Human rights activist and political commentator Ann-Kio Briggs expressed deep disappointment with Nigeria’s developmental trajectory, asserting that the nation has failed to meet expectations since gaining independence in 1960.

Speaking on ARISE News Night on Wednesday, Briggs attributed the country’s stagnation to years of poor leadership and wrong choices that have ultimately squandered Nigeria’s potential.

She quantified her dismay by saying: “From 1960 till now, we should have done far, far better.”

Briggs then recalled a historical anecdote to highlight the depth of Nigeria’s missed opportunities and mismanagement of its oil wealth.

She lamented the current disparity with a once-borrowing nation: “We hear that Dubai once came to borrow money from Nigeria when they discovered oil. I am ashamed to say the story is that we drove Dubai away because we didn’t believe they could pay us back. Look at Dubai today and look at Nigeria.”

Briggs further elaborated on the massive development gap with Dubai, which she observed now stands as a global powerhouse.

She stated: “Dubai hosts the tallest buildings; architecturally, they are fantastic. In every way you look at it, in development, in investment, they’re investing all over the world. I would be surprised if Dubai’s money is not in Nigeria.”

The activist attributed Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment directly to decades of flawed leadership and misplaced national priorities, stating unequivocally: “We have had the wrong people in places of power, authority, and governance.”

She warned that this pattern continues to hold the country back, explaining: “As long as we continue to repeat having these people who do not know how to govern and how to develop the country, I’m afraid that with all the work that people like me do, we just end up talking about what is wrong in Nigeria.”

Briggs insisted that true patriotism necessitates an honest assessment of the nation’s failures rather than a facade of contentment.

She stressed: “You see, the thing is, I believe that if you want to make changes, you have to accept the truth. It doesn’t make you any less patriotic as a Nigerian if you actually can accept that something has gone terribly wrong in Nigeria.”

The activist, who is from the Niger Delta region, highlighted that her home region has continued to “scream for development and better governance” since independence.

Earlier in the same programme, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, echoed similar sentiments, regretting Nigeria’s habit of evading genuine national reflection.

Bishop Kukah said: “Unfortunately, we have a country that doesn’t like to confront the truth. We live by ‘forgive and forget’. We bury the hatchet with its handle still visible.”

The conversation, which formed part of ARISE News’ special Independence Day reflections assessing Nigeria’s 65-year journey, focused on the country’s missed opportunities compared to peers like Singapore and the United Arab Emirates that have since dramatically surpassed it in global relevance and development.