resources cannot take seriously any statement that this is a time of sacrifice. So, the problem begins with them. Intense political commitment is not there,” he said.
On Nigeria’s economic troubles, Utomi argued that political actors must recognise that the country is in a crisis akin to war. He stressed that political will and a unified approach are necessary to turn things around, warning against politicians focusing on stockpiling money for future elections.
Utomi also addressed Nigeria’s adherence to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank policies, suggesting that while these institutions provide templates, it is the responsibility of the local political class to evaluate and adapt them to the nation’s specific needs.
“IMF can have a template, but what is responsible for the outcome is not their template; it is how local actors politically live their way through doing the right things for growth and development for their country,” he explained.
He lamented that Nigeria’s failure stems from the political class’s lack of patriotism, ignorance, or self-centeredness, preventing them from thinking of the common good.
“This is where Nigeria has been a tragic failure because the political class and its elites, particularly the legal elite, have not acted as patriots either because they are ignorant or because they are too pathologically self-centred to think of the common good,” Utomi concluded.