By Kunle Adekunle: kunlezy2012@yahoo.com

First and foremost, it is so obvious that no place can be like home, as such no place can be like Nigeria. The dream calls of earth sound into my eardrum like the voices of bird in the sky. The world of treasure, land of dreams and hopes, Regardless the socio-economic, political, educational, security, and cultural challenges facing the nation.

Though many say, many speak, Nigeria as an unsafe territory, but we all forget the biblical scripture that says “all old things have passed away”. For purpose of juxtaposition, let us assume that all the struggles of the earth will definitely passed away, and we shall all rejoice for a prosperous earth. Though at many years of reformation, the world is still striving to attain 100 percent development, but I have a dream that the world will be great again, I have a dream of unified, functional, prosperous and stable sectors of all the economy. Infact, the good prophesy about the world made me to live on earth, regardless of any challenges.

It is so disheartening that how many of us remember to say “God bless countries of the world” whenever we rise from slumber? Have we forgotten that in God’s dictionary, there is nothing like impossibility? No wonder, Abram and Sarah in the bible gave birth at their old age. Also for Joseph fulfilling dream and hopes to come into reality, it definitely shows that Nigeria will laugh last.

My heart bleeds whenever I have a rethink of the past on how many people have engaged our fellow brothers in cold bloody clashes out of ignorant. But I strongly belief that one day, our empty vessels of love will be filled with immeasurable passion of love and the brighter days ahead of us will be accomplish. How will it be if we citizens of the Nigeria are proud of our citizenship? Surely I will feel on top of the world. Infact the glowing vision of the earth is still alive in my heart.

It is pertinent to note that, making a difference begins when each citizen accept the responsibility to become the change we want to see and that’s if you and I are ready to prophesize good things about the nation, get the polity right , shun corruption, be patriotic, belief in God and every other thing shall follow.

It is high time we say enough is enough; it is high time we organize sensitization programmes in each countries of the world, on the need to expose the mindset, curiosity, horizon as well as people’s consciousness towards a visible change. For example, you and I can do a research on the creation of new developmental ideas, concepts and new evolution. We should not just fold our arms and expect manner from heaven. Have we forgotten that the earth is blessed with plenty of mineral resources that is unique?. Can we now see that it is high time we have a rethink of the past, improve on the present and work for a better tomorrow? It will be improper to shoulder the president alone with the whole responsibility.

Aside the above many people will not dispute the fact that the success of any nation lie in the hands of youth; which also embodies graduates. Invariably,he who fail to plan for youth, will likely plan towards a state of jeopardy.

It is so disheartening that graduates every year, universities in Nigeria do turn out thousands of students who have completed their courses. But sorry to say that most of them still battle and struggle with unemployment. If we critically observe most of the streets in Nigeria, we are going to find out about many graduates who walk aimlessly around because they are unable to find a job, talk less of a good job. Most of them hide under the name sake of being a graduate but it is quite disgusting that there is no sustainable job. Some have even accepted the challenge as part of their destiny.

As a matter of fact, fears have continued to evade the mindset of many parents nowadays, on whether to send their children to school or not. This is as a result of the problem of unemployment that has become a chorus song for many graduates. Now let’s ask ourselves this question, what will be the gain or joy of a parent that spend huge amount of money on a child and at the end such child is unable to secure a good job?

At this point, there is an iota of need to provide a way forward to the problem of unemployment facing Nigerian graduates but we should not forget that there is no problem without solution. Though the remedy might require a lot of task but it will definitely be resolve. How to solve the challenge is a simple case, government at all levels (federal, state and local) needs to provide strategies and implement plan that can enhance employment opportunities. For example, government can partner with private and public agencies or set up business training centres and innovative programmes in different strategic location, in the country, that can widen the scope of horizon of nowadays youth on the need to be self employed. Most people will want to agree with me that, it will be difficult for government alone to provide jobs for all graduates. Aft all government will still have some other projects to execute. So we should not put the whole burden on the government. It is a matter of team work, team spirit and artistic spirit in order to ensure a positive response to the problem at hand. What am trying to say in essence is that every graduates needs to redirect their minds towards the tapping of the potentials inherent in entrepreneurship. Not all graduates can be able to secure white collar job. The call goes to every Nigerian youth if truly we want to pursue a brighter future

Ending hungry is another key area I will take into cognisance, without disputing fact, hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food. No wonder, a popular adage once says that a hungry man is an angry lion. In Nigeria context, many still found it difficult to eat three square meal in a day, though Nigeria has the second largest economy in Africa, it also has the third highest number of severely malnourished children in the world. Fact findings revealed that approximately 26% of children under five year’s old-more than a million children-suffer from malnutrition and hunger, as a result of food shortage.

