Nigeria at 60, today, what lies ahead?
Before I go on to talk about our prospects and premonitions, here’s a brief history of how we have journeyed.
On October 1st, 1960, Nigeria gained independence from her colonial masters after almost 100 years of being under its rulership.
This for the citizens of the newly formed modern state, their leaders, spectator-countries within Africa and around the world, meant good news.
With the discovery of oil and a vast array of mineral resources, a land of about one million square kilometers with over 60 percent of it cultivable for a variety of soil and vegetation determined crop as well as livestock production.
Also, with coastal and inland water bodies assets, sheer size in terms of human resources and, nationalist leaders, Nigeria seem to have crouched naturally for greatness.
This was emphasized when the UN would unanimously accepted Nigeria as the 99th member of the United Nations that same month.
Tik-tok, it is said, says the clock.
It is already six decades past since the journey of our dreams began. With Nigeria at 60, there is a lot to take caution of.
It is crucial at this time that we not only appraise our journey so far but also look at it in the light of prospect and premonitions.
For Nigeria at 60, there are quite a handful of vantage points from which analysis may be made and progress assessed.
However, for this analysis, a socio-economic and political approach is employed, mainly because they all lie in the drop box of division.
There is no better time to focus and work towards unity than now.
If Nigeria is to successfully overcome its challenges it must first address the problem of disunity because we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.
A house divided against itself cannot achieve much success.
Since independence, several fault lines have issued starting from the coup that saw the elimination of key personalities like Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Samuel Ladoke Akintola and several other political leaders and military officers in 1966.
Then, a counter coup staged later that year to retaliate for the ethnically and regionally biased killings by majorly Igbo-speaking officers which resulted in the killing of General Aguiyi Ironsi, the then Head of state and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces just a few months in office.
It was not more than seven years after independence, when the Civil War broke out as a result of secessionist attempts by the Eastern region to declare an independent state.
The civil war would last for three years and claim the lives of millions of Nigerians. An event that has turned out to be a highlight in the country’s history.
Fast forward to fifty years later, there are still ripples of disturbed waters and the reasons are not far fetched.
Nigeria is one of the most ethnically diversed nation in the world.
With over 300 different ethnic groups with different languages and religions, there lie ample opportunities for conflict of interests, ideas and thought patterns.
It is therefore incumbent that special conscious, deliberate efforts are exercised to prevent tensions that could arise from being such a diversed nation that Nigeria is.
Any mismanagement of the country’s diversity would retract dire consequences.
Already, allowances have been made to find a way around our unique situation, only that there are gaps needed to be filled in terms of policy implementation.
The presidential rotational system for example has only been fairly maintained.
While there are questions being asked about poor representation of the Igbos in the federal level of government, there are also concerns that minority communities are grossly marginalised.
It therefore suffice, to realize that Nigeria has more than three ethnic groups (Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo).
This country is a conglomerate of cultures, languages and ideologies.
Political representation must consequently be fair enough to capture this reality.
If we are to make progress, we must practice an all inclusive government to the best possible extent.
As a nation there must be a willingness to live together with mutual respect and understanding as this are both key drivers to political stability and economic progress.
For instance, the crisis that has transpired in the oil rich, Niger Delta region of the country over the past two decades, has cost quite a fortune.
In 2016 alone, the The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, estimated a loss of about $7 billion (N2.1 trillion) to the activities of militancy groups and oil pipeline vandals in the region.
The pain points were poor development.
This belies the fact that this region petroleum practically sustains the country’s wealth.
To head above water, we must engender a sense of belonging and a unity of purpose.
The onus lies on both the citizens and the government. Sterotypes built must be hewn down.
Rather than talking at each other, we must learn to engage in healthy dialogue.
There is no autonomy, this country belongs to its citizens and the citizens to it.
Let us therefore, see beyond divisive lines and unify in achieving our dreams in order to meet up with expectations.
Not many countries are blessed with resources as Nigeria is.
We have all it takes to move beyond our current state of poverty, economical decline and insecurity but not without tackling the weight of divisive lines.
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More than ever, it is important that we accept the pain to close up fissures from existing fault lines, strip ourselves of tribalistic thinking and forge ahead, along this journey of our dreams.
As a citizen, you must realize that you are first a Nigerian before you are from any tribe.
This should form the roots through which your actions and inactions towards fellow citizens stem.
We need to peer through our difficulties together in the light of connectedness.
Only together can we deal with issues of terrorism, organised crimes, banditry, kidnapping, human trafficking and corruption.
Here it is, plainly. This is a decisive time in Nigeria’s history. We are on the verge of tipping over and it is only we who can save ourselves.