Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and Chief Convener of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, Prof Pat Utomi, tells AYOOLA OLASUPO about the country’s key challenges, his 70th birthday celebration, and the declining values and public trust in the country
You have spent decades advocating good governance in Nigeria. What would you say is the biggest obstacle to Nigeria’s development today?
It’s a little bit of leadership and an institutional problem. By the way, I wrote a book about why nations are poor, and there were a number of sets of variables that affected each other, which explain performance.
One of them is institutions. Most of the writings of economists, historians, and others in recent times have focused mainly on the role of institutions in economic performance and national development.
Another one is human capital. If you don’t have the right human capital mix, you cannot advance, and then entrepreneurship. If people are not creating wealth, then poverty will persist.
Another one is policy choices. The kind of policy decisions you make will determine whether you move forward or not. If you make decisions that leave you at home and entrapped, you will not make progress.
Then, there is culture because values shape human progress. The most important thing that leaders do is set the tone of the culture. That’s why if you don’t look at the character of people who become leaders, then you make a major mistake that can haunt you for a long time.
