Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, has called on Nigerians to rediscover the value of hard work, warning that the nation’s deepening poverty crisis cannot be tackled without a cultural and structural reset.
Delivering the keynote address at the 7th anniversary lecture of Penpushing Media in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Isola lamented the erosion of traditional Yoruba values, particularly the principle that “Ise ni Ogun Ise” — “Work is the antidote to poverty.”
“If you’re a Yoruba man and you don’t have a job — whether self-employed or under someone — you’re not living by our core values,” he said. “No work is beneath you if it puts food on the table.”
Isola linked unemployment to wider national issues such as illiteracy, elite manipulation, and a dysfunctional federal structure. He stressed that poverty cannot be eradicated unless these root causes are addressed.
Drawing on his own experience, the diplomat recalled a time when local governments in Nigeria were active and effective, with departments like the Public Works Department (PWD) contributing significantly to community development. He lamented the decline of these institutions, saying their deterioration reflects a broader national malaise.
“We need functional local governments,” he insisted. “In our younger days, they worked. Today, they are barely allowed to function.”
Isola also critiqued the cycle of constitutional reviews in Nigeria, describing them as “ritualistic” without real outcomes.
“The U.S. Constitution has endured for centuries, evolving as needed. We need to stop playing politics with ours and instead focus on building a federal system that actually works — one that supports local governments, empowers federating units, and enables fiscal federalism.”
He emphasized that democracy in Nigeria will continue to struggle unless the fundamental needs of the people — education, employment, and basic services — are met.
“Democracy works in advanced countries because the people are informed and their basic needs are covered. Here, we’re trying to practice democracy without tackling the poverty and illiteracy that undermine it.”
Concluding his address, Isola reminded the audience that the quality of leadership is merely a reflection of the society that produces it.
“Leaders are a microcosm of the people. If the society is corrupt, it will produce corrupt leaders. If we want better governance, we must first fix ourselves.”
