At independence in 1960, Nigeria stood at the threshold of greatness, brimming with hope and promise. But more than six decades later, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, says the nation lost its way before the journey truly began.
Appearing on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Kukah described Nigeria as a country that failed to build a collective dream, weighed down by political assassinations, the scars of military rule, and the absence of leaders with vision.
(1).The Silence After Independence
According to the cleric, Nigeria never again produced a speech or vision to match the stirring words of its first independence leaders.
“Close your eyes and ask yourself—after the 1960 independence address, has there been a single speech by any Nigerian president that made you feel inspired? None,” he said.
He contrasted this with America’s enduring “dream,” built not only on policy but also on mythology—stories powerful enough to bind a people together. Nigeria, he argued, has never managed to weave such a story.
(2).Wounds That Refuse to Heal
Kukah recalled how the North has never recovered from the January 1966 coup that claimed the lives of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
“Most Northerners in their 70s and 80s still carry the pain of those brutal killings,” he said, lamenting Nigeria’s habit of burying the past without truly confronting it. “We say forgive and forget, but often the hatchet is buried while the handle remains outside.”
(3).Military Shadows Over Democracy
The bishop said Nigeria once had the right ingredients for greatness, rivaling nations like Singapore and Malaysia. But the incursion of the military into politics shattered institutions and replaced merit with mediocrity.
“We could have been far ahead of Singapore, far ahead of Malaysia. But the military destroyed our bureaucracy, silenced intellectuals, and deepened ethnic divisions,” Kukah stressed.
(4).A Country Still in Search of Itself
For Kukah, Nigeria’s biggest tragedy is not just the mistakes of its past, but its refusal to face them honestly.
“The dreams of our founding fathers have become nightmares for us,” he said. “Until we summon the honesty and courage to ask what went wrong, we cannot build the future.”
To him, Nigeria remains a giant that stumbled at birth—still struggling to rise, still searching for the dream it once promised to its people.