Aside the above degrading statistics, Nigeria Minister of Agriculture once revealed in Addis Ababa that Nigeria still has 13 million people suffering from hunger as well as malnutrition on the high rate. This indicates that many are still under the captivity of hunger. As a result the Nigerian Government has announced plans to expand the use of bio-fortified crops, such as pro-vitamin “A” cassava and orange-flesh sweet potato to address the hunger situation.

Apart bio-fortified crops, the nation had launched an Agricultural Transformation agenda to add 20 million tonnes of food by 2015. The question to ask ourselves is that how realistic is the transformation agenda? Because the nation minister of Agriculture emphasized that the agenda would focus on staple crops, fisheries and aqua-culture, livestock, diary, grain, legumes and vegetables and improve nutrition.

We should not forget that the nation have also began an initiative called the Child Development Grant Programme which aims to provide support for 60,000 vulnerable households through monthly cash grants over the next five years. The programme aims to create sustainable solutions to hunger in Nigeria. The question to ask again is that, what will happen after the expiring five years? Because the monthly cash grant covers the period of five years.

Similarly, in the past many of us witnessed the policy of Operation Feed the Nation, the programme was meant to support supply of food in multitude. But has it actually resolved the problem of hunger facing the nation?

To be candid, the problem with most of these developmental programmes is that they are not based on long term approach, which thereafter has no positive impact on the people, particularly when there is a change in government.

At this point it is high time we call a spade a spade, it will be improper to put the whole responsibility of tackling hunger on the government alone. So far Americans were told “ask not for what your country can do for you but what you can do for America”, I don’t think why Nigerians should fold their arms, thereby expect manner from heaven. Lamentation and complaint will get us nowhere, but rather devise creative strategies that can resolve the problem of hunger. Have we forgotten that the journey of a thousand miles, begins with a step and that’s if we are ready to combat the problem of hunger at hand.

However, practice the below guides if truly we want to achieve new Nigeria;

Develop a mindset: it is pertinent to note that, whatever step one might want to take in life, it must begin with a determined mindset, in which those targeted goals will be achieved. The same thing apply to “ending the nation’s hunger” if individuals can determine in their heart to combat the menace. It is possible for different opportunities to crop up their mind, which they can utilize and emulate. Note: such opportunities and steps must be of lawful means.

After developing a mindset, it is now necessary for every individual to make a step forward on how to engage in small scale farming for the household consumption. Small scale farming simply means producing for family consumption, the produce might not necessarily meant for sale, as large scale farming permit. One can engage in small scale farming with little or no capital, through planting vegetables of different types, one can also plant fruits seeds of different forms. Also there are some foreign dishes which come from planting. This shows that one does not necessarily need to travel wide before one can eat, as various opportunities are within our corridor which we can utilize. Just think of any.

Having engaging in small scale farming, the next thing is to create and maintain mutual relationship between farming and market .Mostly, this can come up in case of large scale farming in which the world populace will be opportune and free to have access and at the same time market their produce in order to earn enough money to eat better dishes.

It is pertinent to note that, combating the nation’s hunger requires team work, team spirit and artistic spirit, so that those who have enough can give to those who have few or nothing. Even from biblical angle, God expect everyone to treat his/her neighbour as their self. Also all the sectors of the economy should be involved in the process of ending the nation’s hunger as success cannot be achieved in isolation. Likewise more innovative ideas should be encouraged. It is high time for you and I to save the nation from the problem of hunger. Take a faithful step today as tomorrow may be too late.

Lastly, if all the above highlighted issues and solutions are put into consideration as well as our continual role as Nigerians, new Nigeria will definitely come into limelight.

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