Weak Institutions, Divisions Hindering Nigeria’s Progress – Hayab

The Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), Rev. Joseph John Hayab, has identified weak institutions, poor democratic participation, insecurity and social divisions as major factors hindering Nigeria’s development.

Hayab, in a statement issued on Friday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, said the country could make significant progress if its institutions functioned effectively and Nigerians began to see the country as a common project.

He said Nigeria had failed to fully realise its enormous human and material resources, noting that the strength of any country depended largely on the effectiveness of institutions responsible for security, education, economic opportunities, democratic accountability and the provision of public services.

According to him, Nigeria should have achieved considerably more at 66, given its resources, but weak institutions and inadequate citizen participation in governance had continued to constrain its development.

He said countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, which he described as Nigeria’s contemporaries, had made significant progress, while Nigeria continued to grapple with challenges linked to governance, insecurity and social divisions.

“When you bring Nigerians together, you will see that the divisions among us are the reason why, at 66, we are still struggling to make progress. But we can jump fast within a few years if we close ranks and start seeing ourselves as Nigerians, treating this country as our country, as our nation,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to take greater interest in elections, stressing that those who disengage from the political process should not expect the system to consistently produce the leadership they desire.

The NCA chairman further said public resources should translate into services and infrastructure that benefit citizens, stressing that roads, hospitals, schools and other public facilities were responsibilities funded with public resources and not favours to Nigerians.

He said Nigeria needed to strengthen its institutions beyond the political and security sectors, adding that education, the economy, religion and other areas of national life also required effective systems and responsible leadership.

Hayab further called for renewed commitment to national unity, credible elections, institutional accountability and active citizenship, saying Nigeria could overcome its development challenges if citizens collectively took ownership of the country’s future.