By Hamilton Odunze
Nigerians have consistently brought attention to their suffering through persistent and courageous protests. However, the leaders succumbed to “Motivated Ignorance,” which kept them from turning things around for the people. Compared to most countries where leaders are responsive to their people’s outcries, the collective voice of Nigerians should have elicited a response from the leaders by now.
For example, in 2019, the people of Bolivia used protests to compel President Evo Morales to step down, demonstrating the compelling influence of the people’s voice. The Bolivian population accused Morales of election fraud, and their collective outcry resulted in his resignation. A similar situation unfolded in Lebanon, where widespread allegations of corruption and mismanagement led to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. Much like the protests in Nigeria, the Lebanese people orchestrated a 13-day mass protest demanding the removal of the country’s political leaders due to corruption, inadequate public services, and years of economic mismanagement. Many of them resigned in adherence to the Latin phrase vox populi suprema.
But let’s not get it wrong. Resignation or removal from office may be one of many pertinent things to do in these circumstances, but it is not all. The fundamental point is for public officials to be sensitive enough to respond to the people. If you assume Nigeria is a democracy, the leaders must respond to the people’s voice. It is the hallmark of democracy. In a democracy, it is equally important to understand when goodwill is needed to continue serving. When leaders lack the goodwill and the courage to bring about change, resigning is the only sensible thing to do.
However, in Nigeria, the response to protests is different. The government often uses any means necessary to suppress protests, maintain the status quo, and sometimes even worsen the situation. A case in point happened in October 2020 when Nigerian youths took to the streets nationwide to demand an end to police brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). This movement, known as the #EndSARS protest, garnered international attention and support. Yet, the Nigerian government violently cracked down on the demonstrations, resulting in at least 56 deaths, including 12 people who were shot and killed in Lekki on October 20, 2020. In 2024, many of the protesters arrested remain detained without due process. That is Nigeria for you.
Daniel Joy-Igbo is one of the individuals in prison for a significant period. “Since my arrest in December 2020, I have been held in prison without trial,” Igbo told Amnesty International. He is among the fifteen protesters in government detention since the protest. Sodiq Adigun is also in a similar situation. Adigun appealed to the government for freedom in a statement to Amnesty International. Igbo and Adigun are among the millions of youth who risked their lives for change. Their emotions during the protest four years ago show that the End SARS protest aimed for change in all aspects of life in Nigeria.
Following the #EndSARS protest, Nigerians have continued to express discontent and frustration with the country’s state. In August 2023, labor unions nationwide protested the high cost of living. They demanded improvements to the social welfare system to alleviate hardship. Just before the protests began, the government removed the oil subsidy, which was reported to cost the government 4.39 trillion Naira or 5.07 billion dollars annually. Eliminating the oil subsidy has increased financial strain for millions of Nigerians, significantly raising living costs and transportation expenses. “Since the subsidy removal, you cannot move from one place to another,” says Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC).
The government suppressed the NLC protests and restored the status quo, as with the #EndSARS protest. However, Nigerians are encouraged. Again, in June 2024, protesters took to the streets in several cities in Southwestern states and other parts of the country, calling on the government to take action to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians. Their demands included immediate measures to lower the cost of living, create jobs, and end police brutality. Some placards read, ‘President Tinubu, let the poor breathe.’ Nevertheless, this protest once again lost momentum, and the situation for Nigerians continued to deteriorate. All these protests shared the common theme of falling on the deaf ears of the leaders.
You are not alone if you have wondered why these protests share this common theme. I’ve also wondered why Nigeria’s leaders consistently seem to overlook the widespread suffering in the country even after significant protests that should alert them to the possibilities of a Nigerian revolution. Even when a substantial number of the population are desperate to leave Nigeria, the leaders remain nonchalant. Consider this survey. According to a 2023 BBC survey, 70% of Nigerians are determined to emigrate. Despite this urgency, there seems to be little effort to address the situation within the country.
The only plausible explanation for their inaction and unheeding ears is MOTIVATED IGNORANCE. Motivated ignorance is a term that describes people’s ability to close their eyes to facts willfully. Most of us exhibit this behavior when the facts go against our beliefs or are too challenging to handle. However, in the case of Nigerian leaders, their deliberate ignorance of the country’s problems poses a real threat to its existence. The urgent issues of growing insecurity, poverty, and youth unemployment seem to mean nothing to them. Yet, no country can survive when 70% of its citizens wish to leave, with 69% being youth aged 18 to 35. They have convinced themselves that Nigeria’s situation is mild even when the evidence suggests otherwise.
MOTIVATED IGNORANCE is a coping mechanism people use when they lack the skills to deal with problems. When faced with difficult situations, many behave like ostriches who bury their heads in the sand, creating an “Ostrich problem.” This cognitive disposition describes how we avoid negative information, especially when we feel incapable of solving our problems. The leaders in Nigeria lack the skills to solve the country’s issues even if they want to. They do not know how to do it. So, if they sincerely want to improve the situation, a good starting point would be openly acknowledging that they are collectively and individually incapable of fixing the country. The sooner they admit it and step out of Nigeria’s leadership and political space, the sooner Nigeria can get on the right track.
MOTIVATED IGNORANCE prevents people from acknowledging conclusions that would portray them as the culprits. In simple terms, most people avoid recognizing negative outcomes from their actions because they do not want to take the blame or responsibility. Nigerian leaders, for example, deliberately overlook how their individual actions have contributed to the hardships faced by Nigerians. In private conversations, even the most corrupt Nigerian leaders complain about corruption without realizing their own involvement. They have convinced themselves that they are not the reason why hardship in Nigeria continues unabated.
Finally, and most importantly, they have also failed to see that if hardship continues unabated in Nigeria, my hunch is that the people will overthrow those who oppose change sooner rather than later. There have been sufficient warning signs, so they cannot say they did not see it coming.