From Niger State, where hundreds of students were abducted, to Kwara, where a church attack forced schools to shut, to the Northeast, where terrorist factions are killing each other and innocent families are caught in between—these headlines are not just stories. They are the lived reality of millions of Nigerians.

I’ve seen the news. I’ve seen the fear. I’ve seen the pain.

My heart is with every parent who prays through the night, wondering if their child will return safely. My heart is with every state currently going through a fire they did not start. My heart is with every child who deserves safety but wakes up to sirens and uncertainty.

We can no longer ignore the truth: Nigeria’s crisis is bigger than security. It is a performance crisis.

It is a crisis of systems, a crisis of responsibility, and a crisis of citizens waiting for someone else to act. We have reached a point where asking, “Who spoilt Nigeria?” has become insufficient. The harder, more honest question is, “What am I doing to rebuild it?”

Safety is not solely the responsibility of government. Yes, leaders must be held accountable, but no leader or agency can secure our homes, schools, markets, and streets alone. National safety is a collective performance challenge. Every citizen has a role to play.

It is in this context that I propose a citizen-led performance mandate—S.A.F.E.R.—a framework designed to shift mindsets, guide conduct, and build a culture of active civic responsibility. S.A.F.E.R. is not just a slogan; it is a call to action.

S — SPEAK UP
A quiet nation is an unsafe nation. Silence in the face of injustice or danger is a permission slip for chaos. To speak up is to demand accountability, to refuse mediocrity, to insist that those entrusted with power perform consistently and transparently.

Speaking up does not mean shouting into the void or attacking indiscriminately. It means using your voice responsibly: call out corruption, report failures, advocate for reforms, and encourage ethical leadership.

Every time citizens raise their voices—through petitions, social media, community forums, or civic engagement—leaders understand that performance, not excuses, is the only acceptable standard.

A — ASSEMBLE
No single authority can monitor every street, school, or market. Communities, however, can. Assemble your neighbours, colleagues, and local associations. Create safety networks. Share information. Watch out for vulnerable members of your community.

When citizens organize, criminal activity loses its hiding place. Vigilance becomes communal. Markets, schools, and residential areas become safer because people are not waiting passively for someone else to act. They act together, coordinated and alert, turning observation into prevention.

F — FLAG IT
Trust your instincts. Report suspicious activity. The smallest ignored signal can escalate into the gravest tragedy. Sometimes the difference between life and death is a single report made on time.

Flagging is an act of courage. It says, “I refuse to wait for disaster to strike before taking action.” Whether it is a stranger behaving oddly, an unreported hazard, or suspicious financial activity, alerting authorities—or community networks—may save lives. Your vigilance is an investment in national security.

E — ELEVATE YOUR PERFORMANCE EVERYWHERE
National safety rises in direct proportion to the discipline, responsibility, and integrity of individual citizens. Chaos thrives where personal responsibility dies.

Elevating performance is not limited to public spaces. It begins at home, in schools, at workplaces, in markets, and in local associations. Following traffic rules, paying taxes responsibly, mentoring youth, mentoring peers, obeying regulations, and modeling ethical behavior—all these actions create a culture of accountability. Small acts compound. When citizens consistently act with integrity, the nation itself becomes stronger, more resilient, and more secure.

R — REJECT SMALL COMPROMISES THAT BECOME BIG CRIMES
Crime often begins with subtle compromises. “It doesn’t matter” or “Everyone does it” are phrases that silently degrade national integrity. Every shortcut, every ethical lapse, and every tolerance of injustice fertilizes the soil for larger crimes.

Rejecting small compromises is an act of courage. It means refusing to normalize dishonesty, negligence, or corruption in your daily life. It means refusing to allow minor lapses to snowball into systemic failure. Each citizen who commits to rejecting small compromises contributes to building a nation where rule of law, safety, and fairness are non-negotiable.

Why S.A.F.E.R. Matters Now
Nigeria will not transform because of one leader, one election, or one miracle. It will transform because millions of citizens choose to perform differently—consistently, courageously, and intentionally.

S.A.F.E.R. Nigeria is not about fear-mongering or assigning blame. It is about reclaiming agency, restoring accountability, and redefining civic responsibility. It is about turning passive observation into active contribution, waiting into doing, and despair into deliberate action.