By Nnaoke Ufere, PhD
Among the seven deadly plagues that have ravaged Nigeria since independence—leadership failure, corruption, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, religiosity, and mediocrity—none has been more devastating than mediocrity. Like a silent toxin, it seeps into the core of our institutions, eroding the very foundations of innovation and progress, and stunting the nation’s growth.
Mediocrity has crippled our nation’s potential, and perpetuated a culture of underachievement, where excellence is not only discouraged but often punished. This pervasive culture has bred systemic underperformance, limiting our nation’s ability to fulfill its immense promise.
Mediocrity reigns supreme everywhere you turn—from the presidency, National Assembly, and judiciary to the public sector, educational institutions, businesses, political parties, religious and cultural organizations, and society at large.
The result is a nation paralyzed by mediocrity, where creativity, ambition, and progress are stifled at every turn. The country struggles to provide even the most basic necessities—electricity, food, medicine, housing, clean water, and functional roads remain elusive. Nothing works; we simply exist in a state of perpetual stagnation and despair.
Today, the only thing Nigerians can afford is oxygen, and even that feels uncertain in a nation where the cost of living has spiraled out of control.
In this article, I will meticulously diagnose the root causes of this plague, tracing its origins and examining the vast scale of its contamination across various segments of our society. I will also detail the profound consequences of its unchecked spread and, most importantly, propose strategic measures to root it out from our society.
Unless we confront mediocrity head-on, any effort to address the other deadly plagues will be futile, as they all feed off this underlying pathology. Only by eradicating mediocrity can we hope to embark on a genuine path toward national renewal and progress.
Mediocrity is Everywhere
Let’s start with the presidency. The adage “the fish rots from the head” has never been more fitting than in the case of President Tinubu’s leadership. His blatant mediocrity has set a dangerous precedent, breeding incompetence that cascades through every level of his administration and spreads across the nation like a virus.
President Tinubu’s lack of vision, intellectual laziness, and tone-deafness to the plight of Nigerians have created a fertile environment in which mediocrity thrives. He is not just a bad role model for meritocracy; he is a corrosive influence who is actively undermining the nation’s potential for greatness.
He is utterly lost and bereft of ideas on what to do next to reverse our nation’s decline, flailing about in a sea of uncertainty. Nigerians should have seen this coming, had they only paid attention to his dubious past, questionable credentials, and glaring lack of clear policy direction during his campaign.
With unapologetic audacity, he prioritized entitlement over merit, brazenly declaring “it’s my turn” – a stark reflection of his lack of competence and disregard for true leadership qualifications.
It’s no surprise that President Tinubu prioritizes political patronage over merit, surrounding himself with sycophants instead of capable advisors, driving the nation deeper into mediocrity. Just look at the caliber of individuals in his cabinet, and ask, as many have, is this truly the best Nigeria has to offer?
The president’s mediocrity is glaringly evident in his mismanagement of the economy. His economic policies have been nothing short of catastrophic, leaving the country in a deeper crisis.
Since he took office, GDP per capita has plummeted by 50%, signaling a sharp decline in national productivity and individual wealth. Inflation has spiraled out of control, driving up the cost of basic goods and eroding the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
Unemployment rates have surged, compounding the economic distress faced by millions. The naira continues to lose value rapidly, contributing to a further devaluation of household incomes and savings.
Adding to this, the country’s debt burden has become unsustainable, exacerbated by reckless borrowing and spending that threatens long-term financial stability. The government’s inability to rein in wasteful expenditure and prioritize fiscal discipline is a ticking time bomb.
Meanwhile, insecurity has worsened, with rampant cases of kidnapping and senseless killings, making daily life increasingly precarious for citizens. Nowhere in the country is safe.
Grand corruption and state capture are entrenched realities in Nigeria, bleeding the nation dry. My research, supported by reports from the IMF, NISER, BudgIT, and other credible sources, reveals that an estimated 30-40% of Nigeria’s federal budget is siphoned off annually through corruption-driven overpricing, bribes, and rigged contracts.
To put this in stark terms: at least ₦11.5 trillion of the ₦28.7 trillion budget signed into law by President Tinubu in January 2024 will be swallowed by corruption and mismanagement. This staggering loss is not just a statistic; it is the direct price of mediocrity and the betrayal of national progress.
