Key Points

• Sanusi accuses leaders of using public office for personal interest.

• He urges young Nigerians to challenge a system built on division.

• He calls for a new vision driven by unity and fairness.

Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi Lamido charged Nigeria’s political elite with slowing the country’s progress by treating public office as a family asset.

He spoke on Wednesday at the 15th anniversary of Enough is Enough Nigeria in Lagos.

He told the audience, “We have done enough damage, and maybe we need to stop. Sometimes these are not just missed opportunities; they are deliberately missed opportunities.”

Misplaced priorities, stalled development

Sanusi argued that Nigeria’s setbacks stem from how leaders view power. He said, “The reason we miss these opportunities is that we have people who think public office is about themselves, it’s about their families, it’s about people close to them. It’s not about the country, but public office is about the citizens.”

He pointed to a pattern where national opportunities fade because personal gain takes center stage.

Citizens urged to shape the future

Sanusi pushed young Nigerians to break away from what he called a system built on division and self-interest. He said, “As citizens, each and every one of us must remember that the nation belongs to us.

It does not belong to the government; it does not belong to politicians. We own this country.”

He encouraged unity across ethnic and religious lines and asked the youth to shape a realistic plan for a fairer Nigeria. He added, “It has to be a Nigeria different from the one that has been manufactured for us.

A Nigeria of ethnic rivalries, religious conflicts, and competition for aggrandizement. It has to be a country that realises its potential in the committee of nations.”