At 60, We Must Change The Narrative

The moment, when the Union Jack was lowered and the Green and White pulled up to a visible hoisting, ushered in a euphoric excitation from a people ready to take that journey precipitated by their common view of a robustly greater destination. That was in 1960, 1st October, and my dad told me the joy was egregious and an expectation that took sleep away from their eyes.

Personally taking a peer into history and watching the white-and-black snippets of the moment, I really did sense the exhilaration visibly strewn around the faces of both old and young citizens of the new nation as they filed out and stood without compulsion cheering the good news of that emancipation- of a peaceful political emancipation. All through the breadth of the land, from Zungeru to Oji River and from Nembe to Akoko-Ado, the feeling was same.

But today, we look back with huge nostalgia at that moment, the joyful expectation and what that journey has so far become. I am not one focused on the negative perspective of things, but frankly I am a citizen trying consciously to build a commendable sense of value and honestly seeking ground for probable national solution. So, if the truth be told, it must be stated that our Independence journey has been that of debilitating galloping rhythm that continues to flounder yet not finding the navigational direction.

This was a country that obviously set off it's journey on a good footing. There were factors on ground that practically proved the way to this and there was the spirit and the willingness that gave robust indication that this new nation and its people were really prepared for what was before them. The citizenry had that gingered belief for nothing short of a destined greatness and the world saw it, not in the least doubting their resolve. Immediately the world in the professional categorization of economic potencies, agreed that this new nation with such positive spirit was appropriate enough to be lumped in the new exciting block of dream nations- the BRINC economies.

BRINC was the acronym for the block of developing nations that were overtly on the pedestal for economic growth. The BRINC nations superimposed countries like Brazil, Russia, India, Nigeria and China. Theirs was a kind of growth that spurred a conclusion that soon enough they would soon become giants in the committee of nations so much as to be ramped up with great economies like Germany, United States and Great Britain. This, must be critically stated, happened in the 1960s when it could be understood the world could only boast with just few countries to be described as great economies!

60 years down the lane, so many things had happened. There have been so much alignment and reconstruction of economies and blocs. The world has recorded significant changes very specifically in economic and developmental outlook as to suggest that 60 years is a really gargantuan time for so much to have happened. World economy has greatly improved with developmental blocks widening. Today's great economies could not only boast of the UK, Germany, France and the US, but China, Russia have also called a shot to it, with India and Brazil heavily pushing on to make strong representation.

Suffice it to say that the BRINC nations have in a robust manner rightly proven the prediction of the earlier days of being economies to watch out for. That hypothesis would have been roundly a correct projection but for the lag of one country, which by no fault of the economic theorists pulled out of the dream team. Nigeria became excised from the BRINC block when it could not continue with those indices that gave it initial placement. It lost traction of what was its promising journey and has ever continued to plunge deeply into a woe. The world continued to move, regardless, with obviously growing competition. Suddenly South Africa, the vestige of apartheid, who just in 1994 got liberated, was found to be more compatible and a replacement for Nigeria in the dream economies. Today we have the BRICS, to the chagrin of the so-called 'Giant of Africa'.

The fate of a nation is a function of it's people, leadership and management. And our leadership takes the front seat in defining what kind of a nation we are. This has been proven by Lee Kwan Yew in Singapore and the dramatic leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the UAE's Dubai and Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, where countries classified as third world and of arid plane stood from their limitations to become centre of attraction and case study for national development. But where were these countries when the odds favoured Nigeria and all eyes shone widely on her as the next big thing?

Same could be said of the 1960s contemporaries of the trailblazing independent child. In Deng Xiaoping, China had a revolutionary leader, who consolidated China's communist control and used same to instill great economic reforms. Brazil's Lula da Silva united his country's extreme poor and extreme rich and stood as the inspiration that pushed his people to move on into growth. Did Nigeria have such leaders? Though arguable going by corruption allegations of the first republic, we could suppose that going by the passion of early post Independence era, this country had forces that we're ready to push the country beyond.

Today at 60, our Independence anniversary calls for us to look back in an entirely different perspective and question what has been our commitment all the way, either to the growth of this nation or to its downward spin. The reason is because I do not want to focus so much on what the country has become all through the years from Independence and just leave it there, but to bring each individual to account for what they have or failed to have done that has left this once child of prospects where it has been. Today, I've decided to upset the table, to cause a discomfort and to raise refine anger, at least to use same as template to begin the process of getting things right. 

Many factors may seemingly be outlined as the clogs stalling our national drive to growth and development, but true and probable as they could be proven to be, none compares to the mess brought upon us by the shenanigans of leadership. Our leadership has, since Independence shown ineptitude, one very strongly visible by the very fact that even in the midst of great, wonderful talents of natural and human resources, ours has been tempestuous, jagged navigation.

Today, after 60 years of crawling growth, Nigeria is a nation akin to be a pride of lion led by continuous trolls of Merino sheep. In order for this situation not to continue, Nigerians must at this moment call the bluff and snatch back their destinies, one so fine and promising. They must turn things around and begin the prosperous journey, which their elegant strength and great talents suggest.