Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II has criticized decades of weak leadership, urging Nigerian youths to take charge.
He defended fuel subsidy removal and warned against growing public debt harming the economy.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s leadership trajectory, saying the country has suffered from poor governance for decades.
Speaking at the second edition of the Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST) on Saturday, the prominent monarch said the nation’s problems are rooted in weak leadership and misplaced priorities. The event was organized by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative (PWI).
Sanusi stressed that Nigeria’s survival and growth depend on the quality of its leaders, noting that for a long time citizens have had to endure public officials who, in his view, lack capacity. He remarked that while other nations are debating major issues such as climate change and artificial intelligence, Nigeria remains preoccupied with old regional and religious rivalries.
According to him, “A country rises or declines based on the competence of those at the helm. For years, we have been led by people who are not up to the task. Every day we see headlines, watch events in parliament, and hear debates that waste time on trivial matters. Other countries are moving forward, but we are still stuck in discussions from the 1960s about ethnicity and religion instead of development.”
The emir also urged Nigerian youth to become more politically active and replace entrenched political figures. He said younger citizens have the numbers and energy to transform the country if they choose to organize and participate in governance.
Turning to the economy, Sanusi defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to abolish the fuel subsidy, calling it necessary to avert a fiscal collapse. He argued that decades of subsidizing consumption rather than production drained the nation’s resources and benefited foreign refineries at Nigeria’s expense.
He explained, “The billions of naira spent on subsidizing imported fuel could have been used to build functional refineries at home. By continuing the subsidy, we were effectively funding jobs abroad while our own economy stagnated. The federal government simply could not afford to keep borrowing to maintain it.”
Sanusi further cautioned against the rising debt profile of governments at all levels, warning that excessive borrowing and wasteful spending could damage the economy in the long term.
Earlier in the program, PWI’s Creative Director, Nasiba Babale, said this year’s festival, themed ‘Poetry in a Time of Crisis,’ seeks to encourage poets to use their craft to advocate for peace and social change across Northern Nigeria.
