Proudly Naija said:

Again like I said, everyone is entitled to his opinion. I was not born in that era and can only rely on pictures, videos and history books. But I do remember the 80s when I was in primary school and 90s when I was in government secondary school. If I had a child now, I'd rather he went to school in that era (80s and 90s) as against going to school in this era simply because the quality and standard or education has gone down.

Education standards have generally fallen across the world in recent years. In places like Britain there is an outcry every year when 99% of secondary school students mysteriously ''pass'' their final exams, with adults claiming the standards have plummetted since 'their day' etc. So it's not unique to Nigeria. There are signs though that the trend is reversing in Nigeria. Teachers and lecturers are now paid a lot more than they were under military rule  etc, and investment in education is increasing year on year.

So if the quality of education in my opinion has gone down from 80s down till now, I can understand what people who went to school in 60s and 70s are talking about. For them education was TOTALLY free. The Universities back then served free food. In their various hostels, their beds were even made for them.

Fine, but HOW MANY people were catered for? We had maybe 3 or 4 universities in the 60s and 70s. Of course it would be easy to treat every student like a lord. I PREFER MASS EDUCATION in which such privileges were reduced, to education for a chosen few who get treated like they're superior to the rest of the masses.

For those who went abroad, many had scholarships and rushed back home because they had jobs waiting for them based on merit!

That was because there were so FEW of them. So there were jobs for all of them. Majority of folks were illiterates, courtesy of the British.

The British laid a foundation.

No they didn't. In fact most of our problems today stem from the fact that they did NOT lay a 'foundation' for anything. We had to start virtually from scratch at independence - schools, universities, hospitals, infrastructure, everything. Before the Brits left, all those things were available only to a negligible minority.

Most of the present edifices we have now were built in that period - Our refineries were built in that era (60s/70s). Murtala Muhammed Airport was built in that era. Same with The National theatre, National Stadium, National Grid, etc.

Most of our infrastructure was built after independence, by indigenous Nigerian govts, and continued well into the 90s till today.

If we take Nigeria as our child, with all the resources made available, can anyone of us be proud of where that child is now?

I am proud of my country. We are a developing nation. Every country was once a developing nation. There is nothing peculiar about our situation. We will get to the promised land in our own time, just like others did in theirs.

Nice job here,
Very touching, The glory departed, Oh God restore Nigeria back to her glorious days and then take us further.

Rossikk:

Education standards have generally fallen across the world in recent years. In places like Britain there is an outcry every year when 99% of secondary school students mysteriously ''pass'' their final exams, with adults claiming the standards have plummetted since 'their day' etc. So it's not unique to Nigeria. There are signs though that the trend is reversing in Nigeria. Teachers and lecturers are now paid a lot more than they were under military rule  etc, and investment in education is increasing year on year.

Not totally true. In the example you gave, yes quality of students may have reduced. But the standards in terms of facilities in schools even with increasing population has massively improved in the UK and has continued to improve. In Nigeria, the reverse is the case. In my secondary school days, we only had facilities to conduct titration experiments in my chemistry lab. I don't know if that is even done these days. I am not in Nigeria at the moment so if you say there are signs that the trend is changing, I can only take your word and that of others in Nigeria. But as at 2007 when I left, it was really bad in Lagos and as I used to say back then, if it was bad in Lagos, I wonder what other states are were going through.

Rossikk:

Fine, but HOW MANY people were catered for? We had maybe 3 or 4 universities in the 60s and 70s. Of course it would be easy to treat every student like a lord. I PREFER MASS EDUCATION in which such privileges were reduced, to education for a chosen few who get treated like they're superior to the rest of the masses.

That was because there were so FEW of them. So there were jobs for all of them. Majority of folks were illiterates, courtesy of the British.

Again we keep going back to this excuse of population. We had leaders whose work it was to plan for growing population. We had resources they could use to make sure we had industries to absorb graduates and school leavers. They just chose not to do it. This is the crux of the matter. Our leaders have failed us. We gave them the responsibility of taking care of us but they failed massively. And even if the growing population was seen to be a disadvantage, why didn't they do something about it? They cared more for their pockets than for the people. BTW, we don't have the highest no of people in the world you know. China is about one-fifths of the world's population yet you see their children go abroad to study and return home to jobs.
I asked a Chinese friend after we finished our masters what his plans were. He said he would be returning home and when I asked him why, he said because China is good (his exact words). I pray my children will be able to say that some day.

Rossikk:

No they didn't. In fact most of our problems today stem from the fact that they did NOT lay a 'foundation' for anything. We had to start virtually from scratch at independence - schools, universities, hospitals, infrastructure, everything. Before the Brits left, all those things were available only to a negligible minority.

Most of our infrastructure was built after independence, by indigenous Nigerian govts, and continued well into the 90s till today.

The British laid a good foundation in my opinion. But again, like I said, our early leaders tried too. This thread is about Nigeria in the 60s and 70s. Whatever happened pre independence is for another thread.

