Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme Thursday night, Kukah reflected on Nigeria’s 65 years since 1960, lamenting the absence of a unifying national dream to inspire its people.

Kukah argued that no Nigerian leader since independence has delivered a speech as galvanizing as the 1960 address, leaving the nation without a compelling vision. 

“Nation-building is about mythology, like the American Dream,” he said, contrasting Nigeria’s trajectory with the U.S. 

“We’ve failed to create a dream that captures our collective imagination.” He criticized military regimes for stifling intellectual discourse, noting, “Soldiers couldn’t win arguments, so they silenced intellect, sidelining those who dared to teach beyond their pay.”

The bishop highlighted the enduring pain in Northern Nigeria from the 1966 assassinations of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, stating, “Many in their 70s and 80s still cannot reconcile with those brutal killings.” 

He faulted Nigeria’s reluctance to confront such historical wounds, saying, “We bury the hatchet, but the handle sticks out. Unhealed trauma has turned our founding fathers’ dreams into nightmares.”

Kukah recalled Nigeria’s early promise, comparing it to global success stories like Singapore and Malaysia. 

“As a child, I saw the Sardauna’s vision ignite hope in my village,” he reminisced. 

“We had everything to surpass those nations, but military rule destroyed our bureaucracy and meritocracy, fueling ethnic divisions.” 

He pointed to Singapore’s success under Lee Kuan Yew, attributing it to a preserved bureaucratic framework, something Nigeria lost to political upheaval.Urging a reckoning with the past, Kukah stressed that Nigeria’s progress hinges on honest dialogue and intellectual governance. 

“Without confronting what went wrong and building a shared vision, we remain stuck,” he warned.