National Organising Secretary of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Dele Farotimi, has declared that activism has failed in Nigeria and can no longer bring about meaningful change.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Farotimi said the country is suffering from systemic failure, and only a peaceful revolution led by the people can rescue it.
“Activism is not going to help Nigeria,” he said. “The country’s problems will not be solved by emotional or short-lived reactions to deep-rooted issues.”
Farotimi, a lawyer and outspoken public affairs commentator, distanced himself from being called a political or human rights activist.
“I’m not a political activist,” he said. “I’m just another Nigerian speaking out about the pain of my victimhood in this country.”
Using an analogy, he explained that expecting change from a broken system through activism alone is unrealistic.
“No matter how long you stand in front of a mango tree demanding oranges, you will still only get mangoes,” Farotimi stated. “That’s the same with Nigeria – expecting good governance from a failed structure is futile.”
Farotimi pointed to the #EndSARS protests as a clear example of how activism, though well-intentioned, failed to bring lasting change.
“Activism led to #EndSARS, which became #EndPoliceBrutality and later #EndBadGovernance. But where did that lead us? That tells you activism has failed,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria’s political and governance system is so broken that only a collective national awakening and peaceful revolution can reset it.
Nigeria has witnessed waves of youth-led activism in recent years, most notably the #EndSARS movement in 2020, which protested police brutality and bad governance. However, many of the demands remain unmet, and disillusionment among young people has grown.
His position challenges civil society groups and young Nigerians to rethink their strategy for change, calling for system-wide reform rather than issue-based activism alone.
