Prof. Soyinka Was Right to Call Us a Wasted Generation – Anambra Monarch Igwe Nick Obi

The Igwe of Nnobi in Anambra State, Engr. Muodum Nick Obi, has echoed Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s famous description of Nigerians of his era as “a wasted generation.”

Speaking in an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, the monarch said that although many individuals in his generation recorded personal achievements, they collectively failed to build a nation founded on justice, transparency, and good governance.

“I agree with Prof. Wole Soyinka that my generation was a wasted generation,” Igwe Obi said. “Individually, we achieved things, but as a generation, we failed to deliver.”

The traditional ruler recalled his days as a student in London when he and others protested against Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa’s policies. However, he lamented that Nigeria’s foreign policy remains stuck in the same patterns six decades later, with little to show for progress.

He criticized the political class for embracing sycophancy and survival politics instead of nation-building. According to him, many Nigerian politicians lack other professions and therefore cling to politics at all costs, often undermining accountability and the rule of law.

Addressing the intersection of faith and culture, Igwe Obi, a devout Catholic and UK-trained gas engineer, dismissed the notion that Christianity conflicts with his role as a traditional ruler. He noted that his pilgrimage to Jerusalem revealed similarities between some Jewish practices and the traditions of his ancestors.

“As the traditional ruler of the community, I am the leader of both Christians and non-Christians,” he explained. “I don’t think being a traditional ruler is against Christianity. Perhaps you can draw a line on what you can accept as a Christian traditional ruler.”

Looking to the future, the monarch urged sons and daughters of Nnobi at home and abroad to invest in productive ventures that will create jobs and strengthen the local economy.