By Onono Onimisi
There is something I have been observing lately, and honestly, it worries me. Politics has quietly become the new poverty escape plan for many Nigerian youths. Yes, I said it.
Somewhere between unemployment, economic frustration, and watching convoys speed past struggling communities, a mindset was born: enter politics and escape poverty. I understand the temptation. When public office appears to be the most reliable gateway to wealth and influence, it is only natural that people will pursue it.
But here is the uncomfortable truth — politics is not a poverty alleviation scheme. It is public service.
Yet, increasingly, many young people are not approaching politics with ideology, policy depth, or reform strategy. They are approaching it with survival instincts. And that is dangerous. When leadership becomes a business model, governance turns into a marketplace.
It has become so predictable that when we witness certain acts of philanthropy, we can already sense a political ambition brewing. Generosity now often feels like a campaign strategy in disguise. That should concern us. When charity becomes a rehearsal for candidacy, sincerity becomes questionable.
The deeper issue is the absence of leadership ecumenism. Many aspiring leaders want power, but not responsibility. They desire visibility, but not vision. They crave office, but not service.
What is even more worrisome is the voting culture. Some Nigerians would rather cast their ballots for a person with zero political ideology but with deep pockets, than vote for someone without money who possesses leadership competence, integrity, and capacity. Wealth has become more persuasive than wisdom. Visibility has become more attractive than values.
That is not just a political problem; it is a cultural one.
Let me be clear — I am not against youth participation in politics. In fact, we need bold and visionary young leaders. But there is a clear difference between entering politics to transform a nation and entering politics to transform your bank account.
Nigeria is difficult. The economy is unstable. Opportunities often feel limited. But politics is not the only door; it is simply the loudest one.
Across the country, young Nigerians are building tech startups, creating agricultural value chains, exporting creative services, and launching businesses from scratch. That path may be slower, but it builds substance. It demands discipline, patience, and resilience. It produces independence.
The real power move is not rushing to occupy office. The real power move is building yourself first — developing a skill, starting small, becoming self-employed, growing into a boss.
Because when you are economically independent, you enter politics differently. You are not desperate. You cannot be easily compromised. You are not looking for survival; you are prepared to serve.
As I always say, “When politics becomes a hunger strategy, leadership becomes a feeding program.”
A generation that sees politics as an escape route will inevitably produce leaders who are escaping something. And leaders who are escaping poverty rarely focus on national prosperity.
This is the pandemic nobody is naming. We do not just need more politicians; we need more builders, more thinkers, more creators, more owners. Politics should be a calling, not a coping mechanism.
If we continue to elect money over merit, ambition over ideology, and philanthropy over policy, we may find ourselves trapped in a cycle we created.
The question is not who wants power. The real question is: who is prepared to lead?
