The former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said Nigeria has long suffered due to the quality of its leadership, which he described as “lousy.”
Speaking at the second Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST) held in Kano on Saturday, Sanusi noted that Nigeria has consistently been led by individuals lacking the capacity to move the country forward.
“You rise and fall with the quality of your leadership, and Nigeria has had lousy leadership for a long time,” Sanusi said.
“In most parts of this country, you look at the people leading and ask yourself, ‘Oh God, is this really the person? How did we end up here?’”
He criticized the nature of public discourse in Nigeria, lamenting that while other countries are focused on critical issues like climate change and artificial intelligence, Nigeria remains stuck in ethnic and religious debates.
“We are still talking about Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa, North or South, Christian or Muslim — the same conversations we were having in the 1960s,” he said.
Sanusi also praised the federal government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies, stating that the policy was unsustainable and would have bankrupted the country if left in place.
“If you look at the billions spent on subsidy, that money could’ve been used to fix refineries. My issue was never with subsidies themselves but with subsidies on consumption,” he explained.
“We were essentially funding jobs for refiners in Europe, while neglecting our own infrastructure.”
He further warned about the dangerous trend of excessive borrowing by all levels of government in Nigeria, cautioning that it could have long-term economic consequences.
Sanusi urged Nigerian youths to rise up and take responsibility for the country’s future.
“With will and determination, young people can retire the current political class and take over,” he said.
Festival Background
The poetry festival was organized by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative (PWI) under the theme: “Poetry in a Time of Crisis.”
According to PWI Creative Director, Nasiba Babale, the event aims to empower poets and artists to advocate for peace and justice, especially in light of the ongoing crises in Northern Nigeria.
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