Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has criticised what he described as a lingering “colonial mentality” among Nigerians, saying the attitude is reflected in how some citizens react to international criticism of the country.
In a post shared on his X account, the former lawmaker argued that some Nigerians appear to celebrate when foreign journalists confront Nigerian officials but become uncomfortable when Nigerian journalists challenge foreign diplomats.
According to him, this double standard reveals a deeper sense of inferiority and an unhealthy desire for validation from Western voices.
“They are happy when a foreign journalist grilled a Nigerian government official. They are not happy when a Nigerian journalist grilled a foreign ambassador,” Sani wrote.
He further lamented what he called the prevalence of people with a colonial mindset in Nigeria.
“No African nation has our collection of colonial maids, neocolonial apprentices, imperialists bootlickers and poodles,” he added.
Sani also criticised those he believes readily accept insults from Western voices while rejecting praise or support from fellow Africans.
“When a whiteman called them apes, they would gladly agree they are apes and praise him; if a South African or Ghanaian called them Tigers, they will attack him,” he said.
The former senator warned that sacrificing national dignity in pursuit of foreign approval would not earn respect from those being admired.
“You can trade the dignity of your ancestral home for the faeces of the whiteman but you can never be accepted or respected because of that,” he stated.
Sani’s comments follow the backlash faced by presidential aide Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, after his appearance on Head to Head with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera sparked debate on social media.
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