by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo
Someone once said that the favourite pastime of Nigerians is self condemnation but that it would take you as a foreigner joining them in it to realise that in spite of all negativity, Nigerians care for their country and still hope strongly that one day it will realize its potentials.
I am a Nigerian, I care about my country deeply and on this dawn of our 50th Independence anniversary I am not indulging in the said favourite pastime. As a blogger I have done quite a great deal of whining in my time. But then, aren’t these things; the unemployment, the bad roads that are death traps, the bulbs that would not stay on, the hospitals where we go to die, the schools that are more often closed down than in session, the corruption and wasted years of military rule, already too obvious? Do we really add anything to them by going on and on about them?
Some people have argued and with good reason I must admit, that the nation is a complete failure at 50 and that there is absolutely nothing worthy of celebration. I don’t disagree. Indeed as I type, I see my laptop battery draining. Power is out and my neighbours’ generator is buzzing like a million vuvuzela’s just outside my window. But today I don’t hear the sound. I refuse to subscribe to the notion that that’s the best my country can offer. I refuse to be infected with the belief that nothing can work in this country. I reject the talk that my generation is a wasted generation and by all measure I refuse to confine the next fifty years to the realms of a ‘tragedy in waiting’ as many are wont to. I refuse.
From where do I draw my optimism?
Today like never before we have a chance to take a real good shot at greatness as a people. I see it in the anger in the youths and their voiced yearning for change. I see it in the increased level of political awareness and commentary by young Nigerians both online and offline. I see it in the facebook profiles and tweets on twitter. Recently I joined other young Nigerians to form the youth powered-non partisan pro-democracy and good governance group, Enough is Enough Nigeria and the guys I have met and worked with here have left me with a stubborn optimism that this country is far from written off. I see it in that ability of the Nigerian to smile even when the going is tough….in our resilience, in our strength, in our ingenuity, in the quantum of talents in arts, science and sports, in our faith. I see it engraved in democracy.
I am currently partaking in an online course on Democracy and Free Market Economy organized by the US based Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). If nothing else, this course has served to reaffirm my confidence in Democracy as the surest route to economic development and prosperity. Democracy brings political freedom and political freedom comes along with free market and the development of capitalist institutions. It also comes with the increased opportunity of the people to assert themselves and take better decisions about their lives.
Now like never before, democracy is taking root in Nigeria after many false starts. The situation is far from what it should be especially with elections currently a mere means by which the citizens legitimize their disenfranchisement. But there are reasons to hope that it wouldn’t remain so. Young Nigerians are now more conscious thanks especially to social media and are set to make their votes count in the next elections in 2011. The current leadership has shown some political will to organize free and fair election. The President Goodluck Jonathan has not hesitated to reiterate at every opportunity, the last being in his address to the UN general Assembly few days ago that he would ensure that all votes count. For now he seems set to do that and the electoral Body (INEC) under a new leadership has repeatedly promised to deliver.
Free and fair elections will ensure the emergence of better leaders. And with better leaders we would be able to better harness our abundant resources towards making this country great. Leadership has a way of inspiring and propelling a people to action. With good leaders we would be able to live above our ethnic and tribal differences and forge a stronger virile and vibrant Nation. With good leaders we shall be able to steer this Ship from troubled waters to a habour of prosperity.
And who shall be the vanguards of this? Young Nigerians.
As part of my reflections on Nigeria @50 I have had course to read the speech of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa the first Prime Minister of Nigeria delivered at Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos on 1st October 1960. That speech oozes of the enthusiasm and nationalist zeal to build a new nation. Something went awfully wrong along the line but today we have another chance to get it right, to re-write the scripts. And we must.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria.
Optimism, can be a good thing…even if in the face of scary hopelessness.
I don’t totally share it, but I respect the force with which you spread it.
my sentiments exactly. My only problem is the fact that we can’t rewrite the script without a revolution against the established order.
And we, the educated youth, the ones who can read and write and use the computer and internet, the ones who hv facebook accounts and twitter and blogs, we are a minority if ever there was one.
And we may ‘say’that we feel outraged…but that’s the end of it. We may ‘like’ patriotic status updates and ‘join’ the EnoughisEnough group…but that’s as far as our involvement goes.
just saying…
@Sultana,
You are right. A revolution is most probably inevitable down here.
But revolutions – and its as hard to come by as it is harder in nigeria – dont just happen.
They are usually accidental response; We can only keep over-driving to that accident; by our methods…the rest of us that are sane enough to want it…
The revolution we need, starts from us as they say Charity begins at home! I Love Nigeria and do have faith that one day e go better. Even if I do not live to see dat day!
However, any1 who doesn’t like his/her country Nigeria, should go and make their personal country and rule it how they like! Lol!!!
Bravo Sylva! As always, you’ve made me proud!!!
Nze, I like your optimism and how you spread it. I only wish that a majority of Nigerians share same optimism too. I have decided to have some optimism because a lot of great nations were in same position, like us, sometime in the past. You nailed it.
Happy 50th Independence Day to you all, Nigerians!
If you have hope in yourself, then spare some hope for your country, too.
I largely agree with what you are saying in this piece. I am also of the opinion that since the problems of Nigeria have already been solidly established, more time should be spent trying to fix them than just discussing the already apparent challenges. Having said that, I will however like to draw your attention to the excerpt below:
“If nothing else, this course has served to reaffirm my confidence in Democracy as the surest route to economic development and prosperity. Democracy brings political freedom and political freedom comes along with free market and the development of capitalist institutions.”
While we continue to seek to better our intellectual capabilities, we must ensure that we shape our own ideas and our ideas are not shaped for us. I say this because the above excerpt strikes as a thought strongly informed by the American propaganda machine. I sincerely apologize if this is not the case and I fully understand that this might be a thought that you have independently chosen to advocate.
I personally take issue with the assertion that there is a positive correlation between a true democracy and a free market and capitalist system. The former deals primarily with the strengthening and building of political institutions while the latter is but a system of economy. Take a country like Venezuela for example where the leftist government of Mr Chavez has continued to move the nation away from the American model of radical deregulated capitalism. Although Chavez propagates a largely socialist agenda, he continues to enjoy overwhelming support and approval from the ordinary Venezuelan and has won election after election. I guess I am trying to say that a true and functional democracy does not have to be capitalist and we often unknowingly fall victim of the western propaganda machine.
Once again I truly apologize if I have in anyway read the wrong meaning into what you were trying to say.
cheers and keep the flag flying
^Owi,
Thank you!
To truly understand the implications of what you respectfully submitted and its dimensions, all you had to do is PLAY on
Teacher don’t teach me nonsense – by Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
Washington/London’s idea of demoncrazy == evil;
Nze u are a genius,all u have written are good but i ask when actually will dis start and wil it start from this present regime or d next to come or we wait foreva
First of all I would like to say wonderful blog!
I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your thoughts prior to writing.
I have had a hard time clearing my mind in getting my
thoughts out. I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to
15 minutes are usually lost simply just trying to figure out how to begin.
Any ideas or tips? Many thanks!