Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau says building a better Nigeria requires more than just academic qualifications and demands integrity, competence and the active commitment of educated citizens to national development.

Mr Mutfwang said Nigeria’s development required educated citizens who would deploy their knowledge, skills and influence in the service of the common good rather than personal interests.

The governor delivered a lecture titled “Building the Nigeria We Want: The Role of the Educated Mind” at the 15th Convocation Lecture of Veritas University on Friday in Abuja.

He identified critical thinking, the ability to distinguish truth from propaganda, moral responsibility and competence as essential qualities of an educated mind.

According to him, Nigeria does not lack intelligent and brilliant people but needs more citizens who can combine intelligence with integrity and service.

“Nigeria has suffered greatly from the tyranny of the loudest voice; we need minds that reason clearly while others merely shout,” he said.

He noted that many of the country’s challenges, including corruption, weak institutions, ethnic divisions and poor leadership, were often sustained by educated individuals who misused their knowledge.

“The educated mind is once our greatest hope, and when corrupted, it becomes our most sophisticated danger.

“The Nigeria we want will not be built by finding, at last, the incorruptible messiah. It will be built by constructing inclusive institutions, entrenching legal-rational authority, accumulating social capital and balancing state capacity with the rule of law and accountability,” he said.

He urged graduates to regard their academic qualifications as a responsibility to society rather than personal achievements.

The governor also encouraged them to contribute to national development, whether at home or abroad, through knowledge transfer, investment, mentorship and other meaningful engagements.

“If your path leads abroad, let your success flow homeward, in knowledge, investment, mentorship, and the stubborn refusal to write off the country that made you,” he said.

The governor said Nigeria’s progress largely depends on strong institutions, accountable leadership, respect for the rule of law and equitable distribution of opportunities.

He stressed that nation-building is a gradual process requiring deliberate efforts by citizens across different sectors.

Mr Mutfwang urged educated Nigerians to participate in public service and resist the temptation to abandon the country’s political and social spaces to those unfit to lead.

Quoting renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, Mr Mutfwang affirmed that the country’s major challenge was a failure of leadership.

He, however, said the challenge extends beyond leadership to include weak institutions and societal attitudes that shape the country’s development.

(NAN)