Nigeria is a nation of great potential. That’s an indisputable fact. The country has rich cultural heritage and abundant natural resources. But still, its growth and development have been hindered by a web of intricate and deeply rooted problems that have plagued it for decades. In my opinion, the Nigerian conundrum is a sum of the intractable problems which can be traced from our post-colonial period up to the period of independence.
The immediate post-independence period, the period of the military and many attempts at democracy are notable times that we can also put into context. The conundrum is reflected in our political challenges witnessed in the fears and experiences around coups and counter-coups, and the tensions around the elections. And we are witnesses to a greater number of self-interested politicians, mostly concerned about pecuniary interest instead of the common and national good and national interest. This has led to a recurring lip service and a slow pace of national development.
Many of our politicians, including some of those who are currently in office see the treasury as a tool for enrichment. And very sadly so. There is hardly any distinction as had been shown in many cases in the past between the private purse and that of the public. Once access to public funds is created, its misuse and its abuse begin in earnest. While there may be some accountability at the federal level, there is little or none at the state and local government levels. So this has resulted in failed promises and deprivation and poverty and insecurity and lack of economic developments. The result is that the people are alienated from the government at all levels. And while our politicians lead us through this path, we watch askance as many of other nations are progressing. We’ve heard the stories of Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Dubai and increasingly Rwanda. Most of them countries with whom we were once development peers.
Dubai, 30 years ago, was a desert. Today, it’s more like an El Dorado. So today, many of these countries are far ahead of us in development, and are still increasing their strides. But in the other end, we have remained stagnant on many fronts. Or at best, we are developing at a slower rate.
One of the greatest challenges facing Nigeria today is the threat to national unity. Centrifugal tensions, resource control, self-determination, ethnicity-based identity politics, and religious cleavages, have enveloped national consciousness. Nigeria’s founding fathers, great as they were in terms of what they hoped for the young country in 1960, played their politics on ethnic lines. For example, the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) was for the advancement of the North. The Action Group (AG) was founded and promoted for the advancement of the political agenda of the Western Region, even though the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a nationalist in outlook. And the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) was the South-East Agenda. Today, several years later, Nigeria is still dealing with the offshoots of such rather self-centred calculations. We can see this trend in the existence of the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Odua People’s Congress (OPC) and the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo all waxing strong in the 21st century. Each of these ethnic groups and organisations speak for their people. They all talk about their ethnic nationalities. The big question marks are: Who then speaks for Nigeria? How do we deal with this political conundrum? How do we navigate out of this political conundrum? How can we ensure that our political actors believe more in the collective rather than in the self? How do they develop a macro vision, a macro view, as against the micro vision?
It is time for our politicians to imbibe the code of ethics for Baptist pastors by exalting Christ, not self. Being honest, not exaggerating or over promising. Peace-loving, not contentious. Patient, not volatile. Diligent, not slothful. And where necessary to report conflicts of self-interest and seek counsel.
The economic sphere is also instructive. And Nigeria’s economy is just a story of mono-cultural economy. It is high time we diversified our economy. And invest in sectors such as agriculture, technology, and manufacturing. They say this every day, every year, year in, year out, governments, policy writers, policy owners, the ministers, they all say this. But it’s all talk and no action.
These steps cannot only provide job opportunities but also reduce our vulnerability to fluctuations in global oil prices. Trillions of dollars have been frittered away through corruption, typifying the mindlessness of people who have been opportune to manage the economy. Public funds have been and are still being brazenly looted, stashed abroad or plundered on frivolities. The results are unemployment and mass poverty as we have now, leading to the stigmatization of our country as one of the most corrupt nations in the world.
The oil industry which accounts for 70 per cent of the government revenue is riddled with corruption, fraud and theft. At every level of the supply chain, corruption has the nation by the jugular. And this has far-reaching repercussions in the land. The intention is not to dampen your enthusiasm as you celebrate. Rather, my objective is to throw up some of the challenges confronting us as a nation today, and highlight the chaos, confusion and disorder in which we have found ourselves. But even much more so is the fact that my objective is to let you know that where there are chaos, confusion and disorder, there are opportunities. These three components or antecedents of opportunities.
How do we turn the situation around? What steps can we take to bring about national cohesion and transformation from such a discouraging environment? We need a steel heart for hope. A resolve to pull out ourselves from the doldrums. And a spirit to excel. And if I may qualify that, the unction of the Holy Spirit.
As you go into the outside world, I charge you to be audacious. For the best time to dare is now. The time of your youth. It’s the best time to prepare for life. And it’s the best time to take risks. However dire or treacherous the Nigerian situation may be, as you already probably know, youth is very powerful. Mark Zuckeberg was 19 when he founded Facebook. Bill Gates at 20 was the time he began Microsoft. Steve Jobs came up with Apple at 21. Google’s Larry Page was 25. Larry Ellison of Oracle was 32 at the time he came up with Oracle. I was closer to Larry Ellison because I started Channels TV when I was 36. And you can do it! You cannot afford to waste your youthful energy. Your energy is not just significant for national growth. It is helpful for your self-development. As Dr. Mo Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for Good Governance in Africa once said remarked, “Africa is the continent for the young people.” Like you. Our demography is completely different from the rest of the world. Within three generations, 41 per cent of the world’s youths will be African. By 2030, Africa’s labour force would be larger than China’s. And by 2035, it will be larger than India’s. This is a wonderful resource for our continent. And if this resource is skilled and employed, the sky is not only the limit, but the starting point. Your journey has just begun. I enjoin you to have faith in your country. The future of Nigeria lives in and rests on you. You are the real panacea for Nigeria’s conundrums. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. It is shining bright. Let’s go get it. Thank you for listening.