A Pan-Africanist and constitutional lawyer, Brian Kagoro, has called for a more intellectual and knowledge-based approach to politics and governance in Nigeria, warning that the country cannot continue to sideline expertise while expecting effective leadership and development.
Speaking on the future of governance and national development at the June 12, 2026, edition of The Platform on Friday, Kagoro argued that individuals seeking political office must possess credible knowledge and be guided by evidence, data and scientific thinking.
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According to him, the quality of governance a nation produces is directly linked to the quality of ideas and expertise that inform its political process.
“Those contesting for political offices need to have credible backing of knowledge, data, or science,” Kagoro said.
“We cannot de-intellectualise politics and hope that governance will be intellectual.”
The constitutional lawyer stressed that as the world increasingly embraces technology and artificial intelligence, Nigeria must position itself to benefit from its vast pool of intellectual talent.
He noted that Nigerians have excelled in some of the world’s leading academic and technological institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and other globally recognised centres of innovation, yet many of these talented individuals remain disconnected from policymaking processes at home.
Kagoro lamented what he described as a persistent gap between knowledge and political power, arguing that governments often fail to draw on the expertise available within the country’s intellectual community.
“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.”
The Pan-Africanist further urged Nigeria to develop mechanisms for harnessing its rich and diverse intellectual resources to address the country’s complex developmental challenges.
He said one of the key tasks facing the nation is bridging the divide between intellectuals and ordinary citizens, warning that many highly skilled Nigerians have become detached from local realities as they pursue opportunities and recognition abroad.
“This country needs to learn how to harvest its diverse, rich intellectual class,” he said, adding that intellectuals must be linked more closely to the masses if their knowledge is to contribute meaningfully to national transformation.
Kagoro also called for a broader understanding of Nigeria’s development needs, stressing that policy decisions must reflect the country’s size, diversity and potential.
He criticised the quality of public discourse in the country’s political space, arguing that issues of national importance are too often overshadowed by trivial debates and narrow political interests.
“What has dominated Nigerian politics is the Premier League of pettiness,” he said.
He expressed concern that national conversations frequently focus on issues that do little to advance the country’s development agenda, urging political leaders and citizens alike to elevate public discourse and concentrate on long-term solutions.
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