On 1st October 1960, #Nigeria got independent. However, this would be the beginning of an arousing pleasure marinated in sadness and pain. Between 1960 and now, the country would see 5 successful military coups and 3 which got foiled. In fact there was uninterrupted military leadership from 1966 to 1999 save a brief democratic dispersion from 1979 to 1983.
23 years later in 1983, the erudite writer Chinua Achebe would publish a damning evaluation of his country in The Trouble With Nigeria as lack of patriotism, social injustice, tribalism, indiscipline, social injustice, culture of mediocrity and corruption. How much has changed since then?
"The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership."
This is the opening paragraph to the book. You can remove Nigeria and replace it with any of the 49 Sub-Saharan African countries, and this statement will still hold. Later, renowned leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, would aptly agree with him when he opined that “everything rises and falls on leadership.”
We are on Nigerian.
Even now, the country is grappling with lack of job opportunities which is causing high poverty levels, regional inequality, and social and political unrest. Sprinkle in the security challenges due to the emergence of Boko Haram
Africa's most populous country must exorcise itself from ghosts of challenges past and rise above them like it's national Eagle. Arise, O Compatriots! The starting point is to have free and fair elections in February 2023 and resist the temptations of electoral violence. Current leaders and aspirants must set this tone by giving the Independent National Electoral Commission the necessary political support.
#NigeriaAt62
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