The Leadership–Followership Debate

A compelling debate on the critical roles of leadership and followership in Nigeria's development is presented, with a strong argument favoring leadership as the primary catalyst for progress. The author posits that essential elements like citizenship, innovation, and resilience are directly influenced by the quality of leadership.

Illustrative examples underscore this perspective. The Abia power project, initiated in 2004 and commissioned in 2014, lay dormant for nearly a decade. It was only upon Alex Otti's assumption of office in 2024 that decisive leadership engaged regulators, secured gas supply, and unlocked the project within months. This stark contrast between eight years of inertia and eight months of execution highlights leadership as the pivotal factor, not the people.

Similarly, the article points to Lagos under Governor Babatunde Fashola, where improved governance, functional systems, and positive citizen response, including voluntary tax compliance, were direct results of effective leadership. This suggests Nigerians are responsive to tangible outcomes, not inherently resistant to responsibility.

The piece identifies a "Nigerian Paradox": the nation possesses capable individuals like Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga, who built world-class enterprises despite systemic obstacles, and millions of resilient entrepreneurs. Yet, widespread poverty, out-of-school children, and persistent infrastructure deficits remain. This disconnect arises because individual success does not automatically translate to national development without effective governance, which is determined by leadership quality.

The core issue, according to the article, is not an absence of capable leaders but a "selection failure." Competence is often sidelined by ethnicity, religion, and patronage. To rectify this, the incentive structure for leadership recruitment must change. The elite must shift from rewarding loyalty and patronage to backing competence, prioritizing integrity, and enforcing accountability. Until the system elevates merit over mediocrity, outcomes will not improve. While leaders may emerge from current followers, the selection process must be deliberately filtered and elevated, as the current entry bar into leadership is dangerously low.