Nigeria at 58 and the metaphor of 2019

First day of October is our country’s 58th independence anniversary. It is a day of full scale reflection and stock taking. It is also a day for a vision into our political future and socio-economic welfare. But the fact that 58 years are still short a period in a life of a nation, most Nigerians […]

First day of October is our country’s 58th independence anniversary. It is a day of full scale reflection and stock taking. It is also a day for a vision into our political future and socio-economic welfare. But the fact that 58 years are still short a period in a life of a nation, most Nigerians would have reminisced over the lot in those six decades of nationhood.

From three big regions, Nigeria has fragmented into 36 states and from provinces into 774 local government areas. While these administration units keep on reducing   in size, the population keeps on growing at an explosive rate from 56 million at independence to approximately over 200 million. According United Nations, Nigeria population is equivalent to 2.57% of the total world population.

Nigeria is a composition of a number of large ancient nations and other autonomous small societies. Its boundaries were drawn as a result of trade and commercial interest of western colonial masters in the nineteenth century.

Nigerians learnt and read at least five 5-year Development Plans and a 10-year vision couched in the best possible language. What has become of these plans and vision is part of the story of Nigeria; the enigmatic nation. The agrarian economy gave way to an oil economy of today with successive administrations always flaunting ill-planned diversification. That Nigeria went through a booming economy during its agricultural hey days to a gloomy oil state of today is another paradox, the story of Nigeria. Abundance has led to wastages and end of in poverty.

The economic measures adopted by the government to salvage the economy, mostly affected by fluctuating prices in the international oil market, and also affected every human endeavor. The socio-economic and cultural lives of people were negatively impacted such that the standard of living dropped to lowest ebb. The unemployment rate became so high like never before and this naturally helped to increase corruption, crime rate and rampant insecurity.

This decadence permeates all sectors of the economy and the situation gets bleaker by the day. Yet those on the driver’s seat have the gear in reverse and on full speed. Having summed up the economical, psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual cost of all these on the future of Nigeria and Nigerians the amount is hefty and the only remedy is to give to use the golden opportunity offered by the next general election to elect competent and dynamic leadership at both executive and legislative  positions.

It is in the light of the need to check this dangerous slide to retrogression that characterized this part of the world, among other reasons to address the leadership question as a solution to the above problem. Nigeria which is the giant of Africa have its fair share of the crunch is returning to a decisive elections in 2019. A leadership at all levels of elective positions that will address unemployment, continuing food insecurity, rise of extreme poverty, mindboggling high child and maternal mortality, weak public institutions, administrative nepotism, raise in kidnapping/ farmers/herders conflicts and cattle rustling is paramount at this moment of our nationhood.

It is the believe of most Nigerians that Nigeria’s tomorrow will see it through all its difficulties to emerge virile and strong nation that will lead the continent in future. The journey to withstand all the current challenges and become the dream country we all want began now as major political parties elect those who will fly their flags at the 2019 general election. The process is delicate at this moment of our nationhood because the outcome of the primaries will give birth to the elected officials in 2019 and who will determine how our country will fare as we ride to a diamond jubilee in 2020 and beyond.

Ahmad Muhammad Danyaro, Abuja