One of the statements I detest the most is, “Nigeria happened to him.”

Why should Nigeria be associated with failure, pain, misfortune or anything negative? When disasters strike in other countries, their citizens do not say, “America happened to me” or “The UK happened to me.” Yet, somehow, we have normalised using our own country as shorthand for disappointment.

Why do we keep speaking ill of Nigeria as though bad things do not happen elsewhere in the world? No one is glossing over the challenges we face as a nation. Our problems are real, and many of them are painful. But speaking about our country as if it is nothing but a burden does us no good.

You can criticise the ills of the nation and the failures of its leadership. However, when you constantly pull the country down with your words, you should not be shocked when others pick up those same narratives and amplify them. We need to change our orientation. No one will love Nigeria more than Nigerians.

We criticise Nigeria a lot—and sometimes rightly so. But are our words helping us move forward or holding us back? Share on X

The truth is this: anyone who takes the time to do an honest and balanced assessment will see that, despite the challenges confronting us, Nigeria is not all bad. In fact, in many significant ways, things are improving.

I experienced this firsthand on Monday, January 5, 2026, when I passed through Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. I was arriving from Cairo, on a flight that was completely full, with many passengers coming in from Saudi Arabia. Naturally, I was in a hurry and fully prepared for the usual stress and long queues at immigration.

But I was in for a pleasant surprise.

All I had to do was scan my passport at the e-gate—and that was it. No long lines. No unnecessary questioning. No awkward interactions. The officials who used to grin from ear to ear while asking all kinds of needless questions were nowhere to be found. The process was smooth, efficient, and refreshingly modern.

That single experience reinforced something I have always believed: this nation can work, especially when we deliberately use technology to reduce excessive human intervention. That January 5 transit was the fastest and easiest experience I have ever had at that airport. The anxiety I arrived with was quickly replaced by genuine joy—joy at seeing systems actually work. I also noticed a flurry of construction activities going on around the airport, which further signalled progress.

Words matter. How we speak about Nigeria shapes how others see us and how we see ourselves. We can hold leaders accountable without tearing down the nation. Share on X

This is my way of saying kudos to the Minister of Aviation, the Minister of Interior, the Immigration Service, and the Federal Government for a job well done. When things work, they deserve to be acknowledged.

Nigeria is not perfect. Far from it. But it is also not hopeless. Progress may be uneven, but it is happening. And if we choose to see it, support it, and speak responsibly about our country, we can accelerate that progress.

Let us change our orientation. Let us speak with balance, truth, and hope. Above all, let us remember that no one will build Nigeria for us.

Let’s make Nigeria great.