As a concerned Nigerian, I feel a deep sense of disappointment—not just in our leaders, but in ourselves as a people. We all hoped for change when President Bola Tinubu assumed office. After years of suffering under bad governance, we were desperate for a leader who could steer us in a new direction. Yet, it seems that instead of progress, his regime has only further fueled our despair.
Let me be clear: Bad governance didn’t start with Tinubu’s administration. It’s a problem that has plagued us for decades, rooted in the dark days of military rule. But Tinubu’s rise to power came with expectations of hope. We thought, perhaps naively, that his leadership would usher in an era of transparency and accountability.
On August 1, Nigerians took to the streets. We gathered from every corner of the country to protest, demanding change, demanding justice. But after 10 days of protests, did anything really change? When our President finally addressed us, how many of us felt a deep sense of disappointment?
Did the protests ease the pain of our daily lives? Did they lead to any real discussion about the cost of food, about the worsening economy, or about the suffering that so many endure every day?
Instead, it feels as though we’ve moved from zero to nothing. Our protests, which started with such energy, are now fading into silence. The issue is no longer in the headlines, no longer in our daily conversations. We spoke up, but were we truly heard?
The solution isn’t in one man or one protest. It’s in our collective action, our shared resolve. We must come together—united in our purpose—to build a better Nigeria. This is our moment. If we don’t seize it, the silence we hear now will only deepen, and our country will be the one that suffers.
- Nafisa Ismail Sadiq, Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano
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