13/04/2026
In a small town called Ehanlen-Ewu in Edo State, there lived a young man named Sunday Ehis who often complained about Nigeria. Every evening, he would sit with his friends by the roadside near the small market, criticizing the government, the poor roads, the lack of electricity, and the rising cost of living.
“One day, things will change,” he would say.
“But who will change it?” his friend Moses Eromosele always asked.
“Leaders,” Sunday replied.
Moses would smile and say, “And who are the leaders?”
Sunday never had an answer.
One rainy season, the only road connecting their community to other parts of the LGAs. For weeks, children couldn’t go to school, traders couldn’t sell their goods, and pregnant women struggled to reach the hospital.
The community waited for the government, but no one came.
One evening, an elderly man named Pa David Ehizojie called a meeting. He said, “We have waited long enough. Leadership is not a title; it is a responsibility. If we don’t rise, no one will come.”
Reluctantly, Sunday attended the meeting. To his surprise, Pa David asked him to coordinate the youth.
“Me? I’m not a leader,” Sunday said.
“You are already one,” Pa David replied. “You have a voice. Use it.”
With no other choice, Sunday accepted. He organized the youth, mobilized resources, and reached out to state authorities through social media. Within weeks, the government came to repair the road temporarily, and also secured government support for a permanent one.
For the first time, Sunday saw what leadership truly meant, not complaining, but taking action.
Months later, when elections came, Sunday didn’t just vote, he encouraged others to participate, asked questions, and held candidates accountable.
One evening, Moses looked at him and smiled again.
“So, who are the leaders now?” He asked.
Sunday smiled back and said, “We are.”
And that is the truth about Nigeria, change will not come from distant places or unknown faces. It will come from ordinary citizens who choose to get involved, to speak up, and to take responsibility.
Because when good people stay silent, leadership falls into the wrong hands. But when citizens rise, a nation begins to change.
