Nigeria Can't De-Intellectualise Politics and Expect Good Governance, Kagoro Warns

Nigeria can't keep pushing intellectuals out of politics and then complain about bad leadership, a Pan-Africanist and constitutional lawyer has warned.

Brian Kagoro made the point on Friday at The Platform, a governance event held on June 12, 2026. He said people running for office need to back their campaigns with knowledge, data, and science.

“We can't de-intellectualise politics and hope that governance will be intellectual,” Kagoro said.

He argued that the quality of governance a country gets is directly tied to the quality of ideas that shape its politics. As the world moves deeper into technology and artificial intelligence, Kagoro said Nigeria must tap into its own pool of brilliant minds.

Nigerians have excelled at top global institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he noted. Yet many of these talented people remain disconnected from policymaking back home.

Kagoro described a persistent gap between knowledge and power. “There is always a gulf between knowledge and complacent, self-indulgent power,” he said. “There is always a gulf between the imagination of the future and contentment with the present.”

He also warned that many highly skilled Nigerians have become detached from local realities as they chase opportunities abroad. The country needs to learn how to harvest its rich intellectual class, he said, and link them more closely to ordinary citizens.

Kagoro criticised the quality of public discourse in Nigeria, saying trivial debates often drown out important national issues. “What has dominated Nigerian politics is the Premier League of pettiness,” he said.

He urged political leaders and citizens to raise the level of conversation and focus on long-term solutions. He stressed that policy decisions must reflect Nigeria's size, diversity, and potential.

“There is always a gulf between knowledge and complacent, self-indulgent power.”

Kagoro is a well-known Pan-Africanist and constitutional lawyer who has worked on governance issues across the continent. His comments come at a time when many Nigerians are frustrated with the quality of political leadership and the lack of evidence-based policymaking.

The event, The Platform, is a regular gathering that features talks on national development. This edition was held on June 12, a date that marks Nigeria's Democracy Day.