10/07/2026
Whenever Nigerians gather to discuss the country’s problems, one phrase is almost guaranteed to come up:
“We just need a functional system.”
I hear it everywhere. In interviews. On social media. In taxis. At conferences. In political conversations. At some point, I stopped listening to the phrase itself and became more interested in the people using it.
So one day, I asked someone a simple question:
“What exactly is a functional system?” And he couldn’t give an answer.
That conversation proved that many people use the phrase because it sounds intelligent, not because they truly understand what it means.
A system is not magic. A system is simply a structure made up of rules, institutions, processes, incentives, consequences, and people who consistently make those things work.
A functional system is one where the rules are largely predictable, institutions perform their responsibilities, excellence is rewarded, incompetence has consequences, and the average citizen understands that there are standards that cannot be negotiated.
Now let me say something uncomfortable.
Many Nigerians say they want a functional system, but the truth is, many are not yet prepared to live in one. If you think I’m lying think about it.
The same people who complain about corruption but become excited when they know someone “at the top” who can bend the rules for them, they are also the same people who will make excuses for fraudster and yahoo yahoo.
They criticize politicians for nepotism but call their uncle to secure jobs they are not qualified for. They want law and order until the law applies to them. They want accountability until they are the ones being held accountable.
That is not a desire for a functional system, that is a desire for a system that works only in your favour.
In a truly functional system, you do not drive against traffic because you are in a hurry. You do not skip queues because you know someone. You do not evade taxes while demanding world-class infras