Rossikk:

I am proud of my country. We are a developing nation. Every country was once a developing nation. There is nothing peculiar about our situation. We will get to the promised land in our own time, just like others did in theirs.

We are all proud of our Country. If we were not, we will not be bothered about the stench oozing of it now. It is this concern that has brought us all together on NL and other fora to discuss on our history and future. But this pride shouldn't make us blind to the things around us. It shouldn't make us refuse to accept reality. I know many Nigerians who though have dual citizenships, still use their Nigerian passports inpite of the way we are maltreated around the world. And I know many who still teach their children their native languages despite the fact that they are based abroad. We are all proud of our country.
In the 80s, we chased out Ghanians from Nigeria and they left in droves. We accused them of causing damage to our economy. Today we are the ones begging Ghana to accommodate our industries and students. Is this the Nigeria we want to hand over to our children? My parents keep talking about the good old days. I don't want to talk about the good old days to my children. I want to tell them they are lucky to have been born in the New Nigeria.

I started this thread so people could see where we are coming from. So the young generation will know that Nigeria hasn't always been a mess. That there was a time we had constant supply of power and so praising NEPA for 7 hours of light per day is actually foolish considering where we are coming from. Maybe we will be stirred in our hearts and do away with all the ethnicity and conspiracy theories and religious rubbish that our leaders use to tear us apart and take our focus away from the goal which is building a better Nigeria.

[size=15pt]Thank you Rossikk. I have been waiting for a critical post on this thread. I also am disgusted by the whole "the glory departed" response of Nigerians to these pictures. I can understand the romantic sentiments but it was just too much and made me feel that we are unwilling to look past a few idyllic, black and white or sepia toned, brand new city pics to look at the real picture of Nigeria past and present. [/size]

Rossikk:

Proudly Naija said:

Education standards have generally fallen across the world in recent years. In places like Britain there is an outcry every year when 99% of secondary school students mysteriously ''pass'' their final exams, with adults claiming the standards have plummetted since 'their day' etc. So it's not unique to Nigeria. There are signs though that the trend is reversing in Nigeria. Teachers and lecturers are now paid a lot more than they were under military rule  etc, and investment in education is increasing year on year.



That was because there were so FEW of them. So there were jobs for all of them. Majority of folks were illiterates, courtesy of the British.



Most of our infrastructure was built after independence, by indigenous Nigerian govts, and continued well into the 90s till today.

i dont agree that there's a worldwide decline in standards .
widespread exam malpractice means most certificates lack credibility and nigerian university graduates are embarassing .
there is no doubt that we are more literate now but the earlier situation is not something to blame the british for. many more people have literate parents and grandparents now;doctors ,lawyers ,professors etc so progres has been incremental
the 60s and 70s was post independence so deal with your chip on the shoulder as far as the british are concerned .
i don't think photos prove anything either way but from all evidence we are more dysfunctional now than even the 80s
post office
railway
police
universities
are obvious areas

Jenifa_:

[size=15pt]Thank you Rossikk. I have been waiting for a critical post on this thread. I also am disgusted by the whole "the glory departed" response of Nigerians to these pictures. I can understand the romantic sentiments but it was just too much and made me feel that we are unwilling to look past a few idyllic, black and white or sepia toned, brand new city pics to look at the real picture of Nigeria past and present. [/size]

Yes the glory has departed weather you like or or not.

Forget all those pictures pasted by Rossikk, they are all delusions.

How many Nigerian are benefiting from those infrastructural dev in Lagos and Abuja compared to 1960s.

Where are the rail, pyramids, good universities. e.t.c

This is interesting. The same Rossik question the Work of Fashola is the same one posting the achievements of Fashola on this thread. hmm

Madam Ileke-Idi, until now I never knew you are a grand-mother generation. Interesting. Nice pictures Ma'am.

Kudus also to Mazi Eze-Uche.

I also like the new generation touch of Rossikk (I particularly like the style of not wallowing in self-pity).

Thank you all. Mwua.  

Ileke-IdI:

This is interesting. The same Rossik question the Work of Fashola is the same one posting the achievements of Fashola on this thread. hmm

Don't you wonder?

How wonderful and prosperous  we were as a nation, antebellum. The confident smiles and emboldened glares of those in these pictures, speak to a time when we really believed in ourselves, our values and culture. Streets were paved, and Lagos was clean! Today, Lagos is barely visible under the ever growing mounds of dirt that surrounds the once prosperous capital. Did you see the pictures of those fishing villages? I couldn't believe that was what our rivers used to look like, the fisher men seemed happy at their trade. Look how beautiful our women were in their natural element. For a brief moment I felt a strong sense of pride and national Identity, but was soon over come with resentment and anger. Anger at our politicians for failing to uphold their civic obligations, anger at my parents for not fighting hard enough to preserve our culture for posterity, anger at my self for being part of the problem and not the solution. Will my children look at pictures from today and feel the same way 30 years from now? We have to take a stand, we have to start somewhere my friends, forget our cultural differences for it distracts us from the main issue plaguing our country. Nigeria is on a crash course downhill, its time to take controll of the wheel and steer it to safety. The change begins with you!

