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A few weeks ago, Nigeria woke up to heartbreaking news. Two close friends of Nigerian Boxer Anthony Joshua, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, lost their lives in a tragic road accident. Reports suggested the driver was speeding and lost control. The loss was sudden, painful, and entirely avoidable.
Only days later, another deeply sad story surfaced. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared the tragic loss of her son. Records indicate that allegedly this is due to medical negligence, a reminder of how fragile life can be and how deeply personal national shortcomings become when they touch those we admire and respect.
At first glance, these stories may appear different. One involved a road accident. The other involved illness, negligence, and loss. But there is a common thread that should force Nigeria to pause and reflect.
Both stories involve Nigerians who have achieved remarkable success abroad and still proudly call Nigeria home. Nigerians who never disconnected emotionally from their roots. Nigerians who wanted to bring their talent, influence, and resources back home. Nigerians who wanted to put Nigeria on the global map for the right reasons.
And yet, as people often say quietly and painfully, Nigeria happened to them.
This phrase has become common, almost casual. We say it when something tragic occurs that could have been prevented. We say it when systems fail. We say it when lives are lost to poor infrastructure, weak enforcement, or institutional neglect. But at what point do we stop saying it as resignation and start treating it as a call to action?
Great leadership demands reflection. When tragedy strikes, leadership should pause, examine root causes, and respond decisively. Not with speeches alone. Not with condolences alone. But with responsibility and reform.
Sadly, our national habit has been different. We react briefly, mourn publicly, trend hashtags, issue statements, and then move on. Until the next tragedy. We cannot continue like this.
No nation becomes prosperous by accident. No country becomes safe by luck. You cannot build a great nation when foundational systems are broken. Roads that are death traps. Drivers with little or no proper training. Weak enforcement of traffic laws. Hospitals struggling with capacity and emergency response. Fire services that arrive too late or not at all.
In Canada, I know of someone who failed his driving test five times. (Yes, you heard that right). Until that test is passed, they are not allowed to be on the road. It required them to take it seriously, dedicate time, get a driving coach. Oh by the way, the person had been driving in Nigeria for over a decade.
These issues may seem mundane, or downright trivial until something catastrophic happens. Then suddenly, they matter.
Road safety is not a luxury. It is a fundamental responsibility. Driver education is not optional. It is life saving. Emergency response systems are not secondary concerns. They are the difference between life and death. Healthcare capacity is not something to address only during crises. It must be built consistently, deliberately, and sustainably.
When talented Nigerians abroad return home, they do not expect perfection. They understand challenges exist. What they hope for is basic functionality. That systems will work reasonably well. That safety is taken seriously. That life is valued.
When those expectations are repeatedly crushed, the cost is not just emotional. It is economic. It is reputational. It is generational.
Every time Nigeria fails to protect life, we lose more than a person. We lose trust. We lose talent. We lose the confidence of those who want to contribute. We lose the chance to change the narrative. We lose money.
Leadership at all levels must begin to ask harder questions. What are we fixing this year? Not next decade. Not someday. Now. What systems are we strengthening? What standards are we enforcing? What accountability mechanisms are real, not theoretical?
Condolences are necessary. But condolences without correction are empty.
Perhaps it is time to reclaim the phrase may Nigeria not happen to you and give it new meaning. Instead of a warning, let it become a challenge. A reminder that Nigeria does not have to be a place where tragedy is expected. That Nigeria can be a place where systems work, where safety is prioritized, where returning home does not require courage.
Nigeria does not lack talent. It does not lack ideas. It does not lack resources. What it has lacked, for too long, is consistent attention to the fundamentals.
Tragedy should not be the only thing that makes us pay attention.
If we truly want to honor those we have lost, then we must do more than mourn. We must fix what is broken. We must slow down, reflect deeply, and act decisively.
That is what leadership requires. And that is what the moment demands.
• Owodunni is City Councilor in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
