Over the years, we have been inundated with thesis after thesis and prognosis after prognosis by members of the intelligentsia of the very many challenges facing Nigeria. Curiously, only a few of these pundits, if at all, have been able to articulately identify how we can pull ourselves back from the brink which they have forcefully argued that the country is currently positioned. To be clear, Nigeria has a lot of issues. This fact, some have posited, is visible to the blind and audible to even the deaf. This essay can’t exhaustively itemise those issues. In fact, I will wager that everything that has to be said or written about Nigeria have all been done and in very colourful ways. Those materials are not in short supply.

Not surprising then, these talk shows and discussions and the many master pieces on Nigeria’s myriad problems, even though beneficial in some respects, have never been known to solve any problem. And so, the question arises: how can we as a people, take our country from the current uninspiring situation it has been deliberately subjected to by decades of mindless living by all of its citizens but particularly the leadership class, and place it on the path of ‘change’, regeneration and mega achievement? At the core of that question is the deeply entrenched and widely recognised potential which continue to lie dormant in the belly of a country that could easily be counted amongst the very best globally; a country that could be the giant of Africa and also be a light for the whole of the Black Race - all of these depending only on the country getting its acts right!

In attempting to provide answers to the question of Nigeria’s rescue, some have argued that we should continue to seek the face of God. They advise that we should continually intercede for our country and her leaders. For this set of people, since it was God that brought us together, only He can help us surmount our most pressing challenges, if not all of them. Some others have posited that corruption is our greatest problem in Nigeria. They believe that if corruption can be seriously addressed, pronto, all of Nigeria’s issues will be resolved. Just like the wave of a magic wand! This view, which I am greatly persuaded by, is anchored on the fact that corruption in Nigeria, like cancer, has spread all over the country and is now eating up and undermining the very vital institutions and workings of the Nigerian State. And before long, there will be nothing left of it.

At the heart of the thesis of yet some others is the fact that the bane of our development is in the largely criminal and irresponsible leadership we have had the misfortune of having from independence till date. While this postulation may be valid in some other setting, under our present arrangement in Nigeria, it appears not to hold water. This is for the simple reason that the members of the leadership class in Nigeria are first and foremost Nigerians themselves. They are not brought in from outer space to pilot our affairs. They are an integral part of the failed ‘Nigerian system’ that makes a ‘black of white’ and ‘bad of good’. Put simply, leadership mirrors society. This, however, is in no way an excuse for the sustained misgovernance of Nigeria by those who have been very fortunate to find themselves at the helm of affairs.

There are other views worth highlighting. Meantime, though, the question that arises from all of these for me is: are these different postulations the way forward? My first and very sincere response will be in the negative. In as much as the different issues highlighted above have all in some ways affected and impeded our growth and development as a people and country, I will be very careful to attribute our sorry situation to them. In fact, I will hesitate to do so. The reason for this is simple: SOCIETIES AND NATIONS THE WORLD OVER ARE MAN-MADE. This is irrespective of whether they are great or small; or indeed whether they are successful or a massive failure. Essentially therefore, it is the human element that is the single most important ingredient required for nation building. It is what forms and moulds nations.

And so, if we must make a functional nation out of present Nigeria, the entire people of the country - Nigerians - must purpose in their hearts that they want their country to work. That is to say, they want responsible leadership and a country that thrives on the highest levels of ethical conduct rather than corrupt, retrogressive practices. They must determine by their actions and conduct that they desire a ‘change’ in the way their country is run; that the years of ‘business as usual’ are gone. They must wholeheartedly jettison meaningless sloganeering and grandstanding. Then and only then can we be said to have put ourselves on the path of ‘change’ and development. I dare say, on the path of mega achievement and positive global significance. Anything short of this will amount to playing the fool. The question, however, whether Nigerians are prepared for this level of sacrifice, based on present arrangement, is a discussion for another day.

Respectfully,
@ODNEsq

Many thanks: Lalasticlala