On the international stage, his foreign policy has proven equally ineffective. His handling of the Niger crisis was an embarrassing failure, undermining Nigeria’s influence in the region and showcasing a lack of strategic foresight in diplomacy. These combined failures paint a grim picture of leadership that has left the country economically vulnerable and geopolitically weakened.
Yet, the problem extends far beyond the presidency.
Mediocrity in the National Assembly
The National Assembly is no exception. A scathing report from the African Mind Journal reveals a troubling reality: three-quarters of its members, entrusted with shaping the laws that govern our nation, are alarmingly mediocre. This damning analysis highlights the depth of the incompetence that permeates our legislative body.
Their inadequacy is painfully evident in their lackluster education, poor understanding of policy, limited life experience, and weak professional credentials. Yet, our political system continues to elevate these mediocre figures—people driven by wealth rather than wisdom—over individuals with true merit and competence.
This is the real tragedy: a system designed to reward money over substance, perpetuating a cycle of incompetence that hinders national progress.
But what’s even more disturbing is their glaring deficiency in basic human decency. Is it any wonder, then, that the National Assembly has devolved into an abyss of incompetence, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness?
Since the inauguration of the 10th Nigerian National Assembly in June 2023, the legislative body has accomplished little. In the Senate, 475 bills were introduced between June 2023 and May 2024, but only 19 had been passed by the end of the period. Similarly, the House of Representatives saw 1,175 bills introduced, with only 58 passed.
A significant number of these bills were recycled from previous assemblies, which raises concerns about legislative inefficiency, intellectual laziness and the quality of new legislation being proposed.
The bottom-line is that the National Assembly, like the presidency, has degenerated into a gathering of intellectual and moral dwarfs, more befitting of a laughingstock than a revered legislative body.
This brings me to the painful reality: The very people entrusted with shaping our nation’s future are, in fact, the embodiment of mediocrity, leaving us to wonder if we’re doomed to continue suffering under their ineptitude.
Mediocrity in the Judiciary
Nigeria’s legal system has devolved into a bastion of mediocrity, where nepotism, corruption, and ethnic bias reign supreme. The judiciary, once envisioned as a beacon of impartiality, has become a mere commodity – bought and sold to the highest bidder.
Judicial capture, where politicians and the rich manipulate case outcomes, has become the norm. This egregious subversion of justice mocks the constitution’s intended balance of power.
In this dysfunctional system, judges and lawyers prioritize technicalities over true justice, allowing the guilty to walk free while the innocent suffer. The pursuit of justice has become a farce, with the wealthy and powerful exploiting the system to their advantage.
The consensus among legal experts is clear: individuals like Tinubu, Orji Ozor Kalu, Rochas Okorocha, and Ibrahim Lamorde, and many others too long to list here, would not be enjoying freedom today if the judicial process were truly just and fair.
Instead, they would be serving lengthy prison sentences. Tinubu would not be the president if the Supreme Court had followed the arc of justice and based its decision on the preponderance of evidence – according to several legal experts.
Therefore, Nigerian judiciary’s entrenched mediocrity and corruption have created a culture of impunity, undermining the very fabric of justice and accountability.
Mediocrity in Government Offices
In the workforce, government employees collect monthly wages without showing up for work. Police officers are more interested in extorting bribes than protecting citizens. The notion of public service has been replaced by a culture of entitlement and laziness.
The acceptance of mediocrity has pervaded every aspect of Nigerian society. We celebrate those who have achieved little, and we idolize those who have done nothing. The notion of excellence has become a distant memory, replaced by a culture of ‘good enough’.
But the consequences of mediocrity are dire. A nation that accepts mediocrity will never achieve greatness. It will never innovate, never progress, and never lead. It will be forever stuck in a quagmire of incompetence and inefficiency.
To arrest this slide into mediocrity, we must rethink our values and our priorities. We must demand leadership that embodies excellence, integrity, and vision. We must emphasize competence over certificates, quality over quantity, and excellence over mediocrity. We must demand more from ourselves, our leaders, and our institutions. Only then can we hope to build a nation that is truly great.
Mediocrity in the Private Sector
Cronyism and patronage capitalism have long been entrenched in Nigeria’s business landscape, stifling innovation and competitiveness. Few large companies in the country have been built on true inventiveness or market-driven success. Instead, many thrive under government-backed monopolies, subsidies, and regulatory protection that insulate them from real competition.
