According to the report from the Sun, the reinstated Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II lamented the decline of a unified national consciousness in Nigeria, which he sees as a result of political leaders exploiting regional and ethnic identities for their own gain.
He recalled a time under Gowon's administration where Nigerians were united by a shared sense of identity and purpose, contrasting it with the current political landscape where politicians use divisive rhetoric and tactics to gain support and consolidate power.
He emphasized the role of political leadership in shaping national consciousness, arguing that the exploitation of regional and ethnic identities by leaders has undermined the sense of unity and common purpose that once existed in Nigeria.
He said, "At the end of the day, it is a failure of leadership to build a national consciousness because we moved from being Kanawa to being members of the Sokoto Caliphate. From members of the Sokoto Caliphate, we became northerners, from northerners, we became Nigerians. I grew up when I was in King’s College, I grew up under Yakubu Gowon, in a country where Nigerians were thinking like Nigerians. So, what happened? The political leadership is the one that exploits regional and ethnic identities as part of the struggle for political office. And when they get in there, they all sit together."