Nigerian Nationalism and Institutional Corruption in Wole Soyinka’s Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth

This article explores the literary testimonials of the Nigerian nationalist government as being a corrupted institution and failed government in Wole Soyinka’s Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth (2021). As a courageous Nigerian novelist, Wole Soyinka critiques Nigerian political leaders for institutional corruption and abuse of public office and resources. The article highlights the ongoing neo-colonial systems in Nigeria, where nationalist governments exploit politics, resources, and elections for personal gain. This has led to corruption and dysfunctional governance, perpetuating political favouritism at the expense of citizens. This portrays Africa's corruption caused by the institutional failure of post-independence leadership, using colonial legacies in a neo-colonial way. This has led to disillusionment among literary characters and seeking recolonization as an alternative to dysfunctional nationalist governments. This article argues that colonial and postcolonial leaderships display corrupt tactics in governance, control, and politics, resulting in favouritism and abuse of power, while citizens are oppressed and neglected.