By Favour Godwin
King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes that “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Every time I reflect on Nigeria, those words come back to me.
I was not born in the 1960s, 1970s or even most of the 1980s. But you do not have to belong to those generations to understand the Nigeria they lived in. History has preserved enough evidence for us. Old newspapers, documentaries and archival videos tell stories that sound uncannily familiar.
A few days ago, I came across an old video of a nationwide protest. Nigerians were on the streets, complaining that basic food items had become too expensive. In another clip, graduates lamented the lack of jobs despite spending years in school. Listening to them, I had to check twice that I was not watching a recent news report. The faces were different, the clothes belonged to another era, but the complaints could easily have come from today’s headlines.
That was when Solomon’s words made even more sense.
Perhaps there really is nothing new under the sun.
For decades, Nigeria has moved from one administration to another. Civilian governments have replaced military regimes. Political parties have defeated one another. Presidents and governors have come and gone. Yet, somehow, the average Nigerian still complains about the same things: the high cost of living, unemployment, poor purchasing power and the struggle to make ends meet.
That should worry all of us.
Every election season, politicians seem to understand exactly what Nigerians are going through. They travel across the country promising better jobs, lower food prices, improved security, stable electricity and a better standard of living. They speak the language of ordinary people because they know where the pain lies.
Then they get into office.
The conversation gradually changes.
Government begins to talk about reforms, infrastructure, fiscal policies, economic restructuring and long-term development. Those things are important. No serious nation can develop without investing in infrastructure or pursuing economic reforms. But while government is talking about tomorrow, millions of Nigerians are worried about making it through today.
There lies the disconnect.
Government points to roads, bridges and public buildings as signs of progress. The people point to their empty wallets.
Government speaks about economic growth. The trader in Lafenwa, Adatan or Kuto markets wants to know why she can no longer buy the same quantity of goods with the same amount of money.
Government celebrates improvements in macroeconomic indicators. The young graduate wants to know where the jobs are.
The civil servant is asking why a month’s salary disappears before the month is halfway gone.
The father of four is not interested in economic jargon. He wants to know whether he can feed his family without borrowing.
These are not unreasonable expectations. They are the everyday realities by which citizens judge governance.
This is why I believe we sometimes ask the wrong political question. We spend too much time asking who should govern Nigeria and too little time asking what governance should deliver.
Development is not just about what government builds. It is also about what people experience.
If new highways are constructed but families cannot afford transportation, have their lives really improved?
If new policies are introduced but graduates continue to roam the streets in search of jobs, can we honestly say progress has been made?
If inflation continues to outpace incomes, should citizens be blamed for feeling disconnected from the glowing reports they hear from official quarters?
These questions should not be dismissed as opposition politics. They are legitimate questions in any democracy.
Unfortunately, we have developed a habit of interpreting every criticism as an attack on government. Once someone asks uncomfortable questions, the labels come quickly: anti-government, enemy of progress or politically motivated. That mindset serves neither the government nor the governed.
Constructive criticism is not sabotage. It is one of the ways citizens contribute to nation-building. Governments that listen to honest feedback are often stronger than those that surround themselves only with applause.
To be clear, this is not an attempt to single out one administration because that would miss the point entirely. The pattern predates today’s government and, unless something changes fundamentally, it may outlive it as well. That is why this conversation should rise above personalities and political parties.
Perhaps it is time for a national conversation about what success in governance should really mean.
We need to give an holistic answer to these pertinent questions:
Should success be measured only by the number of projects commissioned?
Should it be measured only by GDP figures and economic forecasts?
Or should the real test be whether the average Nigerian can afford food, find decent work, access quality healthcare, educate their children and live with dignity?
History keeps confronting us with these questions. Every generation asks them in one form or another. Every generation hopes the answers will finally be different.
Yet, decades later, we are still debating many of the same issues our parents debated.
Maybe Solomon was right.
There is nothing new under the sun.
The real tragedy is not that history keeps repeating itself. The real tragedy is that, despite all the lessons it offers, we keep acting as though we have learnt nothing from it.
Favour Godwin is a broadcast journalist and writes from Abeokuta
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