Bassey Udo and the relentless campaign to discredit Nigeria’s progress — by Olabode Opeseitan
Nigeria is moving forward, but some voices are working overtime to drag her backwards. NELFUND is helping millions of students, yet a few commentators are determined to kill public confidence. It is time to call them out.
Public discourse in Nigeria is being distorted by a growing cohort of commentators who have turned cynicism into a vocation. Their reflex is to attack every government policy, not on the basis of evidence, but on the basis of instinctive hostility. Bassey Udo has become a symbol of this troubling trend. His recent attempt to discredit NELFUND is not an isolated act; it is part of a wider pattern among individuals who appear committed to undermining national progress.
Citizens must speak when something is not working. That is a democratic duty. But citizens must also acknowledge success when it is real. NELFUND is one of the clearest examples of a policy that has delivered measurable results. More than 1.6 million students have applied. Over ₦322 billion has been disbursed. Tuition payments have reached 301 institutions, and upkeep stipends have supported millions of young Nigerians. These figures are publicly available and verifiable.
Yet Udo chose to claim that none of his three university‑age children had benefited, and that they had not seen any other beneficiaries. This claim is contradicted by NELFUND’s published data and by testimonies from students across the country. The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, challenged Udo directly, noting that uptake is significantly higher in Northern Nigeria and that scepticism in parts of the South has slowed participation. That scepticism is precisely what Udo amplified.
This behaviour is not unique to him. Nigeria has seen similar patterns from commentators who position themselves as perpetual opposition to national progress. They include individuals and opposition figures like Mr. Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and relevance‑seekers such as Donald Duke and Chidi Odinkalu, who routinely dismiss infrastructure projects before they begin, insist that every reform is a scam, and circulate unverified claims designed to erode public confidence. Whether their names change or remain constant, their method is the same: create doubt, depress morale, and weaken public trust.
This raises legitimate questions. Are Udo’s children truly enrolled in Nigerian universities? Did they apply for the loans? Were they denied? If they were denied, on what grounds? If Udo is raising a genuine citizen concern, then the government should assist him in resolving it. But if he has come to the public square to raise a false alarm for political effect, then he must be confronted. Nigeria cannot afford commentators who deliberately sabotage national programmes for partisan gain.
There are too many people like Udo today. Their only contribution to public discourse is negativity. They want Nigeria to fail so that their political narratives can thrive. These are not patriots. They are obstructionists. They weaken public morale, distort facts, and discourage citizens from accessing opportunities designed to improve their lives.
Nigeria needs vigilant citizens who hold government accountable. But when someone reaches the point where they see only failure, only conspiracy, only darkness, that is no longer patriotism. It is destructionism. And destructionism must be confronted wherever it appears.
