The chaos in the Republic of Benin the attempted coup, the sudden collapse of order, and Nigeria’s quick military response has dragged West Africa back into another round of uncertainty.
But beneath all the noise lies a question people are whispering everywhere: Is Nigeria truly acting as a regional stabilizer, or is it still dancing around France’s long shadow in West Africa?
For years, France has behaved like the landlord of Francophone Africa always present, always hovering, always involved in ways that don’t quite disappear no matter how loudly countries shout “independence.”
So when coups started sweeping through Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, and now Benin, many saw it as the region trying to finally break free from France’s grip.
Yet when trouble starts, France somehow reappears sometimes quietly, sometimes not like a guest who never really left.
And then Nigeria steps in.
The Nigerian Senate’s approval for troop deployment to Benin has left many citizens scratching their heads. How does a country drowning in its own security crises suddenly find the strength to police another nation?
It feels like a man struggling to put out the fire in his own living room rushing to help extinguish flames in his neighbor’s house. It sounds heroic until you look closely and realise his own roof is caving in.
Nigeria’s security situation is nothing short of a national emergency.
Bandits rule parts of the North-West, terrorists still operate in the North-East, kidnappers run their own “businesses” across states, and the South-East has its own agitation issues.
The military is exhausted, stretched in every direction, and yet the government is eager to play “big brother” beyond its borders.
Charity, they say, begins at home but Nigeria seems determined to start from outside.
ECOWAS hasn’t helped matters either. The bloc has turned into a kind of emergency squad that often arrives without equipment or coordination.
It issues strong warnings that rarely change anything. You cannot shout “defend democracy!” when your own region is bleeding from every corner.
Now, in the middle of Benin’s crisis, France’s shadow appears again.
Is Nigeria responding as a sovereign nation?
Or is it reacting as part of the old post-colonial script the script where France directs from backstage while African countries do the acting?
It’s hard to ignore the pattern.
France still has military presence in several West African states.
France still influences their currencies.
France still has strong political interests in the region.
So when Nigeria rushes into Benin, suspicion rises naturally.
To many, it doesn’t look like regional solidarity. It looks like a familiar play a performance written in Paris but staged in Abuja.
But let’s leave geopolitics aside for a moment.
Nigerians are asking a far more emotional question:
“If we can deploy troops to Benin so quickly, why can’t we show the same urgency in tackling kidnappers in Kaduna or bandits in Zamfara?”
How does a government move heaven and earth for another country but move like a snail when its own citizens cry for help? Why does international pressure produce instant action, while local suffering gets committee meetings and long speeches?
The truth is simple: Nigeria is trying to look powerful abroad while struggling badly at home.
A nation cannot stabilise others while shaking from within. You can’t police your neighbors when your own house is trembling.
You cannot be a regional giant when insecurity ties your feet.
If Nigeria wants to lead West Africa, it must first lead itself out of insecurity.
Before helping Benin, help Birnin Gwari.
Before defending Cotonou, defend Chibok.
Before projecting strength, rebuild strength.
West Africa is unstable, yes but Nigeria cannot keep pouring from an empty cup.