10 characteristics the average Nigerian needs to eschew if we want our politics to start producing good leaders

Ayo Akinfe

[1] As a people, we are too passionate about our religious faiths. An overwhelming number of Nigerians want to go to heaven when they die but are not willing to lay down their lives for the country

[2] Nigerians are closely attached to their ethnic groups and traditional rulers. Thus acts as an impediment to integration

[3] Nigerians love entertainment and merriment far too much. A lot of the money spent on owambes need to go into cooperative societies and be invested in the economy

[4] We Nigerians hate being called just plain Mr or Ms. No other people on the world love amassing titles like us

[5] Nigerians believe how much material wealth you have is a measure of your worth

[6] Nigerians believe that public transport is for the poor and lazy

[7] We believe the government has the capacity to solve all of society’s socio-economic woes

[8] Nigerians love high end products and as we produce none of this ourselves, we are shamelessly happy to import all our needs to the detriment of out economy

[9] We are embarrassingly sycophantic. Decades of living under military rule has engrained the Oga-at-the-top mentality into our psyche. Our top-to-bottom mentality makes it impossible for an average Nigerian to refuse to obey unreasonable orders

[10] Nigerians appreciate the value of education. However, this means they disrespect people who did not go to university irrespective of what skills they possess. You simply cannot build a global super power when your population thinks this way. A higher level of thinking is required