Nigeria: Awakening Africa's Sleeping Giant
THE GENESIS
It was a redefining moment in the history of the World and Africa in particular. Our noble heroes had fought gallantly and freed their own great nation from the hands of White colonialists and imperialists. The era of exploitation was over and there was a tumultuous herald of a new dawn. Men and Women took to the streets, dancing and singing. The youngest of babies were not left out of the celebration and the most glorious speeches in history were delivered. It was October 1, 1960 and Nigeria had been officially declared an independent state. The course of history was changed as nations heralded the arrival of the black hope.
We took off on a good note as a nation with our own people now in charge of our affairs. Expectations and hopes were high. The people at the helm of affairs were focused and committed to nation-building and commendations were coming from far and near. In fact, as federal minister of mines and power in the first republic, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule recalls that there was an international review report released between 1961 and 1962. This report stated that in 15 to 20 years, three developing countries would join the league of developed nations. These countries were Brazil, India and Nigeria. This as the report observed, was as a result of the quality leadership delivery in these countries. Nigeria was the world's blue- eyed boy and Africa's emerging economy and almost every country wanted to associate with us.
THE DRIFT
Unfortunately, the atmosphere of blissful hope was to last only a while as the rudder of the Nigerian ship suddenly began to drift. Issues that were not in our national agenda began to manifest. Personal and tribal interests began to replace national interest. Nepotism started creeping in. Bribery and corruption was fast raising its ugly head and our national values and ideals were fast being eroded. Conflicts and controversies began to rise from everywhere and the nation was at boiling pint. Then, on January 15, 1966, that ugly and gloomy day, the military struck and the manifest destiny of Nigeria was set on the edge of a precipice. Soon, we began to fear ourselves and started losing faith in what defines our nation hood. This culminated in an unfortunate civil war in which we sent fellow citizens to their early graves, and destroyed the legacies of our founding fathers.
THE NATIONAL DILEMNA
From this moment till now, Nigeria is yet to get back on her feet. We have had many military and 'democratic' leaders but this has made little or no difference in our national life. This is because these leaders are yet to sincerely find a national programme for this country and have treated the affairs of this country with such mindless levity. Our leaders do not see Nigeria except as propaganda, pregnant with political possibilities for exploitation (apologies to Ojukwu). The Nigerian people have waited patiently, trusting various regimes to provide an enabling environment for the citizenry, but our leaders here always breached this trust.
There is no gain saying that relative to our development potentials and endowments, our present position as a people is marked by gross underachievement. Nigerians may have excelled as individuals both at home or abroad, but as a nation, neither Nigerians nor outsiders envisaged that at this period of our national life, we would still be associated with such negativism including but not limited to high level of corruption, unemployment index, poverty, insecurity, illiteracy, low human development index (HDI) and sham elections. We disappointed ourselves and the whole world, and even the innocent children who danced jubilantly during our independence even when they did not know what was going on.
NIGERIA: A DISAPPOINTING MOONLIGHT TALE
Today, Brazil and India, two countries that were listed as emerging economies alongside Nigeria in a 1961 international development review report are very close to reaching the apogee of national development, yet Nigeria is still very reluctant to take off. In 1953, Nigeria was rated as having better development potentials than Japan and in 1957, was almost at parity, development-wise with Singapore and Malaysia. Today, Japan is an industrial power. Singapore and Malaysia are Asian Tigers yet, Nigeria is being referred as 'the sleeping giant' by sister Africa countries whom we disappointed. What then makes the difference? It seems that there has been inefficiency in the system and structure that is in charge of harnessing the development potentials of our nation. This is the mildest way I can say again, that leadership has failed in Nigeria.
A CASE FOR NATIONAL RECLAMATION
There must be a way forward for Nigeria. First, we must shun pretence and admit that we are still far away from our hopes and aspirations as a people. Then, we can make deliberate efforts to set this country on the path of honour. We can begin by redefining the nationhood of this country. In doing this, Nigerians must have unity of purpose. We must abandon our primordial attachments for a new Nigerian relationship. We must seek unity and discourage anything that promotes disunity. We must break down every dichotomy that has held us down as a people. Our diversity should be no cog in the wheels of progress of this country. Rather, it should be harnessed to lubricate our state machinery and gives us leverage over other nations. What we need now is the unity of marriage; such unity that brings differences together to bring forth increase (Ojukwu: Because am Involved). Until the Nigerian polity is completely reconciled with itself, the quest for national rebirth may remain a daydream.
RESOLVING THE LEADERSHIP DEBACLE
Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in quality leadership. For a greater part of our history, the people that have been in charge of this country have not been the best hands we can offer. We must re-conceptualize leadership and allow for a system that will enable us put our best foot forward. This, of course will come to bear when we elevate meritocracy over ethnicity.
