The conferral of honorary citizenship is one of the rarest symbolic gestures in global diplomacy. In the history of the United States, only eight foreigners have ever received honorary U.S. citizenship, most of them posthumously and all for extraordinary service to humanity or the American cause. Only Sir Winston Churchill and Mother Teresa were honored during their lifetimes.
Against this backdrop, the reported recognition of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as an honorary citizen during his lifetime carries deep symbolic weight. Beyond the debates it has generated, the development raises an uncomfortable but necessary question for Nigeria: why do Nigerian citizens so often receive international attention and empathy for their plights, while those same grievances remain unresolved or insufficiently addressed at home?
At the heart of this issue is a growing perception of government insensitivity to citizen concerns, particularly, in matters of justice, human rights, and political inclusion. When domestic institutions appear unresponsive, slow, or dismissive, affected citizens naturally seek redress through international advocacy. Over time, these external responses begin to highlight what is lacking internally.
Nigeria is not short of laws, courts, or governance structures. What often seems absent is the consistent application of empathy, dialogue, and proportional justice. Prolonged detentions, unresolved grievances, and the criminalization of dissent, real or perceived, create a widening trust deficit between the state and segments of the population. When citizens feel unheard, the legitimacy of state authority is quietly eroded.
International recognition of Nigerian citizens in distress should not be viewed as an embarrassment or a threat to sovereignty. Rather, it should serve as a mirror reflecting areas where governance has failed to adequately protect, reassure, or engage its own people. Governments earn loyalty not through force or silence, but through fairness, transparency, and an evident concern for human dignity.
A responsive state does not wait for global pressure before correcting internal wrongs. It proactively listens, investigates, and reforms. It distinguishes between security concerns and legitimate civic agitation, and it prioritizes dialogue over prolonged confrontation. Most importantly, it places the welfare of citizens above political calculations.
Nigeria’s strength has always been its people. When those people repeatedly look beyond their borders for validation or protection, it signals a need for introspection at the highest levels of governance. Constructive leadership demands the courage to ask hard questions, admit institutional shortcomings, and chart a more humane path forward.
Ultimately, no honorary recognition abroad should outweigh the fundamental responsibility of a government to secure justice, dignity, and a sense of belonging for its own citizens at home.
