In a country where every conversation seems to begin with a litany of failures and lamentations of problems, Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, offers a refreshing perspective which is the audacity to see Nigeria’s glass as half full.
His Democracy Day intervention challenges the national narrative of lamentation, calling instead for a solutions-oriented approach to nation-building.
His position represents a fundamental shift in how Nigeria’s leaders should engage with the country’s challenges.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Governor Soludo’s intervention is his defense of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms. In a polity where criticism of government policy is often seen as patriotic duty, Governor Soludo’s endorsement carries significant weight, not because he is a government apologist, but because he has historically been a critic of the very institutions now praising Nigeria’s economic direction.
Governor Soludo’s assertion that the country was approaching insolvency, with potential “mass retrenchment of workers and/or arrears of salaries and pension,” paints a picture of an economy on the brink of collapse. This context makes the current trajectory under the Tinubu administration more significant than critics might acknowledge.
This distinction between knowing what to do and actually doing it represents the gap between political rhetoric and governance reality. It is easy to prescribe solutions when you are not responsible for their implementation or consequences.
That is why Governor Soludo’s deliberate choice to focus more on what is right with or working in Nigeria is more of strategic necessity than a personal philosophy. In a country where negative narratives dominate public discourse, someone needs to document and celebrate progress, however incremental.
This does not mean ignoring problems or avoiding difficult conversations. Rather, it means approaching challenges from a position of strength and possibility rather than weakness and despair. When leaders model this approach, it can shift the entire national conversation from what is wrong to what is possible.
Governor Soludo’s challenge to critics to provide “rigorous counterfactual analysis and credible alternatives” notably enriches national discourse. This demand for intellectual rigour raises the bar for political criticism, moving beyond emotional reactions to evidence-based assessments.
The observation that “the task is always easy especially if you are not the one doing it” speaks to the responsibility that comes with offering alternatives. It is one thing to criticise from the sidelines; it is another to propose solutions that account for political, economic, and social realities. This ultimately calls for a cultural shift in how Nigerians engage with their country’s challenges. Moving from a lamentation culture to a solutions culture requires intentional effort from leaders, intellectuals, and citizens alike.
In our national expedition toward sustainable nationhood, it is crucial to always bear in mind Governor Soludo’s words that “we must appreciate how far we have come” while acknowledging “we still have a very long way to go”. Nations built on narratives of perpetual failure rarely transcend those narratives. But countries that acknowledge progress while working toward greater achievements create momentum for continued improvement.
