Tribalism Is The Silent Roadblock To Nigeria’s Progress

By Abidemi Adebamiwa

The real problem holding Nigeria back is not just corruption or poor leadership, but tribalism. After sixty-five years of independence, we are still trapped in an endless struggle between ethnic interests that continue to overshadow national growth.

In countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, people from different backgrounds can rise to become mayors, senators, or governors if they have the trust of the people. Only the presidency in the United States is limited to natural-born citizens. In Nigeria, however, it is almost unthinkable for someone outside the dominant ethnic group of a region to win power there.

Lagos politics shows the fault lines clearly. Many Yoruba voters grow uncomfortable when an Igbo candidate begins to gain momentum. In the East, the same suspicion meets any Yoruba figure who dares to contest. Elections are reduced to arguments about whose turn it is, rather than serious debates about jobs, healthcare, education, or infrastructure.

“Elections in Nigeria have become arguments about whose turn it is, not debates about jobs, healthcare, or infrastructure.”

The louder voices shout about Yoruba mandate, Igbo mandate, or northern mandate, while the people themselves are left without electricity, food security, or hope.

The truth is, tribalism does not fill an empty stomach or create employment. It does not heal broken roads or build schools. Instead, it deepens distrust between communities and makes progress impossible. Countries that moved from poverty to prosperity did so by lifting every group together, not by excluding others.

“Nigeria can only move forward when competence is valued above tribe and leaders are judged by vision, not ancestry.”

Citizens must begin to judge leaders by the strength of their vision and the quality of their service. That is the path to genuine development and a future that belongs to all.

Abidemi Adebamiwa is a policy analyst and Managing Editor @ Newspot Nigeria.