In a thought-provoking response to recent remarks by the Emir of Kano, HRM Muhammadu Sanusi II, public affairs analyst Timi Ogunsanwo has argued that Nigeria’s leadership crisis stems not from a lack of education, but from a moral vacuum within its elite and citizens alike.
Citing philosophical reflections from global leaders, he asserted that Nigeria has “educated many menaces to its society,” calling for a cultural and administrative reawakening that restores moral integrity, grassroots governance, and the true essence of democracy.
“To educate a man on mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society,” Ogunsanwo quoted U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as saying,q a reflection, he added, of the very challenge Nigeria faces today.
Education Without Morality: A National Dilemma
Ogunsanwo began his commentary by referencing former U.S. President John Adams, who categorized education into two forms:
“the education of the mind,” representing professional knowledge, and “the education of how to live symbiotically,” representing moral and social discipline.
He lamented that Nigeria’s education system focuses solely on intellectual attainment while neglecting ethical grounding.
“Unless you combine both disciplines,” Adams warned, “you are not truly educated.”
According to Ogunsanwo, this imbalance has produced generations of Nigerians who are “educated in mind and not in morals,” resulting in a society where knowledge thrives but conscience falters.
The Moral Parameters Missing in Nigeria’s Leadership
Drawing from John Ruskin, the English art critic and social thinker he described as “the Shakespeare of modern English culture,” Ogunsanwo highlighted five virtues that define true education which are; a love for doing right, industry, knowledge, purity, and justice.
“Of all these five parameters,” he challenged, “how many are applicable to Nigerians and their leadership? Not a single one.”
His criticism underscored a deeper national malaise, a society where intellect is prized but ethical values are eroded, breeding leaders who serve personal interests rather than public good.
‘Egunje People, Egunje Leaders’: A Symptom of Cultural Decay
Referencing sociological principles, Ogunsanwo asserted that leadership is a reflection of society’s moral fabric.
“The leadership of any society is the direct reflection of the attitude of the people in that society,” he noted.
In a blunt self-assessment of Nigeria’s socio-political culture, he declared, “It is because we are Egunje people that we have Egunje leaders”, using the Yoruba term for corruption or bribery to describe how moral compromise at the grassroots has permeated the highest levels of governance.
This, he argued, is why the country’s institutions remain weak and its development stagnates.
A Return to Root Culture and Local Governance
To address what he called Nigeria’s “fundamental problem,” Ogunsanwo proposed a return to indigenous administrative philosophies and governance systems that once prioritized communal responsibility and moral order.
He called for the empowerment of local governments, recommending that they receive 50 percent of federal revenue allocation to strengthen grassroots democracy.
“We should ensure that it is from the local governments that state government office holders emanate,” he advised, “and from both local and state governments that federal office holders also emanate.”
Building a Culture of Accountability and Justice
Ogunsanwo’s vision for reform extends beyond structural adjustments, it demands a moral revival within Nigeria’s civil and public service.
He argued also that a truly effective system would emerge only when officeholders are “deeply nurtured by our culture in their work and administrative ethics”, and when the rule of law is upheld without compromise.
“Once this is in place,” he said, “it will pave the way for a better Nigeria which our generations yet unborn would be very proud of.”
Why This Matters for National Development
Ogunsanwo’s remarks come at a time when Nigeria’s national discourse on governance, ethics, and leadership has reached renewed urgency, a debate reignited by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, whose recent comments questioned the moral compass guiding Nigeria’s political and social elite.
His intervention reframes the ongoing conversation, shifting it from the familiar terrain of political reform and economic mismanagement to the deeper, often neglected foundation of moral regeneration.
In Ogunsanwo’s view, the country’s crisis is not merely structural or administrative but profoundly ethical, a result of citizens and leaders alike being “educated in mind but not in morals.”
His advocacy for a fusion of intellectual and moral education, coupled with a leadership pipeline rooted in local governance and cultural accountability, aligns with a rising movement among reform-minded Nigerians who believe that true national transformation demands not just a change in leadership, but a reawakening of collective values.
This perspective underscores a growing recognition that sustainable development cannot be achieved through policies or politics alone, but through a moral realignment that restores integrity, empathy, and justice as the guiding principles of national life.
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