Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that Nigeria is currently experiencing a form of state capture, where influential individuals manipulate national policies and resources for private gain.
In a keynote address delivered at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo’s remarks were shared through a statement by his Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Saturday. The speech, titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” highlighted the deep-rooted corruption affecting the country.
Drawing from definitions by the World Bank and Transparency International, Obasanjo explained state capture as a pervasive form of corruption where powerful individuals, companies, or groups use undue influence to shape a nation’s policies, legal frameworks, and economic direction for their own interests. He noted that state capture often goes beyond blatant corruption, emerging subtly through close ties between business and political elites, often linked by family, friendships, or shared economic stakes.
“What we are witnessing in Nigeria today is state capture: the acquisition of national assets by political elites and their associates at undervalued prices, and the allocation of valuable national resources such as minerals, land, and human capital to domestic and foreign actors,” Obasanjo said. He emphasized that this trend must be curbed through stringent national and international regulations.
Obasanjo expressed concern over the capture of public institutions, including the legislature, executive, judiciary, and regulatory bodies at both federal and local levels. He described state capture as the unchecked influence of interest groups in decision-making processes, which results in laws and policies being bent to favour special interest groups over public welfare.
“These groups employ methods such as illicit contributions to political parties, election campaign funding, vote-buying, influencing presidential decrees or court rulings, and lobbying through improper channels,” Obasanjo elaborated. He warned that such practices lead to decisions that prioritize the benefits of select individuals or groups, often at the expense of broader public interest.
“The greatest danger of state capture is that public interest is sidelined. Instead, laws, policies, and regulations are crafted to serve the agenda of specific interest groups. This situation hampers economic development, undermines the quality of regulation, disrupts the delivery of public services, and negatively impacts education, health, infrastructure, and even the environment,” Obasanjo added.
In his speech, Obasanjo also paid tribute to the late Chinua Achebe, describing him as a revered author whose works and values have left a lasting legacy in Nigeria’s history. “Achebe was a distinguished figure, known for his powerful writings and unwavering principles, embodying the spirit and resilience of our nation,” he remarked.
