France, Nepal, U.S.: Lessons For Africa
FROM Paris to Kathmandu to Washington, a troubling pattern has emerged: citizens rising against governments they no longer trust. The anger is global, the grievances familiar—economic hardship, political arrogance, widening inequality, and leadership failures. For African leaders, these events are not distant crises but urgent warnings.
A World on Edge
France, the land of revolutions, is once again aflame with massive protests. Citizens are not only rejecting pension reforms and rising costs of living; they are demanding dignity, fairness, and accountability from leaders who appear disconnected from their struggles. If a nation with centuries of democratic tradition is convulsed by unrest, what should fragile democracies expect?
In Nepal, where democracy is barely a decade and a half old, young people are out on the streets. Frustrated by unemployment, corruption, and endless political bickering, they see a future slipping away. For them, governance has become a cynical game of power, far removed from development and opportunity.
In the United States, the shocking murder of conservative commentator Charles Kirk illustrates just how far political polarisation has eroded national cohesion. Violence has replaced debate, mistrust overshadows dialogue, and democracy itself feels fragile.
Different as they are, these events are bound by one thread: the collapse of trust between citizens and their leaders.
The Rude Awakening
Whether in advanced democracies or young nations, people are restless. They are rejecting leaders who govern with arrogance, who serve elites while ignoring ordinary citizens. Inequality deepens, corruption festers, and politicians exploit divisions rather than heal them. Disillusionment quickly transforms into rage, and when people lose faith in ballots, they take to the streets—or worse.
This is the rude awakening for leaders everywhere: governance is no longer about self-preservation, patronage, or empty promises. Citizens now demand people-centred leadership, and when they do not get it, they push back. Sometimes in peaceful protest, sometimes in violent upheaval.
Lessons for Africa
African leaders, including those in Nigeria, cannot afford to ignore this wave of global unrest. Already, the continent has seen its share of fires: South Africans protesting corruption and unemployment; Kenyans rejecting punishing tax regimes; Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso collapsing under failed governance.
Nigeria itself has witnessed powerful movements, from #EndSARS in 2020 to the #EndBadGovernance protests of 2024. Today, millions grapple with rising food prices, inflation, joblessness, and insecurity, while political elites appear absorbed in power games and privileges. The gap between citizens’ suffering and leaders’ priorities grows wider by the day.
The message is clear: Africa’s leaders must wake up. Citizens are not passive subjects anymore. Social media, grassroots networks, and cross-border solidarity have made mobilisation faster and more powerful. Governments that ignore this reality do so at their own peril.
The Path Forward
What is needed is not complicated, but it requires courage:
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Humility in governance: listening to ordinary citizens, not just advisers and elites.
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Equity and fairness: ensuring policies reduce inequality rather than widen it.
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Integrity: fighting corruption and restoring public trust.
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Inclusivity: bridging ethnic, religious, and ideological divides rather than weaponising them.
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Delivery: citizens care less about grand speeches and more about schools, hospitals, jobs, security, and electricity.
The world is on edge. From France to Nepal to America, the fire is spreading. These are not isolated events but warnings. They show what happens when governments neglect their duty to serve. For Nigeria and Africa, the lesson is urgent: leadership must transform or risk being consumed by the same flames of discontent.
The people have spoken—loudly and clearly. Leaders ignore them at their own peril.
