A former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in South Africa, Bola Babarinde, has called for a collective fight against corruption in the country.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Babarinde said two decades after the return of democratic government in Nigeria, poor governance and widespread corruption had weakened the foundation of the country.

While commending President Bola Tinubu’s efforts in the fight against corruption, Mr Babarinde said that unless Nigerians jointly fought corruption and put the right people in the right places, the journey to prosperity would be a mere dream.

“Nigeria can be great again, but greatness will only come when we dismantle corruption, nepotism, and incompetence, and empower the people to build the country of our dreams,” Mr Babarinde said.

According to him, the difference between Nigeria and countries like South Africa is not the absence of problems, but the presence of systems and planning.

“South Africa, despite corruption scandals during the Jacob Zuma era, took decisive steps to fix its energy crisis.

“The turnaround was possible because they declared an energy emergency and committed to achieving energy self-sufficiency,” he said.

Mr Babarinde, however, said Nigeria had not shown the same seriousness, as power supply remained unreliable, and businesses depended heavily on generators.

He emphasised the need to end corruption in the power sector, adding that even many government houses and secretariats still depended on generators to carry out government business.

Mr Babarinde reiterated that Nigeria could be great, but unlocking that potential depends on how the leaders engage the most valuable resource, which is the people.

“In particular, Nigerians in the diaspora, professionals who have gained knowledge, experience, and resources abroad, remain an untapped powerhouse.

“Many are eager to return home or already have, but their impact is limited by systemic barriers such as corruption, bureaucracy, and the entrenched culture of ‘who you know.

“For Nigeria to rise, the government must dismantle these obstacles and build a merit-driven system where competence, innovation, and integrity thrive,” he said.

Mr Babarinde, who also called for an improved investment environment, said Nigerians abroad were more likely to return if the economy was structured to encourage innovation, risk-taking, and production.

Mr Babarinde said the government must create a transparent, energy-secure, and investment-friendly environment where returning Nigerians feel supported, not stifled. 

(NAN)