Nigeria, June 1 -- In the annals of Nigerian leadership, a familiar and maddening refrain keeps echoing like a broken record: "Be patient." It is a phrase we have heard so often that it is now synonymous with hopelessness. Each new administration comes into power with promises laced in optimism and often garnished with attacks on its predecessor's mismanagement. Yet, when the dust settles, Nigerians are left clutching empty wallets, thinner dreams, and that same tired word "patience", dangling before them like a carrot on a stick.

When former President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, his regime rode on the populist wave of "Change." He and his handlers did not mince words in blaming the previous administration, led by Dr. Goodlu...