Last week, a series of emotional interviews aired by BBC Pidgin exposed a heartbreaking trend: scores of Nigerians deceived by social media narratives about Burkina Faso being a “mini London” are now stranded, impoverished, and disillusioned in the very country they fled to for hope.
Some migrants sold properties, borrowed up to ₦4 million, and travelled to what they believed was a rapidly developing paradise under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s military ruler. What they found instead was blackouts, poverty, insecurity, and abandonment.
This incident is more than a sad story—it is a powerful case study of how misinformation, nationalism without strategy, and social media hype can mislead the vulnerable.
False Comparisons: Breaking the Illusion
1. Electricity Generation
Nigeria: Installed capacity ~11,000MW, operational ~6,000MW.
Burkina Faso: ~700MW (half imported from Côte d’Ivoire).
Niger Republic: ~350MW.
To put this in perspective: Dangote Refinery alone requires more power than all of Burkina Faso generates. The claim of 24/7 electricity in a country producing less than 1/12th of Nigeria’s power is misleading at best.
2. Fuel Prices
Nigeria: ₦850/litre (~$0.60)
Burkina Faso: 750 CFA (~$1.30)
Niger: 733 CFA (~$1.27); spiked to 2,000 CFA ($3.38) during recent fuel scarcity.
Despite subsidy removal, Nigeria’s fuel remains among the cheapest in West Africa. The narrative that Traoré “made fuel cheap” is disconnected from market realities.
3. Electricity Tariff
Nigeria (Band A): $0.12/kWh
Burkina Faso: $0.21/kWh
Niger: $1.19/kWh
Nigeria’s rates, even after the recent hike, are cheaper than Burkina Faso’s, contradicting popular claims.
4. Security Profile (Global Terrorism Index 2024)
Nigeria: 8th most terrorized nation.
Burkina Faso: 1st — over 35% of its territory is under extremist control.
Niger: 10th most terrorized.
While Nigeria still battles insecurity, it retains functional military zones, international airports, and civilian rule, unlike Burkina Faso where media is censored, and journalists and dissenters are jailed.
Nigeria’s Strategic Advantages: Facts over Fantasy
Economic size: Nigeria’s GDP exceeds $450 billion, 4th largest in Africa.
Road Network: 195,000 km — 2nd largest in Africa.
Coastal Access: Seaports in Lagos, Rivers, Delta; strategic for trade.
Foreign Reserves: ~$22 billion vs. Burkina Faso + Niger combined: <$2 billion.
Currency Autonomy: Nigeria controls the Naira, while CFA nations are still under French monetary authority.
> “If CFA countries were to float independent currencies, they’d collapse faster than the Naira,” notes Dr. Amadou Diop, West African economist.
The Dangers of Junta Hype and “Clout Nationalism”
Military governments often resort to symbolic gestures and media censorship to manufacture patriotism. But governance is more than flag-waving and fiery speeches.
Burkina Faso has shut down independent media, banned political parties, and delayed elections indefinitely.
Traoré’s administration has not built any major industrial project, revived the economy, or delivered measurable gains since 2022.
Meanwhile, Nigerian institutions—despite their flaws—continue to function with civil service reform, telecom expansion, student loans, and energy investments.
As Wole Soyinka once warned:
“The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”
Migration by Misinformation: A National Crisis
This isn’t the first time Nigerians have fallen for propaganda-led exodus:
In 2017, thousands were trapped in Libya’s slave markets.
In 2021, dozens drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean.
Now in 2025, Nigerians are being scammed into migrating to more impoverished, unstable nations.
“The grass isn’t greener on the other side. It’s greener where it is watered,” said Princess G. Fraser, MFR, of the National Patriots.
“Let’s water Nigeria with reforms, not illusions.”
Conclusion: Time for Nigerian Realism, Not Romanticism
Burkina Faso, Niger, and other junta-led nations are not models of development—they are suffering from deep insecurity, weak currencies, and infrastructural collapse. What they offer is emotional optics, not economic blueprints.
Nigeria is far from perfect, but the way forward is policy-driven reform, not relocation to regimes that can’t even power a city.
The solution lies in:
Pressing for accountability at home,
Investing in technical education and innovation,
Empowering youth to think critically, not just trend emotionally.
Let us rise—not through fantasy, but through fact-based transformation.
Dr. Amiida & Dr. Imran Khazaly.
The National Patriots
HeadlineNews.News Special Report.
