As they say, there are two sides to every story and Nigeria is no exception. There’s the Nigeria I love with all my heart (the food, music, culture, etc) and then, there’s Nigeria I hate. The Nigeria that must be fought and eradicated at all cost. Allow me to elaborate.

Today, the giant of Africa is nothing more than a giant in numbers only as it has failed to lead or pave the way for Africa in any meaningful way. I am by no means inferring that Nigeria has not made any strides over the last few decades, however, we have failed to be truly exemplary and our image in Africa and abroad is rather negative! The most notable thing about Nigeria are the Super Eagles and oil production. With human capital, Nigeria is unable to attract foreign talents and struggles tremendously to even keep Nigerian talents at home. It’s simply saddening at the amount of talent we lose to the West due to lack of infrastructure, development and due process opportunities. While the Western countries enjoys the benefits of some of Nigeria’s brightest minds, Nigeria plunges deeper into corruption and desolation but I still believe that there is still hope for Nigeria.

Over years upon years of compounded atrocious and unforgivable governance, our politicians, on all levels of government, has turned the country into a monopoly that has given rise and a voice to unhealthy and deadly oppositions as the likes of Boko Haram. Boko Haram, under religious pretense, rose to prominence completely unchecked and wrecked havoc on the northern parts of Nigeria. I will credit the government for doing a lot more lately to stiffen this poisonous organization, however, too many lives and livelihoods were unnecessarily lost due to political games and the near zero value our leaders place on the lives of the people. I do understand that there are several factors at play here but given the lack of jobs, affordable and promising education and opportunities, violence becomes very attractive to the Nigerian youth.

I vividly recall growing up in Nigeria where the United States was the equivalent of paradise. It was believed that once you make it to the United States, riches beyond your wildest dreams would be at your fingertips. What we discovered upon arrival was far from the truth. The struggles were as intense in the United States as they were in Nigeria…at least for us within the first few years. The biggest difference, however, was that a good fight was more often than not rewarded in the United States, whereas in Nigeria, if you do not have the proper connections (connections to people privileged people in power and high places), you are most likely doomed and your fight is in vain barring a miracle. Corruption is so rampant in Nigeria that it’s practically a way of life…Bribery is more so a “tip” rather than an illegal exchange of gifts for favors. Failure to participate will see you to a miserable end…not necessarily death but still…you could try seeking refuge from the law or the authorities who, by the way, are in collusion with those you seek refuge from. Simply, cash is king in Nigera. Without money, it is nearly impossible to do anything. Even those you call family will not hesitate to betray you for the right amount. And yes, we still have many in Nigeria that are upright and more than determined to elevate our country. Because of them, there is yet hope for the giant of Africa.

As I’ve said many times, the same old men have been in power since our independence and have refused to step down and allow the younger generation with better and more globalized ideas to move the country forward. They switch from one political party to another while, at the same time, forming new ones as if that makes any difference. They keep telling us that we are the future of Africa! Well, we say THE FUTURE IS NOW!

This piece was taken from our blog, [url]HumoredIn.com[/url].