Nigeria, on Sunday, 1st October, marked its 63rd anniversary as an independent and sovereign state, the event was without the usual pomp and glamour, as the presidency opted for a low key celebration.
The country gained independence in 1960, when the British government passed laws granting independence to its colonies in Africa, as part of a larger movement for independence across multiple African countries.
Nigeria’s first prime minister, Sir Tafawa Balewa, in the inaugural independence speech, said it is with justifiable pride that we claim the achievement of our Independence to be unparalleled in the annals of history.
He said the elected leaders were not focused on personal interest, but rather national development.
In the premier’s words, “At the time when our constitutional development entered upon its final phase, the emphasis was largely upon self-government. We, the elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, concentrated on proving that we were fully capable of managing our own affairs both internally and as a nation.
“However, we were not to be allowed the selfish luxury of focusing our interest in our own homes. In these days of rapid communications, we cannot live in isolation, apart from the rest of the world, even if we wished to do so. All too soon it has become evident that for us Independence implies a great deal more than self-government. This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave international issues.”
63 years after, not much seem to have changed. Nigeria has been afflicted with bad leadership, as a number of them concentrate on accumulating wealth rather than growing the country.
President Bola Tinubu, in his address to commemorate the independence celebrations, commended the founding fathers, whom he said laid the foundation for a modern Nigeria. He said their activism, dedication and leadership gave life to the belief in Nigeria as a sovereign and independent nation.
While acknowledging the resources and potentials that define Nigeria, the president charged that, “The triumphs that Nigeria has achieved shall define us. The travails we have endured shall strengthen us. And no other nation or power on this earth shall keep us from our rightful place and destiny.”
According to him, “This year, we passed a significant milestone in our journey to a better Nigeria. By democratically electing a 7th consecutive civilian government, Nigeria has proven that commitment to democracy and the rule of law remains our guiding light.
“At my inauguration, I made important promises about how I would govern this great nation. Among those promises, were pledges to reshape and modernize our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people.
“I said that bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy.
“I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.
“Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few. A Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever fading past.”
Despite the charge by the president, there is very little for Nigerians to hope for as the country has continually declined on developmental indices.
After 63 years of independence, the country still grapples with issues of hunger, high unemployment rate, high infant and maternal mortality rate, out if school children, poor access to portable drinking water, among other socio-economic challenges.
With a Gross Domestic Product of $477.39 billion, Nigeria still lags behind in human development Index. Exchange rate of the naira to the dollar is also at an all-time high, with the naira exchanging for as high as N1000 to a dollar.
Insecurity is also at its highest level, with over 3.6 million internally displaced persons said to live in IDP camps due to insecurity across the country, out of which 1.9 million of them live in protracted displacement in the north-eastern state of Borno.
While the Southeastern part of the country is grappling with issues of unknown gunmen and violent agitations by separatist groups, most part of the North is ravaged by activities of bandits and insurgents.
On the political scene, the Nigerian political space has a lot to prove for its 24 years of democratic rule and seven circles of national elections. Post elections litigations and election violence have continued to dent every election season.
Political leaders therefore have a lot to do in renewing the faith of Nigerians. If the independence speech by President Tinubu is anything to go by, the leaders should begin to think national unity and seek ways of addressing the ethnic and political differences threatening to disintegrate the country.
While we continue to clamour for the right persons to occupy the right positions. From the security agencies to those in charge of critical sectors of the economy, Nigeria must get it right and get it done now.
