Retired Lt. Col. Tony Nyiam, known for his role in the failed 1990 coup against General Ibrahim Babangida, has shared his views on why Nigeria’s leadership under former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed and former President Olusegun Obasanjo was more effective than today’s government.
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Nyiam said Murtala’s success came from listening to independent experts and using strong research institutions.
He explained that Murtala didn’t make decisions alone he got advice from scholars and relied on the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), which was led by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi at the time.
Nyiam said these experts helped Nigeria deal with security challenges and also supported other African countries like South Africa.
He added that Obasanjo also worked with a group of scholars who were not part of the government, which made their advice more honest and useful.
However, Nyiam believes today’s leaders have abandoned that method. He said the NIIA and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) are now part of the government, and because of that, they only produce reports that please those in power.
He warned that when experts are no longer free to speak the truth, leadership becomes weak and the country finds it hard to move forward.
“Murtala and Olusegun Obasanjo were successful because they relied on think tanks and had access to resource persons. Obasanjo had a Presidential Advisory Council made up of scholars. Murtala’s regime depended on institutions like the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, when it was a genuine think tank under Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi. The NIIA advised the government, and that was why our national security system was efficient. That was why we could assist South Africa and other countries, because they had scholars who could offer sound advice,” he stated.
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