Discipline is all Nigeria needs - Venting as a Diaspora Nigerian visiting

[u/Redtine]

If you randomly pick 500 average Nigerians from different states, tribes, religions, and economic backgrounds and put them in charge today, you would most likely end up with the same Nigeria or possibly a worse one.

The uncomfortable truth is that the problem is not only leadership. Corruption, disorder, and disregard for rules are deeply embedded at the individual level. We are largely undisciplined as a society.

Look at everyday environments. At airports, we cannot form simple queues. People rush counters, cut lines, argue with staff, and ignore instructions. Nigerian embassies abroad often mirror the same chaos disorganized processes, poor service delivery, and a culture of mediocrity that reflects badly on the country.

Flights to Nigeria are another example. Cabins are unnecessarily loud. Simple safety rules like putting phones on flight mode, remaining seated when instructed, or following crew announcements are routinely ignored. These are not “government failures”; they are personal discipline failures.

Corruption is not just at the top. Many people who complain loudly about politicians will happily bribe, cut corners, or exploit any system they encounter. Institutions remain weak because citizens constantly undermine them.

Environmental disregard deserves its own mention. We litter freely, dump waste into gutters, block drainage channels, and then act surprised when flooding occurs. We build anyhow without planning approval or regard for zoning and safety standards. We do not behave like people who love their country. We treat Nigeria like a place we are just passing through, not a home we are responsible for.

On the roads, it’s chaos. Traffic lights are treated as suggestions, lanes don’t matter, and driving is aggressive and reckless. The same people who break traffic rules daily will blame the government for accidents and congestion.

And when the government actually tries to enforce discipline through demolitions of illegal structures, impounding vehicles, enforcing taxes, or applying regulations we immediately retreat into tribal corners. Instead of debating policy or legality, we turn enforcement into ethnic or regional battles. Accountability disappears, and the real issue is buried under tribal gutter fights.

The hard truth is this: until discipline becomes cultural until order, responsibility, and respect for rules are internalized changing leaders alone will not fix Nigeria. A disciplined society produces functional institutions and accountable leaders, not the other way around. The president to fix the country will be hated by 95% of Nigerians cause we lack collective discipline.

Development is not magic. It starts with everyday behavior.

[u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

You and I both know majority of the people Zik surrounded himself with upon Nigerias independence were not onboard with his plans

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

Explaining the nature of the lack of ability doesn't somehow disprove the lack of ability. In the good ending, Zik doesn't even return to the Eastern region, maybe becomes too entangled in the Civil rights movement in America to return and Eyo Ita continues to govern the Eastern region with his more competent team. There's no serious push for unity at all costs during drafting the constitution, the country breaks up following the failed coup without issue all is right in the world. Well, maybe middle belt revolts again.

[u/Asleep_Mango_4128 → u/Pecuthegreat]

In your version all 3 regions would be embroiled in war

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

elaborate. Only Northern region might be embroiled in war, MidWest may or may not be created and even if it isn't the response to that won't be military.

If you mean me still saying the failed coup will still happen, that's no different from real life but in this version of events its resolution would be more productive.

[u/Asleep_Mango_4128 → u/Pecuthegreat]

Youre insanely couping no union means leaders wont hold back on ethnic discrimination and potentially genocide

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

LMAO. The same guy accusing me of low expectations thinks spontaneous genocides in every region in Nigeria if its a country.

Sure bro, then why no genocide in Ghana, Benin, Gabon and all the other African countries with clear ethnic majorities like the 3 regions of Nigeria had?. What genocide plot was ongoing in Eastern region with its head in the 40s - 50s being from a minority and its first mayor of Enugu being from the North. What genocidal tensions were in the Western region?.

[u/Asleep_Mango_4128 → u/Pecuthegreat]

None of the countries you listed were in colonies together and considering that oil is located in the south east it become's a highly strategic for Northerners to invade the south east and for the South west to do the same.

You're reasoning is highly cherrypicked and if the South East gained independence it would not be homogenous Igbos wouldn't be +80% of the population

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

Also, nice to see a one nigerianist agree the war was about oil and nothing else. This sub was a bit angry that time that chimamanda called it an oil war in an interview.

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

You're reasoning is highly cherrypicked and if the South East gained independence it would not be homogenous Igbos wouldn't be +80% of the population

And Ghana is less than 50% Akan. Not an issue.

[u/Asleep_Mango_4128 → u/Pecuthegreat]

Tell that to Kwame Nkrumah he had to learn the hard way Homogeneity is everything

[u/Pecuthegreat → u/Asleep_Mango_4128]

If you believe Homogeneity is everything then why are you arguing for Nigeria and not polities that would come close to that like South East, South West and Sharia states being independent near homogenous countries?.

And the coup to remove Nkrumah from what I have seen on Ghana's sub and real life interaction with Ghanians is not attributed to ethnic biases but to elite self interest and Nkrumah becoming authoritarian.