“Nigerians are dying, Nigerians feel disappointed and betrayed that at 60, they still can’t be proud to call themselves Nigerians, considering the hardship, pain, and evils the system has subjected them to”, argues Elijah Akoji.
Nigerians from every tribe and tongue, join their compatriots scattered all over the world to mark the anniversary of Nigeria’s independence from colonial Britain in 1960.
History provides everyone the opportunity to be proud and merry for a long time and outstanding achievement over the years. How come Nigerians are not happy over this landmark years of existence, why are Nigerians mourning instead of celebrating, why are Nigerians feeling betrayed instead of feeling proud, why is everyone full of regret instead of flying the green white green flag in commemoration of the long journey to freedom.
At 60, the question remains, if Nigerians are supposed to be celebrating or reflecting as no mother celebrates when she is supposed to be mourning her sick or dead child and no mother celebrates when she is supposed to be reflecting how she has failed and disappointed her children.
Nigerians are dying, Nigerians feel disappointed and betrayed that at 60, they still can’t be proud to call themselves Nigerians, considering the hardship, pain, and evils the system has subjected them to. Many keep wondering and asking, how did we get here, one may wonder and ponder all of this to heart, but the answers and result is not far fetch if only one have been following the trend of events and the happenings in the country, one may also begin to wonder by asking, what are the positive virtues inherited when we were granted independence and if we were actually due for independence or we broke out prematurely which has put us in this condition which we are in.
Going through history, Nigerians has experienced different succession of government with the hope that at 60 the incumbent will change the narrative, so disappointing has it is that Nigerians are still caught up in the same old lifestyle constituted with new trends such as kidnapping, banditry, rustling, robbery and terrorism and all of this are shouldered by its mother CORRUPTION.
Viewing The Concept of Corruption
The word corruption means so many things to so many people, this concept has become more practical and exhibiting as a lifestyle for so many people across the world. But in Nigeria, this has become an evil crippling the system and depriving the system from growing and producing the accommodating fruits.
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or criminal offense undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefit or abuse power for one’s private gain. Contextualizing the concept to a system, corruption is most commonplace in kleptocracies, oligarchies, narco-states and mafia states.
Classifying Nigerian states of corruption at 60, how can one better describe the concept, one can view it as an evil which has held the country on a standstill and has deprived Nigeria from progressing in both infrastructural and human development. Corruption remains one or to say the worst evil Nigerian politicians have used to destroy the system leaving it in the state which it presently is. Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.
Profiling Nigeria @60
No doubt Nigeria has experienced several changes and development in the last 60 years of independence and growth in certain areas, but we will have to look at the majors areas which include, health, education, job creation and infrastructural development this are areas of core values that have been ignored and poorly funded considering it impact on human life.
Health Sector
The Nigerian healthcare system is in transition and going through significant changes in terms of priorities, policies and challenges. Some of these changes present opportunities and lessons for potential investors and services providers. However taking closer look into the healthcare services, it is very clear that the Lassa fever and Covid-19 attack has exposed us to the knowing that Nigeria’s healthcare service still remain under funded by the government which however shows that the priority of the government has been long misplaced, from primary healthcare to state own and federal hospitals, proper founding continue to affect the service delivery as most times, patients are not giving the necessary .
The Nigerian health care has suffered several down-falls. Despite Nigerian’s strategic position in Africa, the country is greatly underserved in the health care sphere. Health facilities (health centers, personnel, and medical equipment) are inadequate in this country, especially in rural areas. While various reforms have been put forward by the Nigerian government to address the wide ranging issues in the health care system, they are yet to be implemented at the state and local government area levels. According to the 2009 communiquιe from the Nigerian national health conference, health care system remains weak as evidenced by lack of coordination, fragmentation of services, dearth of resources, including drug and supplies, inadequate and decaying infrastructure, inequity in resource distribution, and access to care and very deplorable quality of care.
Education Sector
Nigeria is currently anticipating another “independence” following the end of British colonialism in 1962. The country’s populace now looks forward to liberation from a long history of authoritarian and rapacious military regimes that have ruled the country – except for brief intervals of democracy – for most of the intervening four decades. Nigeria’s independence in the 1960s ushered in an opportunity for the transformation of Nigerian society through the development of locally responsive national policies and locally managed development programs. Today, recent political changes again provide Nigeria with the opportunity for a fundamental review of policies and social programs
that will prepare the country to meet the challenges of the new century. Nowhere is this timelier than in the education sector.
Over the past decade, Nigeria has been plagued by frequent political unrest. This political instability has generated negative effects on the education system. Although education had been in crisis for many years, the situation has recently been made worse by frequent strikes staged by students, faculty and teachers. Much of the difficulty lies in the fact that the sector is poorly funded. This results in shortages of material and human resources for education: lack of qualified teachers; a brain drains from the public sector; few instructional inputs, shortage of classrooms, and a host of other problems.
