The name Nigeria was suggested in the late 19th century by British journalist, Flora Shaw, who later got married to the British colonial administrator, Lord Frederick Lugard. It was named after the discovery of River Niger and its environment. Nigeria gained independence in 1960 and became a republic in 1963.
Nigeria is a multinational state as it is in habited by over 250 ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
It is a well-known fact that the country is made up of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The population as at 2022 is estimated to be two hundred and seventeen million, three hundred and seventy-six thousand (217,376,000) people. The nation is currently under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Today, however, our dear nation is in dire need of general overhaul in terms of education, security, agriculture, the economy and several other areas.
Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children as about 10.5 million children are not in school. We all know that the Nigeria we are in now is far from the Nigeria we want. Why? This may be attributed to the selfishness, greed and lack of political will by our leaders to turn things around. Bad governance has kept the nation at the same spot.
The level of corruption in Nigeria is very high especially among top government officials and those at the grassroot level. If there is any feature that has been downgrading our dear country and her development, it is corruption. Our
culture and personal attitude can however turn the tide. Our culture has a vital role to play in our society and in the development of the country, but it seems like we have abandoned it.
Nigeria continues to confront multiple insecurity threats across its territory, with insecurity deepening in the northern and southern parts of the country. A long-running insurgency and multifaceted criminality labeled as ‘banditry’ have continued to affect the north and other parts of the country.
When President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015, he pledged to put an end to the Boko Haram insurgency but his government has yet to do so.
A world Bank report has noted that the number of poor persons in Nigeria is 95.1 million in 2022; the figure stood at 89.0 million in 2020.
The question is, who is a poor person or what is poverty? A situation where citizens lack the financial means and basic necessities of life is referred to as poverty. In defining poverty, the World Bank puts it thus, “Poverty is hunger; it is a lack of shelter. Poverty is also a lack of access to education. It is being unwell and unable to see a doctor. It is not having a job. It is living each day with apprehension for the future.”
There are several other problems faced in this country. Imagine if other natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tornados, wildfire, among others, had been added to the problem we’re facing, our country would have long been gone.
But in building the country we all want, what role do we have to play? Is it by folding our arms and watching and wishing for our country to be better? Or is it the responsibility of the government alone to create a great country? Before we forget, we are the country. We are the great people to change our country to a better one. Change must begin with us. Our attitude, our culture, choosing the right people in government, keeping our environment clean, thinking about the good of others and not ourselves alone, could make the difference.
It is so sad to say that not all Nigerians are doing what they ought to do. Instead of planning for a better future, the future is being killed.
The Nigeria we want is a country were our girls and women don’t have to go into prostitution to be able to feed their family. It’s possible to have a country where we can sleep with our two eyes closed; a nation where public schools would be better than private schools. This can be facilitated by the government. We can have a country where we are not indebted so much to other countries; a nation that can assist other countries instead. We can have a country where scholarship is given always by the government not just once a year. It’s achievable to have a nation where we have many functional refineries. We can have a country where our resources are put into good use; a corruption-free country such that foreigners would come for “greener pastures”. It’s possible to have a safe place for our generation. We are great people! Please let’s give ourselves, and indeed bequeath to the next generation, the Nigeria we want.
Ojo-Ache Vivian Ojochegbe, SS2G, Government Secondary School, Lugbe, Abuja.
