Jonathan Breaks Silence: The Untold Reasons Nigeria Isn’t Moving Forward

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has identified Nigeria’s deep-rooted tribal and religious divisions as a major barrier to the nation’s progress and development.

Speaking in an interview on ‘Talking Books African’, a programme by the Rainbow Book Club, Jonathan expressed concern over Nigeria’s continued missteps in leadership selection. He attributed this failure to the influence of ethnic and religious bias in the country’s political landscape.

Jonathan called on Nigerian youths to move away from choosing leaders based on tribal or religious affiliations. Instead, he urged them to focus on competence and the ability to lead effectively.

He emphasized that these sentiments have severely undermined the leadership recruitment process in Nigeria.

“Nigeria remains deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines, and that’s a cause for concern,” Jonathan said. “If we don’t take steps to correct this — and those steps won’t be easy — this trend could persist for generations. It’s part of the reason we started off on the wrong path as a nation.”

He continued, “There’s been little effort to correct these divisions, and they lie at the heart of many of our national problems. Young Nigerians must understand that tribal and religious biases are significant obstacles. These sentiments often lead to poor leadership decisions — where appointments are based not on merit, but on where someone comes from or what religion they practice.”