Nigeria Lack Heroes – Chimamanda

An award-winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie, has said the nation lacks “heroes” who will motivate its younger citizens.

Adiche made the statement on Monday at the opening remarks of the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) annual general meeting in Lagos State.

“We are starved of heroes. Our young people do not find people to look up to anymore,” the award-winning writer said during the event.

The author contends that Nigerians ought to be willing to critique themselves. This, she claimed, will foster effective leadership across the country.

“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,” Chimamanda noted.

“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 institutional failure while demanding transparency from the government.”

The conference’s theme, “Bold Transitions,” attracted a number of guests, including the award-winning author.

Among the notables who attended the event on Monday were Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), and Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Bola Tinubu, was represented by his running mate Kashim Shettima at the conference.

The NBA had earlier said Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, did not confirm their availability for the conference.

Other presidential candidates at the event were that of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Prince Adewole Adebayo.