These difficulties have been most pronounced at the foundation levels of education. Both primary and secondary school levels have been negatively affected. In 1997 the Federal Minister of Education, following a nation-wide tour of the schools, stated that the basic infrastructure in schools such as classrooms, laboratories, workshops, sporting facilities, equipment, libraries were in a state of total decay unfortunately the system still remain the same as it where in 1997 . The physical condition of most schools is reported to be pathetic even as Nigeria celebrate 60 years of independence.
Job Creation
Unemployment is not a new phenomenon, in some societies it is manmade and can easily be resolved by manmade job creation policies, in some other societies, it is a product of failed economic policies, and in others it is a reflection of the demand supply price mechanisms and how they relate to interest rates and investors motivation hiring for increased production.
In Nigeria today, unemployment is primarily a function of failed government policies, an underfunded failed educational system that produces unskilled and unemployable graduates, and a failed political class whose vision of Nigeria has been blurred by ethnicity, tribalism, parochialism, institutionalized corruption and a replacement of merit with sycophancy and mediocrity in all levels of government.
Since after independence, job creation remains a song that is continuously being sung by youth in Nigeria and as a result of lack of job, many have continued to resort to other means of survival which has however posed great threat to the society. Many other factors contribute as to why job creation remains a major problem; these factors include, corruption, nepotism, terrorism which is discouraging investors and even affect local industries. Today Nigeria celebrates another independence and yet job creation remains an old song that is yet to be properly sung.
Infrastructural Development
Nigeria is the most populous black nation on planet earth and sets a great vision to be among the top 20 economies in the world by 2020 with a minimum GDP of $900 billion and a per capita income of no less than $4000 per annum.
Over the years Many factors are deemed responsible for the inadequate infrastructure provision in Nigeria since independence such as but not limited to: poor funding; poor governance; corruption; economic sabotage; poor maintenance culture; population explosion; and neglect of urban and regional planning laws. Infrastructure assumed to be largely on the inefficient allocation and poor management of the country’s human and natural resources Corruption has become a major socio-economic problem in Nigeria with negative effects on infrastructure development while emphasizing went further to affirm that embezzlement of funds allocated for infrastructural development is a common feature in public offices.
Since infrastructure investment is widely recognized as a crucial driver of economic development, while the quality, quantity and accessibility of economic infrastructure in developing countries lag considerably behind those in advanced economies, scaling up infrastructure investment is widely seen as a key pillar in national development strategies in low-income developing countries (LIDCs). In fact, in recent years, many developing countries have been scaling up infrastructure investment, mostly through public spending, but also with a growing participation of the private sector but the case of Nigeria remains a stagnant situation.
The development of Nigeria’s infrastructure and its positive impact on industrialization, economic empowerment, balance of payments and strength of the Naira cannot be over-emphasized. It is not too late to translate the much-talked-about economic potential of Nigeria into reality. It will definitely require political willpower to ensure the environment is investor ready, new ways of partnering with government agencies, private sponsors, companies and countries, and also a realistic medium to long term view on the lasting benefits of infrastructure investments to all key stakeholders.
Looking Forward as We Keep Moving forward
History has brought us to this point of celebration, the question still remains; should we as a nation celebrate or sit to reflect on the state of the nation and how worse things have become in the last 60 years. a country like Nigeria, being the largest black country in Africa and the giant of Africa continues to crawl in areas of both human and infrastructural development leaving her citizens in a hopeless situation or perpetual need. How can giants not provide a good healthcare system, education and infrastructure for her citizens.
Nigerians remain one of the most patient people on the face of the planet who despite the bad system and failed leaders still remain optimistic that it can only get better at the end of the day. But the situation is not so for so many as they have decided to sort out an alternative means out of the stagnant condition.
In looking forward, global standards need to be the measure to be used to fast track development, what is obtainable that makes a particular system to be working and functioning should be imitated and imbibed upon. Nigeria cannot celebrate her independent anniversary when all seems not to be well. Education happens to be the fastest drive of any functional economy or nation, for any country to attain development according to the UN, education must first be prioritized and given the necessary attention and funding, until this is done, independence will only be an anniversary without achievement. Healthcare system is another important area that has been forgotten a long time ago, Child and maternal mortality remain a high occurrence in Nigeria particularly in rural communities where access to health care remains a mirage. A moral call on this day is of great importance so as to fix the healthcare facilities across the country. In addressing the great number of out of school children, the government at this critical time of reflection, special funds and resources, qualified and capable hands must be made giving the opportunity thought job creation. as a nation, it can only get better when we keep away corruption, nepotism among other factors aside and focus on both on human development and infrastructural development.
Long live Nigeria!
God Bless Nigeria!
Happy 60th Independence Day!
Written By Elijah Akoji, he tweets @elijahakoji1
