There is something quietly revealing about a Nigerian bank stepping back from its profit focus to confront a crucial challenge: the lack of honest, open communication within its walls—and the risk this silence poses to its future.
Two weeks ago, I sat with senior managers at a Nigerian bank for a feedback session. We were not discussing interest rates, currency instability, recapitalisation, regulatory pressure, or digital disruption. The focus was more basic, yet harder: giving and receiving truth without fear, ego, humiliation, or paralysis.
“There is also a cultural dimension we must acknowledge: Nigerians may not receive hard truths well unless they are delivered with tact. Blunt criticism is seen as contempt or an attack.”
An internal review revealed sobering news. The bank’s growth and productivity lag due to internal issues: colleagues struggle to communicate hard truths. Feedback is blocked at every level. Silence has become permanent.
By the end of the session, it was clear: the feedback crisis in Nigerian banking is not just a human-resources issue. At its core, it is a leadership and governance failure—one that directly threatens performance. In banking, what goes unsaid can be more damaging than what is stated poorly.
