“Any Nigerian politician who claims they can “change Nigeria” in four years is selling a dream”

ANY Nigerian politician who claims they can “change Nigeria” in four years is selling a dream.

It sounds good on the campaign trail, but the realities of governance, the structural problems of Nigeria, and historical precedence make such a promise practically impossible.

Nigeria’s dysfunction is not caused by a single issue that can be “fixed” with one policy.

It is a cocktail of problems built over decades.

Corruption is systemic; it doesn’t only live in the government, it seeps into security, the judiciary, and even daily interactions like customs offices and licensing agencies.

Cleaning this up in four years is like trying to drain an ocean with a bucket.

Institutions are weak and often politicized, and rebuilding them requires years of cultural and procedural change.

The economy is over-reliant on oil, with 80 to 90 percent of foreign exchange coming from it. True diversification into manufacturing, agriculture, and technology demands multi-year investments, industrial policies, and infrastructure projects that simply cannot mature in one term.

Even a president with the best intentions does not govern by decree.

Transformative policies like constitutional amendments, economic restructuring, or true federalism require the cooperation of the National Assembly and state governments, and these institutions often move at a glacial pace.

The civil service, notorious for its incompetence, can trap initiatives in paperwork or sab0tage reforms that threaten vested interests.

Reviving the economy also cannot be rushed.

Current debt servicing consumes more than 90 percent of government revenue, leaving very little room for new projects.

Even with solid reforms, visible results like reduced inflation and job creation take years to appear.

Major infrastructure projects, railways, roads, refineries, often require five to ten years from conception to completion.

Nigeria’s security challenges add another layer of complexity.

The country faces terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, insecurity in the South-East, and oil theft in the Niger Delta.

These are not problems that can be solved in four years.

Insurgencies require not only military strength and intelligence but also long-term socio-economic solutions that address the root causes of poverty, unemployment, and neglect.

Rebuilding trust in neglected regions takes consistency, not campaign slogans.

History proves this point.

No leader in Nigeria’s democratic history has “changed Nigeria” in a single term.

Obasanjo spent his first four years pursuing debt relief and telecom reforms but still left power shortages and corruption.

Jonathan grew the economy but could not overcome insecurity and systemic theft.

Buhari came in promising to crush c0rruption and insecurity, yet after one term, both problems persisted.

Even countries like Singapore and Rwanda, often cited as success stories, required decades of consistent policy and leadership to achieve transformation.

The truth is that changing Nigeria in four years is impossible because the problems are structural and generational.

Governance is slow, bureaucracy is heavy, the economy is fragile, and security challenges are complex.

A realistic leader should focus on laying the foundations for reform and stability in four years, not selling the illusion of overnight transformation.

Real change in Nigeria will require at least eight to sixteen years of consistent policies across administrations.

Our problem plenty, and no be today e start!

– By Chioma Amaryllis Ahaghotu