At 65, Nigeria Far From What We Expected At Independence – Ankio Briggs

Renowned Nigerian environmental and human rights activist, Ankio Briggs, has reflected on the state of Nigeria and declared that the country is far from where it ought to be when it got independence 65 years ago.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP, the activist said other countries who had independence within the same period as Nigeria, are faring better than her.

She said, “Looking at Nigeria, I am speaking from the perspective of knowing Nigeria before it got independence. I knew Nigeria before Nigeria got independence. I was born before then. I am older than the independence of Nigeria. I can recall as far back as when I was in primary school.

“What Nigeria is today is far from what even we, as children expected from Nigeria as a country because we believed then that Nigeria will be better from independence if compared to what it was before independence. That was our belief and it has not been so.

“With colonisation and all of those things, it is sad to sometimes wonder or think that perhaps, the days of colonial rule might have been better in terms of how the government was and how Nigeria was compared to from 1960 to today,” she added.

Stressing that Nigeria hasn’t gone forward, she added that it may not have gone back to the colonial days but it has not caught up with other countries in Africa that are developing and had independence before Nigeria.

“I think Ghana and one or two other countries had independence before Nigeria. A lot of countries, Rwanda, Botswana, that had independence after Nigeria have gone far better. I am laying the ground to justify my disappointment in Nigeria.

“A country like Nigeria was calling itself, along with other black nations, the giant of Africa. Black people around, black Americans, West Indians looked up to Nigeria as a giant of Africa.”