At the dawn of a paradigm phenomenon in the history of the world, we are being witnesses to global events that will continue to be the subject of discourse for a long while to come. How these events shape the world as we know it to be or how significant the changes that are bound to occur will affect our lives, can only be conjectured as even events continue to unfold over the next forth coming years.

Now, what is change if one might ask? Is it a transition from one situation to another? Or is it a deviation from a status quo? If it is any of these, can the new situation provide some improvement on the former one? To what degree if at all can change be measured? Who defines change and can someone become a catalyst for change?

The word change has come to be very popular over the past few weeks. This was not unrelated to the campaign slogan for the candidate of the Democratic Party in the United States presidential elections. The uniqueness and charisma that was brought into the race by the campaign endeared itself into the hearts of most people. The fact that the outcome of the elections challenged some very entrenched misgivings and upturned the applecart of 'established prejudices' actually gives some hope that at least, some things can actually change. How these translates in the politics that goes on at the level of the international system of which the United States is steadily losing it's hegemonic status will unfold before our very eyes.

Closer home now, the Nigerian State is in the process of reviewing the what is supposed to be the social contract that binds the nation together. There is no gainsaying that the subsisting arrangement has really done nothing exciting as regards the aspirations of a people so endowed but who keep languishing in the lower rungs of the global developmental index. The participation that greeted the meetings held in the six geopolitical zones of the nation underscored the need for some amendments, especially since the current 1999 constitution suffers some crisis of legitimacy as it was a bequeathal of a military decree. There is bound to be some changes coming from there, definitely. It is our hope that this task do not become more enormous than those on whose shoulders such a responsibility fall.

At the end of the day, what people basically need is a steady and reasonable income, available amenities, effective and efficient infrastructure, affordable services and a public service that is accountable to dedicated leadership. With the privilege of pedigree, the land should brace up for the challenges that confront her. It would be nice to talk about some things that actually changed for good come years from today. . .