By Bashir Bello, Abuja
The 2026 edition of Open Mic with Shine held at the Physics Complex, main campus University of Abuja in collaboration with Association of Physics Students, lived up to its billing as a powerhouse of creativity and civic awakening. Convener and organiser, Mr. Shine Enyinnaya Nwosu, said the programme was crafted to spark critical thinking through literary events, poetry reading, spoken word competition, short story presentations, and a motivational address by a guest speaker.
From the opening act to the closing ovation, participants and attendees applauded Mr. Shine for building a rare platform that fuses art with urgent national discourse.
Delivering the keynote on the theme “Nigeria and Morality,” Mr. Shine Enyinnaya Nwosu dismantled the popular narrative that blames Nigeria’s underdevelopment solely on the political class. While clarifying that his talk was not political, he noted that one cannot discuss a country without its people, institutions, and leaders.
“As right-thinking people, we should think of what to do to fix the nation instead of blaming the ruling class,” he declared, adding that a culture of irresponsibility fuels national decline. He urged Nigerians to stop waiting for a “Messiah” and take personal responsibility, insisting, “Everybody is supposed to work.”
Mr. Shine argued that corruption, poverty, and insecurity are not rooted in biology but in culture and socialization. Citing global data, he observed that Africans remain the poorest demographic even in developed democracies with exemplary leaders, from the United States to South Africa and Australia.
“If you bring the greatest American president to rule Nigeria, he or she would fail. They already ruled, and Blacks in their country remained poor,” he said.
The real culprit, he insisted, is culture a non-living yet active force. Families, schools, religious bodies, media, and peer groups shape behaviour, and when these institutions decay, society suffers.
He illustrated this with the story of twins separated at birth: one raised by educated, wealthy parents became an engineer; the other, adopted by a sex worker, became a pickpocket. “Environment happened,” Mr. Shine stated.
Media Coordinator of Open Mic with Shine Hussain AbdulQadir Zaguru, described the event as a quarterly intervention designed to help students understand the power of literature and spoken word, especially in leadership. He commended Mr. Shine for his foresight and commitment to youth development, saying,
“Shine has made it a point of duty to inspire young people, and that’s why he began with the university where he can target them directly. The event was awesome everyone saw the power of literature tackling topical issues like morality in Nigeria so we can all be the agents of change we’ve been yearning for.”
Zaguru advised youths caught in the ‘Japa’ syndrome to first examine themselves and seek ways to drive change at home, because “not everybody can leave.”
He praised Mr. Shine for bringing such critical topics to the forefront and giving young people a voice.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, Comrade Muhammad Abdulmajeed, President of the Physics Department, University of Abuja, lauded Mr. Shine for sponsoring the event and for placing “such great trust in students.” He said the programme was highly impactful and reflected what students need most now.
“In recent times, many students tend to drift away from the core purpose of being in school, and this relates to issues of values and morality. The outcome aligns perfectly with the theme.
The performances clearly showed that students are aware of the challenges and are ready to speak about them and inspire change. The event goes beyond entertainment.” Speaking on behalf of the winners, first-place prize winner Enyojo Victory Abo thanked Mr. Shine for the privilege to participate, declaring, “The future of Nigeria is in our hands and we must all get ready to pay the price.”
The first-place winner went home with ₦100,000, while the second and third prize winners received ₦75,000 and ₦50,000 respectively. Guests unanimously described Open Mic with Shine as a timely call to moral rebirth, hailing Mr. Shine Enyinnaya Nwosu for his courage, clarity, and patriotic vision.