In the same vein, the current notion of leadership as the most lucrative 'business' in Nigeria should be expunged. In fact, we should start making efforts to make leadership less attractive. The business of leadership is a serious one and should be left to only serious-minded people. When this is done, it will see to the emergence of leaders that will be ready to build for posterity and not breathlessly scouting for personal gains. We need leaders who love this country and are ready to conscientiously dedicate themselves to national service; leaders that will be remembered for enduring legacies and live long after they are dead. We have many of such people in Nigeria, and we only need to create the right platform for them to emerge.
NEED FOR NATIONAL SELF-RECOGNITION
As a nation at 50, we are old enough to know where we are going. We are intelligent enough to draw up a people-orientated agenda for the advancement of this country and follow it up with positive actions. We should chart a new course for this country by identifying our national priorities and focusing energy and resources on them. One of the problems we have had over the years has been wanting to do so many things at the same time and later doing none. Massive investment in infrastructure, technology and human capital development will have multiplier and effects on every other facet of our national economy and accelerate national growth and development.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DEBATE
The problem with Nigeria has not all been about failed leadership but also of bad followership. In fact, it is said that bad followers make a bad leader. Nigerians should recognize that the task of building a great nation is a collective responsibility and should not be left to any one individual or group. The usual posture of 'looking the other way round' adopted by most Nigerians on issues bordering on the advancement of this country should be dispelled. Nigerians must believe in themselves and in the Nigerian project and shun apathy. It is the thundering followers that constitute the power of the masquerade.
THE CATALYTIC ROLE OF YOUTHS IN NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Not much progress can be made in the quest for nation-building if the youths are not integrated into the scheme. We are Nigerian's greatest assets as well as the most vulnerable group. There is no doubt that youths bear the greatest burden of an inefficient social system as evident in back-aching youth unemployment level. Naturally, the average Nigerian youth does not care about what is happening in the governance process, but only concerned about sports and entertainment. Regrettably, as I write, the youth wings of most of our political parties in Nigeria are merely used as machinery for thuggery and election-rigging. This is about the most obvious way the average Nigerian youth participates in politics.
Nigerian youths must wake up from their deep slumber to chart a new cause for this nation. We must integrate ourselves into society, make positive demands from her, and also make valuable inputs in the system. We could tap the power of social networking sites like the Facebook (which we are largely abusing at the moment) and form a broad-based mega movement for positive social change. We are powerful enough to change this nation for the better, only that we have chosen to remain silent; to our own peril. We could start by questioning any anti-democratic phenomenon in our schools and communities. By becoming advocates of positive social change, the larger society would have no choice than to succumb and follow suit.
ONLY NIGERIANS CAN BUILD NIGERIA
Only Nigerians can take Nigeria to her Eldorado. While it is essential to play by international best practices, we should no longer wait to be pushed by 'foreign democracy guardians' like America before we face the challenge of nation-building. Our advancement as a people cannot come by seeking debt relief and foreign assistance. We must rediscover ourselves and embrace originality. Every effort to move this nation forward should be internally- driven and championed by Nigerians themselves.
REVIVING OUR VALUE SYSTEM
Moreover, we must resuscitate our value system which is anchored on integrity, hardwork and enterprise. In this regard, I suggest that this should be entrenched as a constitutional role of our traditional institution. This would be a sure way out of the menace of corruption and general inefficiency.
We thank God for the new wave of awareness and enthusiasm that is being created in the mind of Nigerians at the moment. At least, more Nigerians are beginning to wake up from sleep and becoming more concerned about the state of this country. We urge the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to do more in this regard. This is quite strategic for us as it is said that the recognition of a problem is a basic step in solving such a problem.We can consolidate on this if all stakeholders in the national project are guided by their conscience and adhere strictly to the principle of integrity, fairness and good judgment at every stage of our electoral process. Once the right people have the right opportunity, the right policy will have the right following and Nigeria will function with the requisite efficiency (Ojukwu: Because am Involved).
NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: A MARATHON
The quest for national development is not a sprint but a marathon. In the quest to move forward as a people, we must be ready to endure many twists and turns and be ready to make individual sacrifices for this country. It was President John Fitzgerald Kennedy who said 'ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' Bad leadership has bitten us hard on the head without minding our hairs; we should not mind the faeces when we bite it at the buttocks.
NIGERIA: THE WORLD POWER-IN-WAITING
We should not dissipate so much energy on the past because we cannot buy it back. We should forgive ourselves and redirect our attention to build a new Nigeria. As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, each of us should carve out our own small piece of Nigeria in our workplace, home, church, mosque and make it the ideal of our dreams. By doing this, the sum of our individual efforts will add up to the Nigeria of our dreams. Yes, we can! Day by day, everything I see around me makes me believe Nigeria is the World power in-waiting. When a man decides to embark on a worthy venture, the gods would necessarily back him up.
Uzoigwe, Chimezie Daniel is an Author and Social Commentator.
