The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that Nigeria requires visionary and courageous leaders like President Bola Tinubu to realize the “Nigeria of our dreams.”
Wike made the remark on Thursday during the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, titled “The Nigeria of Our Dreams.”
In his address, Wike identified bad leadership as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, echoing the sentiments of renowned writer Chinua Achebe, who famously stated that “the trouble with Nigeria is squarely a failure of leadership.”
“Our leaders, historically, have mostly emerged through self-serving arrangements disconnected from national interest,” Wike said. “This has been the case in both military and civilian regimes.”
However, Wike noted that President Tinubu represents a departure from that trend, describing him as a leader with the character, vision, and courage needed to drive national transformation.
“Tinubu embodies the qualities required—resilience, informed decision-making, belief in Nigeria’s vast potential, and a commitment to excellence over mediocrity,” he said. “He’s a leader who takes bold steps—such as the removal of fuel subsidy on day one—not just for political convenience but for long-term national benefit.”
Wike highlighted the outcomes of the subsidy removal, including increased resources for states, reduced debt accumulation, and a gradual market-driven adjustment in fuel pricing. He also praised Tinubu’s commitment to federalism through the creation of zonal commissions, which aim to decentralize development and return power to the people.
On security, Wike cited improved funding and training for security forces, as well as the approval for recruiting forest guards to tackle rural insecurity and deny terrorists safe havens.
“These and many more initiatives are laying the foundation for a more secure, prosperous, and truly federal Nigeria,” Wike said.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, represented by Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, lauded Wike’s political experience and praised the infrastructural progress in the FCT under his leadership.
Also speaking, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Bamire, described the lecture as timely and relevant, especially given Nigeria’s ongoing democratic and developmental challenges.
“The theme invites deep reflection on the systems that underpin governance, democracy, and civic responsibility,” he said.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who served as the Royal Father of the Day, commended Wike’s fearlessness and directness.
“Wike is an upright politician who speaks the truth regardless of opinion. Love him or hate him—he says things as they are,” the monarch remarked.
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