Chinua Achebe, one of our nation’s foremost literary scholars, amongst many others have often cited: the main problem of Nigeria, is it's - leadership. "Nigeria does not have good leadership" is the common expression, and as it goes. "If only Nigerian leaders were good..." "...and their Nigerian leadership purpose…better inspiring, more purposeful and stalwart in its direction..." "...and had clearer communication": then the nation’s perils would be solved; just like that.

As it is impossible for one person to fathom…another person's mind; completely: It would be unwise to be sure of the context, in which the notion; ‘Nigerian Leadership’...is used by the many benevolent persecutors of our polity’s fate. But then of course, liberty abounds...with which to speculate and surmise.

Is the criticism of a poor Nigerian leadership; levelled against the leader, the followers…or is it levelled against a combination of both. And with or without the involvement of outside events.

The Nigerian leadership... as indeed any leadership, is a simple dynamic; when properly understood. But when not...understood: the dynamic of Nigerian leadership is taxing and complex. Knowledge is power...but only when; applied, at the right time, and in the right way, and for the right reason.

Even the current and prevailing Nigerian system, which had allowed the emergence and dominanace of the contemporary  Nigerian leader profile, still poses to influence any - future..Nigerian leadership dynamic.

This dynamic comprises of: all the different and conflicting values of our nation…our fears and our dreams, along with what we consider most important to us. These things are the huge underpinning and essence, and engines of a Nigerian leadership. The firmness or laxity about which the populace of our republic scrutinise; choices, is also important. And similarly; to what extents are we prepared to form alliances with fellow citizens from counter walks of life - to build a firm bedrock of - a societal peace, upon which the Nigerian leader can stand...and from where the Nigerian leader can permeate into our minds; the colours of their vision.

We must also factor into the equation; the Nigeria political history. The events of today, give birth to the precedence which guides tomorrow’s directives. Our history...and the lessons drawn, are our greatest contributor towards a Nigerian leadership. It is always easier for a current Nigerian leadership’s to do what has been done before in the past, rather than innovate and reform.

Also affecting the outcomes of our leadership, are...key matters such as; the global forces. These outside forces are at times - distracting. And on other occasions...damn right meddlesome and interfering. These jarring disturbances are as a result of the lack of Nigeria’s real independence; and leadership of self, and the un-avoidance of the inevitable; there will be always be things going wrong. That is unavoidalble. And that's why Nigeria's leadership, requires...managers and builders.

The silent rumblings of a quiet disarray, or a whispering thunder under the ground, upon which the people stand, will also affect Nigeria’s leadership. For instance…since independence, the urban youth – and perhaps more south, than north – have been lead by social trends in Europe and America, and had done so...to the exclusion of the - understanding participations of the older population. There could have been, no quicker way to impair a Nigeria’s leadership culture, than to have its younger population looking outside, for its inspirations, as the older generations rule over empty nests, and their own realities of life, not shared with the suceeding generations...a schism being formed.

 It was therefore no wonder that when the Nigeria leadership, began to weaken in the early eighties, many young graduates were no longer rooted in any promise of a Nigerian future, and leadership; they fled to the nations with whom their imaginations had long been aligned.

A broadband connectivity - between the Nigerian leaders and the people; is key. A good Nigerian leadership requires a superhighway connection between the vision and the people; after all…it is the people themselves who actualise the vision, by having faith in themselves, through the - Nigerian leadership; of which they are the significant part. In a strange and dumb sense; the Nigerian leadership is a merely a vessel or conduit, through which the people pass to reach the Mecca of their Promised Lands.

So whenever that ubiquitous derision is sounded…"If Only Nigerians had a good Nigerian Leadership" and it blocks your ears. Remember: we are…the Nigerian Leadership. Any improvement in the Nigerian leadership must begin with ourselves. We need to improve our leadership of self and sphere.  And understand deeper; that we are...the law and order…we are the civil service….we are the peace and security…we are the creativity and innovation…we are the arts and culture…we are the ambition and erudition…we are the economic development of our own nation...and we are the peace and the - war. Lessons must be drawn from the Rwanda Genocide Experience.

Another  cautionary note…whenever we use the USA as our model for duplication of good leadership structures: we must remeber, the USA was made up of -  independent States with a bouncing economic viability, and existence; before the USA was formed. One of the main the challenges for the Nigerian Leadership; is how we can help develop independent economic viability, for our poorer states…whose creation was borne more of political motivations, than any genuine maturity...on part the formed "state". The USA was better positioned for future great leadership at its helm, because the maturity of the states... which preceded the union, fed into the federal matrix.

The lesson for Nigeria being; the quicker we have an agenda aimed at getting our non-viable states off of the ground to becoming self sustainable...then the quicker the leadership at the helm will wax. And surely the strategy for state development must be the fostering of community growth, by giving much power and freedom to the indivudual through tangible and intangibe infrastructures. And an assured decency and protection, by means of a moral and homgenous national ethic. And of  course the statutes of our  laws and...religion, which goad us onto the Meccanic and Jerusalemic roads of peace, with an iron fist and velvet glove.  

Once we understand, and become these things…Nigerians will have excellent Nigerian Leadership: Because we will stand for nothing else. And nothing less, but our certain future; of which some people already know is nigh. The writing on the wall is not always written by nemesis; shey you understand?

A half empty glass…will just not do; this time around, so we must vote FULL.

A Good Nigerian leadership is about us...Nigerians.

Drinking from the Fullness and to the Fullness...Of a Grand and Common Vision.