Without these advantages, giants like Dangote Group and other protected enterprises would struggle to survive in a free market. Their dominance is sustained not by innovation, but by a system that rewards proximity to political power.
Corruption further exacerbates this issue, particularly in the government procurement process, where contracts are frequently awarded based on bribery rather than merit. Mediocre companies, often with little expertise, “win” multi-billion Naira contracts by greasing the palms of officials.
The result? A landscape littered with incomplete and abandoned projects—monuments to the country’s tolerance of mediocrity. These stalled projects, from roads to public buildings, represent not just wasted resources, but the continued erosion of public trust and national progress.
Nigerians suffer and die under the weight of mediocrity. Companies, driven solely by profit, have flooded the market with substandard goods and services, creating a dangerous environment where quality is sacrificed.
Reports suggest that as much as 64% of certain medicines sold in Nigeria are either substandard or counterfeit, with NAFDAC providing a much lower estimate of 15%, though without substantial evidence to back the claim.
This leaves Nigerian citizens vulnerable to consuming hazardous pharmaceutical products, often with little choice or knowledge of the risks involved. This public health crisis is exacerbated by a mediocre regulatory system that fails to hold companies accountable for their reckless disregard for consumer safety.
Beyond medicines, consumer goods across the board are compromised. Food products and beverages are often tainted with harmful additives to increase volume and sold at higher price, putting millions at risk. Substandard building materials result in frequent building collapses, and faulty electrical goods contribute to avoidable accidents.
In a society where mediocrity prevails, Nigerians are forced to accept these dangers as part of daily life—where even the basic expectation of safety is a luxury few can afford.
This pervasive mediocrity, driven by greed and enabled by corruption, ensures that the public remains trapped in a cycle of exploitation, where survival itself becomes uncertain.
Mediocrity in Education
In education, the emphasis on certificates over competence has produced a generation of graduates ill-equipped to tackle the challenges of the modern world.
The policy of lowering college and university admission standards under the guise of regional or tribal equity contributes directly to a culture of mediocrity. Instead of promoting merit-based access to education, this approach undermines the pursuit of excellence by prioritizing quotas over qualifications.
In 2023, 64% of admitted candidates scored below 200 in their entrance exams. This marks a shift where the majority of new university students are unable to achieve 50% in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), raising concerns about the declining academic standards in Nigeria’s higher education system.
By diluting academic standards in the name of achieving regional balance, institutions inadvertently discourage high performance and create an environment where mediocrity thrives. This not only hampers individual potential but also erodes the overall quality of the workforce, weakening national development and progress.
Furthermore, admission to top universities and colleges is often sold to the highest bidder. Wealthy students with lower scores in entry exams like the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), SSCE, WASSCE, or NECO can frequently buy their way into institutions, bypassing the merit-based system.
Meanwhile, grade inflation has become rampant, with students exchanging favors—whether in cash or kind—to secure grades they haven’t earned.
Professors are no better. Academic promotions have become politicized, driven more by patronage and loyalty than by merit. Some rise to prominence not through academic excellence but by falsification of academic record and publishing substandard papers in predatory journals, which are later retracted for plagiarism.
The result is a deeply compromised academic system, where both students and faculty undermine the very foundation of education. This cycle of corruption produces a workforce that lacks the skills and integrity to drive national development, leaving the country to suffer from a chronic shortage of innovation, accountability, and real leadership.
On grade inflation, take my alma mater, for instance. According to graduation records, in 1980, only 15 students—roughly 1% of the graduating class at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka—earned a First Class degree. Fast forward to 2023, and that number skyrocketed to 288 students, accounting for 3% of the graduating class.
Meanwhile, the proportion of students receiving Second Class Upper degrees surged from 26% in 1980 to an astonishing 45% in 2023. The number of Third Class graduates dropped significantly from 15% in 1980 to just 6% in 2023. Additionally, nearly 2% of the class failed in 1980, compared to a mere 0.1% in 2023.
There is no credible evidence to suggest that the 2023 graduating cohort was more intelligent or better educated than their predecessors in 1980. On the contrary, numerous studies have consistently shown that the quality of education and students in the 1980s was superior across Nigeria’s university system.
The only plausible explanation for this dramatic shift in degree distribution is the phenomenon of grade inflation—or worse, grade manipulation. This trend undermines the integrity of academic standards and calls into question the real value of these degrees.
