Looking at this picture, I cannot help but ask a simple but important question:
Does Nigeria really needs a super hero to get better?
Perhaps not.
Perhaps what Nigeria needs is something more powerful than a superhero; a generation of citizens who refuse to remain spectators in the story of their own country.
For too long, we have searched for “the one.”
The one President.
The one Governor.
The one Legislator.
The one political leader.
The one wealthy individual.
The one “strong man” who will arrive and magically fix everything.
We expect one person to defeat corruption, create jobs, secure our communities, transform education, fix electricity, improve healthcare, build infrastructure and put food on every Nigerian table.
But nations are not built by superheroes.
They are built by people, institutions, systems, leadership, accountability and collective responsibility.
The superhero in this picture may generate electricity from his hands, but Nigeria’s real power cannot come from lightning.
Our real power is in our people.
The young entrepreneur building a business with limited resources.
The teacher showing up every morning to educate the next generation.
The farmer feeding communities.
The doctor serving patients.
The engineer solving problems.
The artisan creating value.
The civil servant doing his or her job with integrity.
The young Nigerian who refuses to believe that unemployment, poverty or bad governance must define their future.
These are our real superheroes.
And our political leaders must understand something equally important: Public office is not a reward. It is a responsibility.
Leadership should not be measured by the size of the crowd at a rally, the number of posters on the streets or the volume of applause on social media.
It should be measured by results.
Where are the jobs?
Where are the functioning schools?
Where are the roads?
Where is reliable electricity?
Where is accessible healthcare?
Where are the opportunities for young people?
Where is the accountability?
And perhaps the most important question: Where is the plan?
Nigeria does not lack brilliant people. We have some of the most talented, creative and resilient young people in the world.
What we must build is an environment where that talent can thrive.
That is why youth empowerment must go beyond political mobilisation.
If we can mobilise thousands of young people for political campaigns, we should also be able to mobilise them for skills development, entrepreneurship, employment, innovation, education and nation-building.
A young Nigerian should not have to choose between political loyalty and economic survival.
Young people should not simply be followers of political leaders.
We should be stakeholders in the future of Nigeria.
We should ask questions.
We should demand accountability.
We should participate.
We should create.
We should lead.
We should build.
And we should never surrender our future in exchange for temporary political benefits.
So, does Nigeria need a superhero?
No.
Nigeria needs millions of ordinary citizens willing to do extraordinary things.
We need leaders who serve.
We need citizens who participate.
We need institutions that work.
We need consequences for failure.
We need rewards for competence.
We need young Nigerians who refuse to be used, abandoned or forgotten.
And we need a political culture where service matters more than slogans, competence matters more than applause, and results matter more than propaganda.
The superhero in this image is called “The Current.”
Perhaps that is the message Nigeria needs today:
The current is not one person. The current is the collective energy of a people determined to move their country forward.
Maybe Nigeria’s superhero is not coming.
Maybe the superhero is us.
The real question is not whether we can wear the cape.
The real question is: Are we ready to use our power to build the Nigeria we deserve?
Ayo Fatokun writes.
