Ekiti State former Governor Kayode Fayemi has berated Nigerian politicians for not “treating leadership as a sacrifice,” warning that the growing population of “despondent” youths is a ticking timebomb that exposed serious problems.

“Leadership is sacrifice; we don’t treat leadership as a sacrifice in Nigeria. We just have to do things differently if we want this country to go the right way,” Mr Fayemi said Thursday at a leadership and economic summit by St. Racheal’s People Consulting.

“Otherwise, the time bomb is ticking, and I think we are going to run into a major problem if we don’t address this feeling of despondency, particularly among the youths and people. We all must contribute to leadership to build a transformed society- it isn’t just the president and the governors.”

Mr Fayemi also spoke about the Supreme Court verdict granting local government financial autonomy on July 11.

However, Mr Fayemi said despite the Supreme Court’s verdict, he cannot “see how workable it is” in Nigeria.

Mr Fayemi’s warning on youth despondency being a ticking timebomb comes amid looming nationwide protests over economic hardship since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

It again echoes his post-EndSARS protest statement in 2021, in which he charged the youths to strategise and kick the All Progressives Congress out of power.