On January 14, this year, Nigeria attained 100 years of existence. One hundred years in which its people have lived together as one howbeit reluctantly and the federal government of Nigeria had rolled out the drums to celebrate such a ‘historical feat’. The union called ‘Nigeria’, which was unceremoniously solemnised by the British colony with their own agenda uppermost in their minds, has weathered the storm to be where it is today.
However, 100 years down the line, could we possibly say that we are close to our destination? Have we fared better together in the last 100 years? What hope for the future generations? Why all the in-fighting? Are we celebrating only our togetherness at the expense of our peace?
While these and many more questions beg for answers, the journey into another 100 years is clouded by uncertainty. On a yearly basis, Nigeria has continued to plummet in many sectors of the economy as predicted by expert agencies. For instance, the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), a Lagos-based financial advisory firm, stated that the unemployment rate is expected to increase further by about two per cent up from the current 23.9 per cent. According to the same report, external reserve is expected to deplete further to $40 million while recurrent expenditure is projected to increase to 72.71 per cent of total government spending.
Thus, at the start of a new century of existence, the country is already battling with over a century of spill over challenges from the previous century and this is not in any way a good omen for the leaders of tomorrow and indeed the nation at large.
An overview of the achievement of the country in the last century leaves much to be desired. Apart from the togetherness of a largely heterogeneous people, there is hardly any other strong indication that the marriage of the Southern and Northern protectorate in 1914 championed by Sir Lord Lugard is blissful.
At 100 years, Nigeria is one of the world’s poorest countries, with the majority of the population living on less than $1 per day, despite the fact that Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest exporters of crude oil.
At 100, even though we are the 9th largest producer of crude oil in the world, yet we pay heavily for its purchase and even experience scarcity of the products. At 100 years, petrol and fuel are said to be subsidised yet it is barely affordable for the average Nigerian that lives on approximately 1 dollar a day while a few opportunist at the corridors of powers are feeding fat from such subsidies. At 100 years, Nigerian youths are roaming the streets as a result of a growing unemployment. Youth restiveness is geometrically on the increase. The result of this is evident in all the crises besetting the country at the moment.
Perhaps, the major challenge of this new century is the direction in which the leaders of tomorrow are headed. Majority of the social vices besetting the country today are perpetrated by youths. Youths who have been overly neglected by successive governments in terms of their well-being. Youths, who have been misled by the ruling class and used as veritable instruments in the achievement of selfish objectives and abandoned after the achievement of those selfish goals.
At 100, Nigerian youths of this new century cannot be compared to youths before amalgamation and attainment of independence. Nigerian youths immediately after amalgamation were concerned with championing the cause of independence. The likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Agunyi Ironsi etc devoted their lives to the creation of the Nigerian state. After the attainment of independence, they became agents of change and ensured that they put the country in the right direction of greatness.
However, the story has changed. Successive youths after the attainment of independence have refused to lay solid foundations for youths after them as it was laid for them and this resulted in poor developmental activities and the likes in the country. This also led to the struggle for survival by successive youths and the desire to acquire wealth and become rich irrespective of the methods employed in acquiring such wealth. The result is the complete neglect of a hitherto progressive state.
At 100, almost one in every four Nigerian youth that is willing, able and capable to work is unemployed yet it is expected that these crop of youths will spearhead a new Nigeria where justice, fairness and equity stands supreme.
If, at 100 years, a father still cannot walk on its two feet and is still crawling, then it behooves on the children to fend for them and refuse to crawl at their old age like their father. It is high time that the youths of this present dispensation came together and put together a workable blue print that would tackle this mirage called unemployment that is currently ravaging our beloved country. Corruption in high places would not allow governmental plans concerning its citizenry to work hence people of like minds are needed to come together and work as a team to proffer solutions to the problems facing the youths and the society in general.
We must rise to the challenge of freeing this generation and century from the ills of the society. We must borrow a leaf from those who struggled for the independence of Nigeria and fought to make Nigeria the best among its equals. Their dream must not die. We cannot sell the future of generations yet unborn for peanuts like the current crop of leaders have done for we have active consciences that pricks us and motivates us to do exploit. The time to save our country is now for a stitch in time, saves nine.
