Nigeria, Aug. 21 -- From documentaries about the animal kingdom, we learn a simple truth: a strong animal needs all four legs to be sturdy. A weakness in even one leg makes it vulnerable. Similarly, Nigeria, a nation that often defies all logic, needs a solid foundation to thrive. It is a country that can persevere through crises that should break it, yet falters when success seems within reach. This phenomenon, which we have come to call the "Nigerian factor," often leaves us wondering: What will it take to get our country back on track?

There has been much public commentary on Nigeria's economy, including recent, widely publicised commendations on its stability and ongoing reforms from figures like Charles Soludo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal...