According to veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nigeria requires a leader willing to make significant sacrifices, including jeopardising personal safety, to advance the nation.
It was reported that she expressed her opinion during a Channels Television interview, in which she discussed the country’s current situation and the general elections scheduled for 2027.
The interview was broadcast on Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Omotola lamented Nigeria’s continued struggles in spite of its abundance of human and natural resources, which other nations want.
The actor claimed that although the nation has the potential to prosper, it lacks leaders who are courageous enough to make difficult choices that would actually solve its problems.
She asserts that if laws are either nonexistent or not upheld, a country may descend into anarchy.
She explained that even countries seen as strong can become unsafe when rules are ignored.
For her, order and progress come from clear laws and leaders who are willing to enforce them without fear.
She added that Nigeria needs leaders who are selfless and genuinely care about the country, not those who only tell emotional stories to win public sympathy.
She chastised politicians who talk about past suffering or profess to love Nigeria but, once in power, don’t demonstrate genuine concern with their actions. She criticised politicians who claim to love Nigeria or speak about past hardship but fail to show real concern through their actions once they are in power.
According to Omotola, a lot of these statements made by leaders are untrue because their actions indicate that they care more about their own interests than the well-being of the nation.
She emphasised that finding leaders who genuinely prioritise the country and are prepared to pay the price for genuine change is essential to Nigeria’s future.