Rossikk stop derailing this thread. This thread was about the EARLY years of Nigeria. A nation that had a promising future, but has retrogressed. No one is talking about the colonial era until you started mentioning it. We are discussing the 60s and 70s of Nigeria's early years. Now stay on topic.  

.Sir Adeniji-Adele II, Oba of Lagos (1894-1964), Ruler and Paramount Chief of Lagos.

Biology lesson at Queens College in Yaba, Lagos. 1959.

Eyo Festival. 1910

Downtown Lagos. 1963.

Please don't let us derail this fantastic topic.
This is about the 1960s-1970s which I believe majority of us don't have much knowledge about. All I ever hear is the 'good old days' from my parents.

To all the posters who have been very resourceful with the pictures, thank you so much - 'a picture definetely speaks a thousand words' - with all the tons of pictures I have viewed, I have learnt alot about our great nation.

Eastern House of Assembly, Enugu, Nigeria (1960). Nnamdi Azikiwe was the governor in the 1950s and Michael Okpara was the governor in the early 1960s.

Broad Street, Lagos

The Cable Office, Marina. Lagos, Nigeria. 1896. Nigeria's 1st NITEL.

Food Inspector. Lagos Nigeria

See as our people skin bin dey fresh without photoshop. Chei, omo na wah oh!

I Love this thead, Ezeuche, Eko ile et al, God bless you.

I showed some of these pictures to my Dad, he was happy… he smiled… laughed, he cried. I was startled, was it tears of joy or a cry for Nigeria.

THREAD BOOKMARKED

I don't know about you, but  after I studied the photographs in this thread more closely I realised  how much you can tell about a people from the way they look in photos, their body language, and their facial expressions.  One key difference I noted in the old photographs and the more recent ones, is that those in the old ones smiled more, seemed more at ease and comfortable with themselves, and everything about them just seemed so relaxed and natural.  It was like they were being themselves and  they were not putting on an act.    In the more recent ones the body language just didn't seem right.  Nobody was laughing or showing their teeth, they looked rather tense and serious as if they were uncomfortable.  I could be wrong, but I just can't get over the feeling.

@ Rossikk-

Whether you like it or not, Nigeria has changed. The heart of Nigeria has changed. Big grand buildings of today and all the other stats you stated doesn't change the fact that Nigeria is not the same place as it used to be. One can get angry at the the British for what colonialism did, but then ask yourself, did our own people do us any better? Which is more damaging, a stranger stealing from you or one of your own? Even with all the so called advancements, the country has regressed. So don't fault people for their nostalgia and admiration for the past. Of course, there were hardships back then too, but things were better in a different way.

if the britico cont to rule us till today, i think naija will be diff country entirely. a progressive one with 24/7 electricity.

Imagine there was food inspector well the briticos robbed us blind if you would compare SA to NG in the 60's. Though they built SA so well like they didn't wanna leave there. They had no future plans for Nigeria

tEsLim:

Imagine there was food inspector well the briticos robbed us blind if you would compare SA to NG in the 60's. Though they built SA  so well like they didn't wanna leave there. They had no future plans for Nigeria

pls use your brain when comparing Nigeria to SA.  apartheid just only ended in 1994 for christsake. but it's only the shiny houses and roads that you remember.
who knows, maybe the blacks there are wishing for apartheid to come back. Nigerians are wishing for colonization to come back afterall. we black people have the worst slave mentality i've come across.

either we have very short term memory or we have no knowledge of our history or we're just plain st[size=1pt].[/size]upid race of people.



yea. life was really good under british rule.

I'm not trying to stir anything up but with all these pictures are we saying that we were incapable of ruling ourselves? Apparently the brits came and built something conducive but once they left everything got jacked up. I really don't understand how we regressed so much. That was the first thing I said when I touched foot in my neighborhood. How somewhere so beautiful could have turned to shyte in 10 years *smh*

@jenifa

pls use your brain when comparing Nigeria to SA. apartheid just only ended in 1994 for christsake. who knows, maybe the blacks there are wishing for apartheid to come back. Nigerians are wishing for colonization to come back afterall. we black people have the worst slave mentality i've come across.

You must be dumb to have made that comment. Did I say that the British should come back? How the hell does my comment gotta do with the bullshit you just posted up there? I said the 4ucking robbed us blind and had no future plans for us like they did with SA knowing that they had no intentions of leaving SA they built it to suit themselves!

tEsLim:

@jenifa
You must be dumb to have made that comment. Did I say that the British should come back? How the hell does my comment gotta do with the bullshit you just posted up there? I said the 4ucking robbed us blind and had no future plans for us like they did with SA knowing that they had no intentions of leaving SA they built it to suit themselves!

ok I misread your comment. my apologies.
you are one of the smarter ones on this topic then because everyone else seem to want the british back and would prefer to be slaves.

anyway, tone down on ur use of swear words. mr curtis james jackson iv.