Nigeria is disarray. Our Youths do not have Heroes to look up to – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“We are starved of heroes. Our young people do not find people to look up to anymore.” – Adichie

Nigerian Awarding winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said that Nigeria is in disarray and lacks “heroes” to inspire its youthful population as she speaks to Nigerian Bar Association audience. She reiterated that Nigeria needs heroes that are capable of taking decisions and actions to save the country.

In her keynote address, Adichie said: ” Nigeria is disarray. Things are hard and getting harder by the day. We can’t be safe when there is no role of law. Nigerians are starve of heroes to look up to. Late Dora Akunyili and Gani Gawehimmi were heroes that Nigerians looked up to before now. Unfortunately that era has gone. I believe that NBA is in a position to give the nation, heroes that we can look up to the lead the nation.”

“As long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice, peace cannot thrive. If we don’t talk about it, we fail to hold leaders accountable and we turn what should be transparent systems into ugly opaque cults.”

“My experience made me think there’s something dead in us, in our society; a death of self-awareness and ability for self-criticism.

“There’s a need for resurrection. We cannot avoid self-criticism but criticise the government. We cannot hide our own institutional failure while demanding transparency from the government.”

The presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Kashim Shettima, All Progressives Congress (APC) running mate made their presentations.. Bola Tinubu was absent.