The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has lamented Nigeria’s prolonged struggle with ineffective leadership, saying the country has been plagued by “lousy leaders” for many years.
Speaking at the second Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST), organised by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative (PWI) in Kano, the former Central Bank Governor said Nigeria would have faced bankruptcy if the federal government had not removed fuel subsidies.
Sanusi stressed that the nation’s progress is directly tied to the quality of its leadership.
“You rise and fall with the quality of your leadership, and Nigeria has had lousy leadership for a long time,” he said. “Until we begin to critically assess those we choose to lead us, nothing will change. In many cases, when you look at the people in power, you wonder: ‘How did we get here?’”
He criticised the nature of political discourse in the country, noting that while other nations are focused on critical issues like climate change and artificial intelligence, Nigeria remains entangled in outdated ethnic and religious debates.
“We are still discussing whether someone is Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Northern or Christian—conversations we should have outgrown since the 1960s,” he added.
The Emir urged Nigerian youths to take a stand and take over leadership from the older generation, arguing that they have the numbers and capacity to transform the nation.
Sanusi also defended President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies, describing them as unsustainable.
“If you look at the billions that were spent on subsidies, that money could have built refineries,” he said. “My objection has always been to subsidies on consumption, which only keep European refineries running and create jobs abroad. By now, without the removal of the subsidy, the country would have been bankrupt.”
He further cautioned against the government’s rising appetite for borrowing, warning that reckless debt accumulation could have long-term consequences for the economy.
Earlier, PWI Creative Director, Nasiba Babale, said this year’s festival, themed ‘Poetry in a Time of Crisis’, seeks to inspire poets to use their craft as a tool for peacebuilding and social change, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
