‘I’m an Arrogant Nigerian’ — Fashola on Citizenship, Patriotism

Former Lagos State Governor and immediate past Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has dismissed claims that he holds dual citizenship, insisting that he remains proudly and exclusively Nigerian by choice, conviction and identity.

Fashola made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the Nigeria Reputation Summit 2026, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, where discussions focused on national identity, migration, patriotism and Nigeria’s global image.

Addressing the issue of citizenship and national belonging, the former minister said Nigerians must begin to take collective ownership of the country and its challenges, rather than distancing themselves from its problems.

“I don’t think we own Nigeria enough. I hear some of our compatriots who, by virtue of the 1999 Constitution, have dual citizenship. But I have only one,” Fashola said.

He added that he often challenges Nigerians who speak about the country as though it does not belong to them.

“When they talk to me and say ‘your country,’ I say stop — it is our country. Your problem is our problem. There must be common ownership on every platform. If we have that, we will solve it,” he stated.

Reflecting on his personal journey, Fashola described himself as unapologetically proud of his Nigerian identity, noting that his entire education was acquired within the country.

“From my childhood experience, I tell people I’m not just a proud Nigerian; I’m an arrogant one. I am arrogant about my country. I did not receive one day’s education outside Nigeria. All my education was here — proudly and arrogantly made in Nigeria,” he said.

The former Lagos governor traced Nigeria’s long-standing migration trend, popularly known today as “Japa,” to earlier decades, explaining that the desire to seek opportunities abroad is not a new phenomenon.

“When we graduated from the University of Benin in the 1980s, many of our colleagues left Nigeria. Back then, it was called ‘checking out.’ Today, it is ‘Japa.’ Thirty-five years later, the story has not changed much,” he noted.

According to him, many Nigerians who left the country in search of greener pastures eventually returned, having realised Nigeria’s immense potential.

“Almost all of them have come back. Why? Because Nigeria remains a land of opportunities and unending possibilities,” Fashola said.

He argued that Nigeria has historically enabled social mobility, producing leaders from humble backgrounds rather than inherited privilege.

“Which son of a king or billionaire has ever become Nigeria’s president? Think about it. This country has produced some of the biggest rags-to-riches stories. Yet we spend so much time valorising other people’s dreams,” he said.

Fashola cautioned against allowing the actions of a few individuals to define Nigeria’s global image, stressing that they do not reflect the values of the majority of Nigerians.

“Yes, there are a few people among us whose actions give cause for concern, but they do not define us. They do not represent what right-thinking Nigerians believe about this country,” he stated.

Recounting a personal experience in London, Fashola said he was once warmly received by a shop owner who became visibly excited upon learning that he and his companion were Nigerians.

“He left the shop, went upstairs, brought his wife and children down, and asked to take photographs with us,” he recalled.

According to him, the encounter occurred at a time when Nigeria was grappling with serious internal security challenges, reinforcing the point that no country is without its struggles.

“There is no country without challenges. What defines a nation is not the challenges themselves, but how the people respond to them,” Fashola concluded.