Sanusi Slams Failed Leadership, Urges Nigerian Youth to Take Charge
THE Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has delivered a stinging critique of Nigeria’s political class, blaming decades of “lousy leadership” for the nation’s economic hardship, social divisions, and stalled progress.
Speaking on Saturday at the second edition of the Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST), organised by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative, Sanusi said Nigeria’s trajectory has been determined by the poor quality of those in power.
“You rise and fall with the quality of your leadership, and Nigeria has had lousy leadership for a long time,” the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor declared. “In most parts of this country, you look at people who are leading you and you ask yourself, ‘Oh God, is this really the person? How did we end up here?’”
He lamented that while the rest of the world is debating issues like climate change and artificial intelligence, Nigeria remains trapped in outdated conversations about ethnicity and religion. “We are still in conversations we had in the 1960s,” he said, pointing to the pettiness of national discourse compared to global priorities.
Sanusi challenged Nigeria’s youths to end the cycle of recycled leaders, insisting they have the power to retire the current political elite if they muster the will. “Until the young people decide enough is enough and take this country from the old people who have held it down, nothing will change,” he said.
On economic matters, the outspoken monarch backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies, describing the policy as unsustainable and damaging to national finances. “We were subsidising consumption, not production,” he argued, stressing that billions of naira spent could have revived local refineries.
He also sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s rising debt, warning that reckless borrowing and spending could cripple future generations. “If the rate at which governments borrow and squander money continues, it will have a damaging effect on our economy in the years to come,” he cautioned.
The festival’s creative director, Nasiba Babale, said the event—held under the theme “Poetry in a Time of Crisis”—was designed to harness the power of art for peace, healing, and activism, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
KAPFEST drew poets, scholars, and young creatives from across the country, who used performances and discussions to confront Nigeria’s current challenges while imagining pathways to a better future.
