Nigeria's Governance Challenges and Call for Reform

Wole Olaoye recounts an incident from 1985 involving a landlord fined N500 for urinating in public, illustrating the strict enforcement of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) at that time. He contrasts this with the current state of disorderliness in Nigeria, where such behavior would go unpunished.

As Nigeria approaches the August 2026 election campaigns, he notes the cyclical nature of political promises and governance failures. Olaoye advocates for a constitutional amendment to implement a single six-year presidential term, arguing that the current system of two four-year terms leads to inefficiency, with politicians spending significant time learning the ropes and campaigning rather than governing.

He emphasizes the need for a reset in Nigeria's approach to governance to avoid continued dysfunction and to ensure that elected officials focus on impactful governance from the outset.