Prof. Pat Utomi, a political economist and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has described Nigeria as being in “a complete mess,” citing leadership failures, corruption and weakened public institutions as key factors in the country’s current challenges.

Utomi stated this in an interview with Vanguard published on March 7, 2026, in which he assessed Nigeria’s governance, economic conditions and institutional performance.

According to Utomi, Nigeria’s situation reflects what he described as a lack of effective leadership, highlighting chronic issues in the nation’s power sector as one example.

He said Nigeria continues to struggle with unstable electricity supply despite earlier promises from government officials to improve power generation and distribution.

Utomi also told Vanguard that public confidence in institutions has diminished as a result of what he described as mismanagement of resources and widespread corruption.

He said some figures suggest that nearly 40 per cent of projected public project funds “end up in private pockets,” a statement attributed to him in the interview.

Using the power sector as an example, Utomi compared Nigeria’s approach unfavourably with that of other countries.

He said Nigeria’s agreements with firms to deliver electricity infrastructure have not yielded expected results, and said businesses and households continue to pay high costs for unreliable power.

Utomi further said that hunger and insecurity persist across the country, and he connected these realities to what he described as broader governance issues.

In the interview, Utomi also commented on the state of Nigeria’s democratic process, expressing concern about the credibility of elections and the trustworthiness of institutions responsible for electoral management. He said some political processes have weakened public trust.

On the judiciary, Utomi was quoted as saying the Nigerian judiciary is “dead, buried, forgotten” in terms of delivering timely and credible justice, and he made assertions about accountability for actions related to the 2023 elections.

Despite the critical assessment, Utomi was quoted as affirming that Nigeria has potential to improve and “will rise up again,” provided effective reforms and accountability measures are pursued.