[Opinion] Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo: Nigeria Must Reward Excellence or Keep Losing Its Best Minds

Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo

Public health expert, epidemiologist, and former university lecturer, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, has identified the failure to reward merit as one of the major reasons many young Nigerians are losing motivation to pursue academic excellence.

Speaking during an interview on The Morayo Show, she reflected on her years as a university lecturer and argued that Nigeria's educational and leadership systems often fail to create meaningful incentives for hard work, innovation, and excellence.

According to her, many young people possess remarkable abilities but have become discouraged because they see little connection between academic achievement and future opportunities.

Recalling her experience in the classroom, Dr. Obasanjo revealed that one of her former students at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (now the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta) eventually became a professor at the University of Texas in the United States.

The example, she said, demonstrates that many students who appear unmotivated in Nigeria are not lacking in intelligence or potential.

"Some of those people that are behaving badly and you think can't do well in school," she noted, "they're not doing well because it offers no reward."

For her, the challenge is not simply about the quality of students but about the environment in which they are expected to thrive.

When excellence is ignored and merit receives little recognition, young people naturally begin to question whether investing years in education is worthwhile.

Dr. Obasanjo argued that societies which consistently reward competence encourage more people to pursue excellence.

"You have to reward excellence to get more of it," she stated, suggesting that recognition and opportunity are powerful drivers of national development.

Beyond the classroom, she extended the conversation to leadership and national policy.

She maintained that governments and institutions have a responsibility to create more opportunities for young Nigerians, particularly at a time when skilled professionals can easily relocate across borders.

"As leaders, we need to create more opportunities for young people especially," she said.

Warning about the growing competition for global talent, Dr. Obasanjo added that "where the world is now, talent will go where it's needed."

Her remarks echo concerns that Nigeria continues to lose many of its brightest minds to countries offering better research facilities, stronger institutions, competitive salaries, and clearer pathways for career advancement.

While the conversation around brain drain often focuses on those leaving the country, Dr. Obasanjo's comments suggest the deeper issue begins much earlier—with a system that fails to consistently reward excellence at home.

Her message serves as a reminder that retaining talent is not only about patriotism. It is also about building institutions where merit is recognised, opportunities are created, and young people can confidently believe that hard work will be rewarded.