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Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has attributed the failure of Nigerian leaders to address critical issues to their tendency to surround themselves with “praise singers” and to reject honest counsel.
Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank (OGTT) Leadership Conference, Sanusi lamented that leaders often accept only the advice that “tells them what they want to hear.”
He explained that in his experience, many leaders listen to numerous people but ultimately select those who provide favourable feedback, fostering an environment where sycophants thrive.
“We have too many psycho-fans in government,” Sanusi stated.
He described how officials often begin their contributions in meetings by praising the president’s leadership, setting a foundation of flattery that makes their subsequent advice more palatable.
In contrast, those who deliver unfavourable economic news—like Sanusi and others such as Atedo Peterside—are immediately viewed as “enemies of the state.”
Sanusi recalled the difficulties he faced under the previous administration: “There was nothing we didn’t say to Buhari about printing money, about exchange rates, about subsidy. But every time you spoke about the economy, it was seen as a personal attack against the president.”
However, he offered a defence of former President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that despite their personal differences (referencing his own suspension), Jonathan ultimately “took the right decision” to remove the fuel subsidy.
He clarified that the government stopped the removal at 50 per cent solely because of security concerns and “the threat to people’s lives.”
Sanusi concluded by urging those currently in leadership positions, including ministers, to avoid debasing themselves by acting as praise singers, emphasising that leaders must choose to surround themselves with individuals capable of providing constructive and unvarnished criticism.
