02/08/2026
Atiku: Nigeria’s Greatest Tragedy Is Leadership Not Worthy of Youth Talent
By Samuel Luka, Bauchi
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says Nigeria’s biggest problem is not a lack of talent among its young people, but a lack of leadership capable of harnessing it.
In a wide-ranging address to young Nigerians on Facebook, Atiku painted a picture of a generation of innovators, farmers, doctors and entrepreneurs “proving every day that the Nigerian spirit cannot be defeated,” but who are “trapped by poor leadership.”
“I see graduates searching endlessly for jobs that do not exist. I see entrepreneurs spending more money on diesel than on expanding their businesses. I see brilliant young people leaving Nigeria, not because they have stopped loving their country, but because they no longer believe their country loves them back,” he said.
Atiku said he dreams of a Nigeria “where electricity powers factories instead of generators, where talent matters more than tribe, and where hard work is rewarded.”
He traced his own history to student activism and the pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s, noting: “We did not have social media to amplify our voices. We organised. We debated. We mobilised. We marched. And sometimes, we ran from the police.”
The elder statesman said democracy must do more than hold elections. “Democracy must create opportunities. It must protect lives. It must reward enterprise,” he stated.
He challenged youths not to merely criticize bad leadership but to prepare to provide good leadership. “Do not merely demand a better Nigeria. Become the generation that builds it,” Atiku said.
Ending with a call to action, he said: “My generation has carried the baton this far. Today, with confidence and hope, I place that baton in your hands.”