NOTE: This thread is not about politics and which government or party is good or bad. Please avoid engaging that.
This is about root causes, and how Nigeria can possibly emerge from the current state it lies.

Anyone with basic education who has traveled a bit, should recognize that Nigeria has the financial capacity to be much better than it is.
A lot of comments in a thread I saw today - "Why Do Most Nigeria Streets Look Like This?" tells me Nigerians are slowly starting to blame the right things for the general condition and underdevelopment of Nigeria.

In that spirit, I'll add a few thoughts. I could write an entire book about this, but I value my time, so I'll keep it short.

Contrary to popular claims, the root cause of the shameful state of Nigeria is NOT as simple as:

- Bad Government: It is a result of a collective rot in the citizenry. Nearly everyone, top to bottom fuels corruption in their own way. It just so happens some of the citizens eventually become the government. You can't scoop clean water out of a bucket of polluted water.

- Lack of Funds: Nigeria's federal income has had many periods of significant surplus. 100% of the time, it has been looted.
Deposit 10 trillion dollars into the federal account today, and nothing will change in society (except looters getting fatter).
So any policies geared toward increased revenue in Nigeria is a waste of time, if the people don't collectively stop having a looting culture.

- Colonialism: Does colonialism have its effects? Yes, slightly. However, anyone still blaming colonialism for the state of Nigeria, while exonerating thieves robbing them blind deserves it. If Abacha was alive today, and returned to contest as a civilian ruler, he'd still get massive votes, after robbing the country with complete disregard. That is the paradox of the Nigerian polity.

It's like if a man broke into your family house at night and raped your mom and sister. The next morning, the community decides to hire a security man, and you nominate the rapist for the security job. This is what Nigerians have been doing repeatedly for decades and expecting positive outcomes.

In other words, Nigerian "leaders," the entire chain of command AND the citizens are directly responsible for keeping Nigeria in its current state. The colonial masters have mostly pulled out of the pillaging. So direct the blame where it truly belongs.