Post by Adesanya Ayotola (@adesanya_ayotola)
One of the most interesting developments in Nigerian social media culture in recent times is the rise of charlatans, the person who confidently presents opinions as expertise, sells certainty without depth and builds authority around visibility rather than value.
The problem is not confidence. Confidence is necessary. The problem is confidence without competence.
We are gradually becoming a society where packaging often receives more applause than preparation. A person can read a few books, watch a few videos, repeat popular phrases, create a polished online image and suddenly position themselves as a mentor, strategist, coach, or expert. The danger is that many people are not teaching from experience; they are performing from observation.
They have studied success but have not endured the process that produces it. They know the language of wealth but not necessarily the discipline of building it. They speak about leadership without the responsibility of leading. They advise about relationships without the humility required to sustain one. They criticise systems they have never taken time to understand. But the uncomfortable truth is this: the charlatans exist because society rewards them.
We have created an environment where attention is mistaken for achievement, followers are mistaken for credibility, and virality is mistaken for value. We celebrate the outcome but ignore the process. We admire the harvest but rarely ask about the years of cultivation. We are becoming impatient with mastery because mastery is slow, while social media rewards speed. However, the solution is not to reject everyone who shares knowledge online.
There are genuine thinkers, professionals and teachers whose platforms are valuable. The solution is discernment. Before accepting someone's wisdom, ask: What have they actually built?
What sacrifices shaped their knowledge?
Do their principles survive outside their personal story? Are they giving you tools to think, or simply telling you what to believe? A healthy society must restore respect for learning, apprenticeship, experience and humility.
Not everyone with a microphone has a message.
Not everyone with an audience has authority.
Not everyone with confidence has competence.
The future belongs not to those who can appear knowledgeable but to those who are willing to become knowledgeable. Because in the end, noise attracts attention but substance creates impact.
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