Former President urges reforms, says investment and national image are on the line
Abuja, Nigeria – Former President Goodluck Jonathan has issued a strong warning that weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria are severely damaging the country’s future by discouraging investment and tarnishing its global standing.
Speaking at the Haske Satumari Foundation’s annual colloquium in Abuja, the ex-president declared that political actors across the executive, legislature, and judiciary are knowingly eroding public trust and international confidence. The colloquium centered on advancing social development through diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“No serious investor will bring their money into a country where the judiciary is compromised—where government officials can dictate court judgments,” Jonathan emphasized, spotlighting the devastating consequences of weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria.
A Nation Held Back by Its Own Leaders
Jonathan illustrated the stagnation using an Indian proverb:
“If someone is truly asleep, you can wake them. But if someone is pretending to be asleep, waking them becomes impossible.”
He accused key government actors of pretending to be asleep—consciously ignoring their duties while knowing the right path forward. For him, weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria is not a case of ignorance, but deliberate inaction.
The former president stressed that abuse of power is now embedded across all arms of government, turning Nigeria into a risky and unattractive environment for both local and foreign investors.
The Bigger Picture: More Than Just Yahoo Boys
Addressing common misconceptions, Jonathan noted that while cybercrime and scams contribute to Nigeria’s negative image, they are not the main reason investors steer clear.
“The real issue is weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria. If we want a nation our children can be proud of, we must make painful but necessary sacrifices.”
He stated clearly that institutional failure—not individual criminal behavior—is the root of Nigeria’s global branding problem.
Emergency in Rivers: A Silent Stance with a Loud Message
While avoiding direct comment on the proposed state of emergency in Rivers State, Jonathan used the moment to highlight the importance of discretion by former presidents.
“Globally, ex-leaders rarely comment on sitting presidents. It’s about preserving national unity and preventing avoidable tensions.”
Still, the context was unmistakable: weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria are feeding the chaos in Rivers and beyond.
Voices from the Colloquium: The Case for Inclusion
Kudla Satumari, founder of the hosting foundation, opened the event by stressing that equity and inclusion are essential to social development.
“This platform exists to elevate the concerns of the excluded,” he said, linking marginalization to the root cause of weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, represented by Acting Vice-Chancellor Shedrach Best, offered practical insights from Plateau’s efforts at managing diversity and conflict. He invited more Nigerians to experience the state’s culture and minerals as symbols of resilience.
Disability Rights: Kenya’s Echo of Nigeria’s Struggles
Keynote speaker Senator Crystal Asige of Kenya aligned her message with Jonathan’s, arguing that institutional weakness affects marginalised groups globally. Despite supportive legal frameworks, enforcement remains poor in both Kenya and Nigeria.
“The systemic exclusion of persons with disabilities is a global problem,” she said, pointing again to weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria and beyond.
Asige called for political parties to go beyond tokenism and integrate disability issues into broader governance policies.
Final Word: Time for Courageous Decisions
Jonathan closed with a powerful call for leadership that dares to do right, even at a cost.
“Doing the right thing is never easy. But to move forward, Nigeria must rise above the comfort of inaction.”
Until that happens, weak governance and judiciary in Nigeria will continue to choke national progress.