The future — most often than not — is seen as a distant time. Contrary to this belief, it is imperative that we are more aware that the future has already started. Katherine Anne Porter in her work, “The future is now,” an article which was written in the 1950s after the 2nd World War, a period of fear and uncertainty, tells us that life should be lived right now! Everything that needed to be achieved should be done now. We can’t keep having baseless hopes that things will get better with time, we can’t keep on saying, “one day, e go better.” That is just a sociologically comforting statement that does not carry any power because time does not change anything, time only reveals. It is time to stop wishing, it is time to stop hoping, it is time we took full responsibility by taking our future into our hands and making drastic decisions that will create genuine change.
Although many factors — such as differences in ethnic group, religious belief and so on — divide us as a nation, it’s only if we rise above our differences and embrace unity that we have a chance of securing this bright future. We are stronger together is not just a cliché. In fact, it cannot be overemphasised. If we cease to become Nigeria today, then we seize to become the greatest black nation in the world. We must remain united to save our dear country from another civil war.
By now, we should know that leaders are not really the reason behind the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation; leaders have been changing since 1960 independence and it seems their successors are worse than their predecessors. Besides, leaders are not foreigners nor are they aliens from another planet. It’s the citizens of a country that become leaders of that country. So there’s a need for reorientation of our mindset. Change begins with you and me.
Even if I consent that leaders are not to blame for the major setbacks in the country, they played a major role. Inadequate power supply and bad roads should not even be one of our challenges at this stage. Inadequate power supply has placed a huge barrier on the nation’s economic growth. It has killed the dream of many businesses even before they started; potential business owners are aware that the business they intend to set up will solely depend on generator-provided electricity, hence they got discouraged from starting the business. The epileptic power supply has also resulted in a huge loss of revenue for firms and businesses in Nigeria. It has even forced foreign investors to shut down their business branches and relocate to other countries on the continent.
Unreliable power supply has environmental hazards too; petrol and diesel engines increase air pollution that has created a negative impact on climate with human health also at the receiving end. A 2015 report of Good Governance Initiative, a non-governmental organisation advocating for an uninterrupted power supply, says Nigerians spend about N3.5 trillion fueling their electricity generator annually.
Road accounts for more than 90℅ of the movement of people, goods and services in Nigeria. The road leads producers to the market, it leads workers to their jobs, students to school etc. Bad roads remain one of the factors that have immobilised our development. If we are not ready to fix it, it means we are not even ready for business.
There is also a need to further expose Nigerians to a new world of business ideas they should be venturing into. One of the major causes of inflation in Nigeria is the fact that we import almost everything we make use of. By now, we should be setting up industries that deal with the manufacturing of goods and rendering of services.
Production and manufacturing of goods locally will not only solve the issue of inflation, but it will also help in creating employment opportunities for those that will eventually work in the industry thereby bringing about financial stability and boosting the nation’s economy.
How long should we keep depending on oil? Nigeria is enriched with over 40 minerals including limestone, granite, talc, gold etc. Despite the fact that we have these minerals in large quantities, Nigeria is yet to become a mining country. We still import minerals such as salt and iron ore that could be produced domestically.
Today, mining and solid minerals only account for about 0.3% of our Gross Domestic Product. The oil and gas sector is the major source of revenue for the country, which means any slash in the international oil price will lead to the collapse of our economy because our economic fortune is tied to the oil market.
Insecurity is bound to happen in Nigeria due to the country’s population size, which is about 200 million, but if there is an improvement in governance; tribal and religious tolerance; bad roads, power supply, persistent increase in the price of goods and services and youth employment, then there will definitely be an improvement in the security of the nation.
There is a Yoruba adage that says, “Ajo o dabi ile,” meaning no matter how sweet your experience in foreign countries is, it can never be compared to the joy you feel at home. Nigeria is our home, running away from our problem is never and will never be the solution to the problem.
May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain.
Falaye Boluwatife writes via falayeboluwatife9@gmail.com
END
Be the first to comment