In essence, we are now churning out a generation of graduates who are not only unemployed but also largely unemployable. Lacking the necessary skills, knowledge, and competence, they find themselves ill-prepared to contribute in any meaningful way to our society or the economy.
This systemic failure in education is creating a cycle of mediocrity, where the workforce is neither equipped nor empowered to meet the demands of the modern world. Instead of being the drivers of progress, they will become burdens in the years to come.
This is a lost generation, and if we do not confront this failure now, the consequences will echo across Nigeria for decades. Our nation’s future depends on reversing this decline before it’s too late.
Mediocrity in Religious Institutions
In the Christian faith, the mediocrity and corruption of some pastors have reached epidemic proportions, as they increasingly bear false witness, utter false prophecies, and politicize Christianity for personal gain. They have become mercenary mouthpieces for politicians, singing their praises in exchange for bribes and other forms of compensation.
Their Christian mediocrity is exemplified by a shallow understanding of the very texts they claim to uphold. Lacking the depth and discernment necessary to engage with Christian teachings meaningfully, they often resort to surface-level interpretations that miss the core values of the faith.
In their pursuit of titles and recognition, they purchase doctorates from online diploma mills, parading these fraudulent qualifications as a testament to their spiritual authority.
These pastors have abandoned their sacred calling as fishers of men, instead becoming government contractors who peddle influence and access to the highest bidder.
Majority of these pastors have perverted the gospel of salvation into a gospel of prosperity and wealth. They prioritize the accumulation of riches and material possessions over the pursuit of righteousness and holiness. They exploit vulnerable souls for personal enrichment, using their pulpits as platforms for self-aggrandizement rather than beacons of hope and salvation.
These false prophets and prosperity preachers have created a culture of greed, manipulation, and exploitation within the church. They have turned the house of God into a den of thieves, where the poor are fleeced and the wealthy are feted. They have lost sight of the core teachings of Christianity, sacrificing the integrity of the gospel on the altar of personal ambition and greed.
Their corruption has far-reaching consequences, eroding trust in the church and undermining the credibility of Christianity as a whole. They have become a stumbling block to genuine faith, leading many to question the validity of the gospel message.
It is time for true believers to rise up and reclaim the church from these wolves in sheep’s clothing, restoring the pulpit to its rightful place as a source of spiritual guidance, comfort, and transformation. I write all this as an Ordained Elder of the Presbyterian Church.
Imams are no different. The mediocrity and lack of integrity of some imams have reached a crisis point, as they have abandoned their sacred duty to promote peace, compassion, and understanding.
Instead, they have become peddlers of hate, sowing discord and intolerance from their minbar. The Koran’s teachings of love, mercy, and forgiveness have been distorted beyond recognition, replaced by a warped narrative of exclusion, animosity and domination.
These imams have failed to uphold the highest standards of scholarship, integrity, and moral courage, succumbing to the lowest common denominator of fear-mongering and sectarianism.
Their mediocre leadership has created a culture of ignorance, bigotry, and violence, undermining the very fabric of our society. By prioritizing partisan interests over prophetic values, they have betrayed the trust of their followers and brought shame to the noble tradition of Islamic scholarship.
[Please note that this critique is directed at specific individuals and not at the Christian and Islamic faiths as a whole.]
Mediocrity in our Healthcare System
In our healthcare system, mediocrity is pervasive. The situation is dire. Hospitals, which should serve as sanctuaries for healing, have tragically turned into places of despair and death.
The prevalence of brain drain and poorly trained medical personnel, coupled with grossly inadequate facilities, means that many patients enter these hospitals with hope, only to leave in body bags.
The quality of medical education has declined, leading to doctors and healthcare providers who lack the necessary expertise to manage even basic medical conditions, much less handle complex cases.
What was once a profession governed by the sacred Hippocratic oath, emphasizing the well-being of patients, has now been overshadowed by a culture of negligence and corruption.
Doctors demanding bribes for treatment have become alarmingly common in Nigeria. A 2023 NBS report revealed that two-thirds of healthcare workers solicit bribes, with 42% speeding up procedures for payment and 15% requiring bribes to complete them. Patients often face exploitation rather than care. Instead of compassion and care, patients are often met with indifference or outright exploitation.
In many cases, essential medical equipment is either non-functional or unavailable. Inadequate power supply, insufficient drugs, and an overall lack of resources make it impossible for healthcare professionals to deliver the care they are trained to provide. This systemic failure condemns even those who could be saved to die unnecessarily.
