“Nigeria at 50, Day 13 – Enkay’s www.enkays-space.blogspot.com
Courtesy: National Geographic http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/nigeria-guide/
My earliest memories of belonging to any place was as a little child in my grandfathers compound. In those days, the number plates of cars registered in Lagos started with LA and haven seen my grandfathers cars with that number, I simply concluded that he owned most of the cars in Lagos because our surname also started with LA. Call it the simplicity of a child whose world is no bigger than what he sees.
Nigeria for me was no bigger than Anthony village where we lived and evening discussions usually held outside by adults were debates cum arguments which bordered on the state of the country. It didn’t take long to be initiated into such debates. These debates were actually very one-sided, and were actually complaints about how bad Nigeria had become while recounting ‘the good old days’ the adults had seen.
I’m talking of the early eighties. I cannot imagine what my grandparents (of blessed memory) would say of the Nigeria that exists now. It is amazing how many problems are magnified when we simply talk about them. The discussions then ranged from the corruption of the ‘leaders’, the shame-facedness of several civil servants who had stolen money and built empires for themselves, the high cost of living in Lagos, how money was hard to come buy, etc.
25 years later the topics are the same (except maybe Internet scams) and have been magnified by the web, blogosphere, facebook status messages etc. What has the effect of all the discussions been on our country Nigeria? Nil!
I started my research for my post by looking for good things that had happened to this country in the last 50 years i.e. from 1960 to 2010. The Internet was my first port of call but my search was almost fruitless. Western media and our very own media do not have much to report in the way of good news about our Nation. The list as spewed out by search engines, news media and other web sites comprised of coups, executions and stories relating to the effect of oil on our land.
What you could term ‘Good news’ was about what individual Nigerians had accomplished. The bulk of good news was news about what its people accomplished, Yes INDIVIDUAL Nigerians…
Writers (Soyinka, Achebe, Adichie, Attah, Abani,etc) Scientists (Igietseme, Dabiri) winning global prizes for ‘individual’ work. Sportsmen and women winning medals in the Nations colors most haven been harvested from foreign climes. Star government officials (Akunyili, Ezeakwesili, Okonjo-Iweala, any men? 
) have all been individuals who strongly believed in the causes for which they had been employed (Akunyili – the illegal drug war, Okonjo-Iweala – reversing the debt burden of our nation, Ezeakwesili – the due process project).
Sadly these bright stars who have made the hearts of Nigerians beat with pride have not been sufficient to perpetually light up the ‘dark’ clouds that seem to pervade our nations space.
Nigerian football teams have had hordes of us screaming and shouting for joy collectively, hugging and running around not remembering what tribes we belong to or what tongues we spoke. (Remember watching the finals of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics football matches?) This euphoria soon was replaced with the stolid walls that seem to have kept us from coming together as a people in a sustainable way to move this nation forward.
Our ‘solo-ness’ is so easily spotted in the absence of a collective will in residential areas. Once NEPA (sorry PHCN) strikes, each flat/house starts up its own generating set, most houses have their ‘own’ (my family and i) boreholes, most have their ‘own’ security guards (mai-guard), each person to his own Cable Television. The list goes on and on…
What I believe Nigeria is so sadly lacking is a collective will amongst its people to see this nation to glory. It is not enough to light up your own little corner, contribute your own quota to the good of the nation. We need to come together as a people and harvest the same ‘spirit’ that moves us when our national team is playing a major soccer game and utilise this to push for better governance.
As much as exclusive groups work together in various ways to monitor and ensure fair and free elections, take the poor off the street, advocate for better leadership, provide better health, etc. and as much as each Nigerian believes this phantom lie that his little candle is ‘somehow’ making a difference (no matter how little) we would all remain blinded to the fact that a constant supply of fuel or wax & thread is needed to keep these candles burning.
This supply of fuel needs to be centralised. This central supply of fuel needs to be managed efficiently. This efficiently managed centralised supply of energy needs to be overseen by a strong man. This strong man needs to be good, honest, accountable and humble.
This strong man watching over this pool of fuel is simply GOOD GOVERNANCE.
These groups are all providing solutions I am proud of and I belong to several groups, however, we need to come together to DEMAND from our leaders:
- RIGHT & HONEST governance
- ENSURE they are taking us down the right path
- Hold them ACCOUNTABLE at all times and
- INSIST they get the ‘job’ done.
We need to do this TOGETHER.
Note: My thoughts on this subject were hugely influenced by this articles comparison of Nigeria with Indonesia. (See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11399866)
“Nigeria at 50, Day 15 – Funms www.funms-funms.blogspot.com
14/10/2010 at 9:28 am Permalink
Hmmm, had always thot that our individual ‘little candles’ will eventually have a ripple effect and metamorphose into the change we want.
However, ‘moving forward together’ is an even much better idea. If we all individually, in lighting up our candles will help the persons (to our sides) light up their, then, we will have an even better movement towards the change we want.
Nice one, so, let’s all ‘move on together’…….
14/10/2010 at 9:41 am Permalink
Thanks Rethots…little candles i believe will only have a ripple effect when there’s something binding them together. The water in the ocean is held together because the water molecules are in close proximity to one another. Many questions need to be answered, i’ll ask just one…what is the glue that is needed to hold us together?
