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Next week, Nigeria, the giant of Africa as it was described by world leaders at independence on October 1st, 1960, will clock 65- 65 years since it joined the comity of free and sovereign nations, 65 years of bestriding the world stage as Africa’s most populous, and at a time, most endowed and economically buoyant African nation. But then, the promise of independence evaporated too soon, leaving the citizens only with fantasies of Eldorado, unmet expectations and forlorn hope for the future. The dashed hopes brutally gave way to bad leadership which ultimately birthed corruption, mismanagement, hunger, crime, economic downturn unemployment and poverty. At 65, Nigeria comes across as an ailing, crawling adult.
Let me use the allegory of two “Goliaths” to buttress my point: Nigeria can be likened to the angry and hungry Goliath that roared in the Valley of Elah, between Philistines and Israelites which I would like to refer to as “valley of hunger” , and the Goliath, the giant and well fed Goliath that underestimated David and got more than he bargained for.
And as it turned out, the well- fed Goliath, owing to missed opportunities, false steps and flawed decisions tragically transmuted into a hungry and roaring Goliath whose roars became distance and as impotent as cold ash.
And where and when did rain start beating us? Six years after independence, Nigeria’s march to greatness was halted by a military intervention which itself was parented by corruption by politicians and their quest for power.The Western region politcal crisis which dovetailed into the 1962 bloody unrest known as “operation wetie” undoubtedly gave impetus to the 1966 military intervention. The two bloody 1966 coups- January 15 and July 29- shook the foundation of the “giant” so violently that the resultant effect was a bloody 30- month civil war- July 1967 to January 15 1970. The civil war was the immediate response to the secession of the then Eastern region as an independent country called Biafra.The secession itself steemed from the wanton massacre of Igbo officers and men in the Army in the wake of the July 29 counter coup in which the Head of state, General Aguiyi- Irionsi, an Igbo, and several other Igbo officers were murdered by mutinous Northern soldiers.
In our 65 years of independence and despite our “giant” status, we can’t boast of any meaningful achievements in virtually all sectors. Our hospitals have remained “consulting clinics”, as the late Brigadier- General Sani Abacha( as he then was) described them in his 1983 coup broadcast. Nigeria at 65 is buffeted by infrastructural decay, economic malaise,low agricultural output as a result of terrorism and banditry among other symptoms of stunted growth afflicting Nigeria.
Stagnated industrialisation resulted in importation of goods, including agricultural products. Our woes as a country was further compounded in 2009 when terrorism and banditry took hold of Northern Nigeria. Before then, the oil bearing Niger Delta region was already a boiling pot of restiveness with armed militant groups mindlessly disrupting oil production. The militants said they were fighting for a greater share of the oil resources found beneath their soil.
The militancy in the Niger Delta was broadly termed agitation for resources control and one of the militant groups at the centre of it was the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger delta (MEND). MEND attacked oil pipelines , kidnapped several foreign oil workers and clashed with Nigerian security forces and brought oil production to its knees. However, alarmed by the crippling economic effects of huge loss of oil revenue occassioned by the activities of the militants, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was gracious enough to implement a novel amnesty program for the militants which was suggested by the then Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro. The amnesty Programme was designed to placate the restive youths in the region, ,address their concerns and rehabilitate them. That singular act became the masterstroke that thawed a spiraling insecurity in the Niger Delta and restored unhindered oil production.
Despite Nigeria’s humongous crude oil resources however, Nigeria, after 65 years of independence is still listed as one of the poor third world economies with a dismal GDP. Also, despite being blessed with arable land, the country is still grappling with food insecurity, unable to feed itself. Hunger and malnutrition still ravage some parts of the country.
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According to records, Nigeria faces a severe hunger crisis, with projections of approximately 33 million people experiencing acute food insecurity in 2025. Factors like conflict, climate change (including floods andi droughts), economic instability, and high inflation are driving the hunger rate, with millions of children affected.
There is a popular Nigerian saying that “a hungry man is an angry man”, no wonder listening to radio stations one is confronted by a barrage of angry Nigerians who daily vent their anger and disappointment- angry that after 65 years of independence, their country is still confronted by bad leadership, poverty, hunger, lack o healthcare and many other basic human needs including security of lives and property. Of course, these angry Nigerians do not agree with Douglas Wilde, the first United States of America’s African- American Governor who posited that “anger doesn’t solve anything . It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything”
Nigeria’s workforce is equally not faring better. Incessant strike by the workers shows lack of fulfillment. Only recently, some angry Nigerian workers downed tools and went on strike. Specifically, the Nigerian union of natural Gas workers claimed that a bigger player in the oil sector Dangote group wanted to deprive them of their rights. Medical doctors and teachers also went on strike- all frustrated at a system that has failed them.
Security wise, the “giant” of Africa is grappling with “giant” problem of insecurity across the country. Virtually all parts of Nigeria are affected by insecurity thus stretching security forces in their fight to secure the country .A former Chief of Army Staff recently situated the parlous situation properly when he lamented that troops at the theatre of combat were already exhibiting signs of fatigue. Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa Christopher also recently expressed frustration with the burgeoning number of insurgents despite the Military’s ferrocious onslaught on them. According to him, although the military takes out at least 600 terrorists every week estimated 2000 new terrorists get recruited within the same period. “No military operation can be considered successful if its actions encourage this level of recruitment into the ranks of the enemy”, he said.
It is my fervent prayer that Nigeria’s new age will come with turning of a new page in our leadership recruitment process and a new dawn of renewed faith in our dear country. At 65, Nigeria, if it were a human being, could be characterised as a senior citizen but sadly, this “senior citizen” is still learning how to crawl even as it suffers bouts of old age related ailments.
My birthday wish for our country at 65 is, may that which ails you frees you and allows you the breath of fresh air!
Happy birthday, Nigeria!