The human cost of this broken system is staggering. Many Nigerians are forced to seek alternative treatments or travel abroad if they can afford it, leaving those without means to suffer the consequences of a failed healthcare structure. It is a crisis that demands urgent attention, reform, and investment to prevent further loss of life.
Mediocrity in our Culture
In our culture, mediocrity has become an entrenched cancer, perpetuating a toxic cycle of corruption and moral decay. We shamelessly celebrate and glorify individuals who embody the worst of humanity – thieves, crooks, looters, kidnappers, murderers, and bribe-takers – as paragons of success.
We elevate them to the highest offices in the land, bestowing upon them unmerited chieftaincy titles and accolades. We serenade them in popular music and religious songs, further deifying them in the eyes of the masses.
Our places of worship, once bastions of moral guidance, now worship and pray for these individuals, conferring upon them a veneer of legitimacy.
Children, impressionable and vulnerable, look up to these individuals as heroes, aspiring to emulate their corrupt and destructive ways when they grow up.
This perverse culture of mediocrity has created a society where integrity is ridiculed, honesty is seen as weakness, truth is seen as taboo, and excellence is sacrificed at the altar of expediency.
We are breeding a generation of leaders who are morally bankrupt, intellectually lazy, and ethically compromised, ensuring that our downward spiral into mediocrity continues unabated.
To break this cycle, Nigeria must address these underlying issues and foster a merit-based society that values excellence and progress. Only then can the country reach its full potential and overcome the culture of mediocrity that has held it back for so long.
Causes
The culture of mediocrity in Nigeria has deep roots, tracing back to the colonial era when governance favored loyalty to the colonial administration over competence and capability. Colonial rulers prioritized subservience and control, laying the foundation for a system that rewarded obedience over merit.
Post-independence, this legacy was compounded by tribalism, religious divisions, and regionalism, where the need for balanced representation across ethnic and regional lines often took precedence over the pursuit of merit.
Religious and identity politics further solidified this mediocrity, creating a landscape where political appointments and opportunities were granted based on affiliation rather than ability or qualification.
Furthermore, the chronic underinvestment in education and the prioritization of religious indoctrination over quality secular education have left millions of Nigerians uneducated and illiterate.
This imbalance in the educational system means that critical thinking, innovation, and skills development are often sacrificed in favor of rigid religious teachings.
Systems like the federal character policy have often been exploited to promote unqualified individuals, fostering a culture of entitlement. Additionally, inequality, poor education, and corruption have hindered the development of a skilled workforce.
Strategic imperatives to build a meritocracy
To build a meritocratic society, we must implementing the following tangible actions:
- Educational Reform: Invest in overhauling education to prioritize critical thinking, skills development, and merit-based advancement. Improve teacher training and introduce a transparent scholarship system based on merit. Strict penalties should be enforced for educators involved in bribery or sexual misconduct.
- Civil Service Reform: Establish a merit-based system for civil service appointments and promotions, emphasizing skills, experience, and performance.
- Electoral Reform: Ensure elections are transparent, credible, and based on merit. Reform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to operate independently of political influence, particularly in funding, to prevent manipulation.
- Judicial Reform: Strengthen the judiciary by insulating it from political interference. Appointments must be merit-based, with enhanced transparency and accountability, ensuring justice is served impartially.
- Political Appointments: Implement transparent processes for appointing political leaders in key sectors, based on qualifications and experience rather than political loyalty. Independent organizations should vet candidates, and findings should be made public.
- Transparent Recruitment: Ensure recruitment in public and private sectors is merit-based, rewarding fairness and diversity. Establish policies that prioritize qualifications and experience over connections.
- Quota System Reform: Adjust the federal character principle to balance inclusivity with merit in government appointments, ensuring competence in leadership roles.
- Youth Empowerment: Provide merit-based grants, loans, and mentorship to entrepreneurs, and expand vocational education to equip young people with practical skills.
- Strengthen Anti-Corruption Agencies: Enhance anti-corruption efforts by adopting proactive surveillance technologies and ensuring agencies are independent and well-resourced. Protect whistleblowers to encourage reporting.
- Cultural Shift: Promote a cultural shift that values merit, hard work, and integrity, celebrating achievements based on effort and talent.
By focusing on these areas, Nigeria can create a system that values competence, integrity, and hard work, which are crucial for national development and social cohesion.