14/10/2010 at 11:02 am Permalink
Yours is a brilliant piece on our countrys dilemma! Im hoping that we get to the point where we dont see individual differences but we work together for the good of the nation and not just as ‘soloists’ Good job!
14/10/2010 at 3:38 pm Permalink
Good one…
…you have just highlighted my sadness…my earnest prayer is that whatever we do will work out for the good of us & this nation…*SMH*
God help us all
14/10/2010 at 6:40 pm Permalink
…we must move forward together!
14/10/2010 at 7:49 pm Permalink
As @Tomi said, this is brilliant. It’s true we need the join hands and build Nigeria. truth is that it is the only way. At the same time like that saying goes: “as you let your light shine, you unconsciously light up others…”
Many of us need examples to follow. Nigeria can be likened to the city of the blind that needs those with eye sight to lead and the others hold on to eachother to cross the bridge.
at the end of the day, we all need to have to move with ONE mind in ONE accord.
thanks for sharing this.
14/10/2010 at 9:54 pm Permalink
That is exactly the mindset I agree will move us forward. If we stick with, let me just do MY bit, it will take a longer time to get that critical mass that is required.
15/10/2010 at 12:24 am Permalink
…we should also remind our leaders that they are not giving us gifts… is it too hard for a child to enjoy the fruits of his father or the love of her mother? clean drinking water is a right not a gift… quality education is a right and not a gift… electricity at home, good food these are rights and not gifts
15/10/2010 at 12:24 pm Permalink
I really enjoyed reading your post. It is an insightful and realistic portrait of what is wrong with Nigeria and how we can start to make it right.
I like your imagery of the candle. As you said, it is not enough to just shed some light on our own little corners. A collective will is exactly what is needed – it would be a great move in the right direction.
22/10/2010 at 1:54 pm Permalink
I am will to work hand in hand
with other Nigerians (the ones who are willing)
to build this nation.
How long does a person remain a stranger after
3 visits? 4?
lol
I am pretty inquisitive.
27/10/2010 at 3:21 pm Permalink
Very interesting read.
That ‘collective will amongst its people to see this nation to glory’ is indeed lacking. Just take a look at next door Ghana.
P.S. I stay in Anthony now. Your old hood.
29/10/2010 at 3:13 pm Permalink
We need to and we have to, in togetherness we achieve more… nice post!
04/11/2010 at 2:16 pm Permalink
@all- Thank you so much. Sorry I’m only just posting your comments. I haven’t logged in to my blog before now and sadly I didn’t get any email notifications indicating I had any comments….and to think i thought no one read my post! lol! Thanks
@Ochuko – thanks…! I like your illustration…. the 2-eyed leading the 1-eyed and the blind across the bridge…. we all need to be involved.
@Myne – exactly! We should start talking ‘WE’ instead of ‘ME’, ‘I’ & ‘MINE’ lol! pun not intended!
@theflygirl – absolutely! its not too much to ask for basic things and when these are provided we don’t want to see posters and newspaper pages full of propaganda about their various achievements. these are BASIC! and it is not too much to ask!
@naijalines – thanks…a collective will.. I like the sound of that word! I hope to ’see’ it in action soon in this nation!
@Tisha – willingness is key o! I think we need a leader who can ‘gum’ us together…abi? hmmm i guess you become friends once each person lets their guard down…who knows it could take a 100 visits…hopefully not!!!
@Tobenna – aaah welcome! Honestly Ghana is a very good example. I have hope o! My former ‘house’ is now a church…!
@Standtall – thanks…
07/01/2011 at 1:26 pm Permalink
A true testament that I’m always the last to know what everyone knows: I didn’t even knew you blogged till you visited my blog. Now that I’m reading this, I realize that it’s been quite a while this particular article has been posted. These are my thoughts: It’s wonderful that Nigeria is mostly remembered by the achievements of her citizens versus the history of her challenges. I also think it is encouraging that many of us have a will to bring Nigeria to glory…we just don’t have a centralized way of going about it yet, like you rightly mentioned. We are getting there though, bit by bit. I truly believe that our generation is going to be the most instrumental in turning things around. We’ll get there. I’m optimistic that we will.
07/03/2011 at 2:08 am Permalink
Hey,
what’s up? Nothing new since October? Especially since I’m a first timer to your blog…..
I’m always excited to see people who are not ashamed/afraid/have no inhibitions about blogging about their faith and belief in the Lord; I only started doing that a little while ago so it’s a great encouragement to see that I’m not alone!
Hope you write again soon, I understand how easy it is for bloggers to get bogged by stuff and neglect our audience….don’t! don’t! Lol…..
Cheers
16/03/2011 at 11:18 am Permalink
@Lara- lol! been blogging for a while now even though these days i’m more off than on! i hope to start again. this blog has been on my mind a lot!
nothing new im afraid. but hopefully this will change..hopefully!!! I really want to come back to blogsville and become an active participator….! I’ll take your advise dear…especially as i find it a tad annoying when i visit blogs and see no updates lol! thanks and apologies for only just replying. I have to do something about getting comments routed to my email box! cheers!
@Chioma-