Whoever continues to wonder why Nigeria as a country finds it extremely difficult to move forward should spare a moment to examine the very genesis of the country’s predicament. It is difficult to understand how a nation that before independence had foremost nationalists who fought assiduously for total emancipation from colonial rule would suddenly after independence become one in which the same insects destroying its vegetables are continually found to live on it. All advanced nations of the world were built by the sweats of patriotic citizens who went out of their ways to ensure that their countries achieve the best, the state itself having played its part in their education and proper training. Everyone then reciprocates with their unflinching patriotism in order to maintain and sustain a thriving system which caters for everyone’s interest.

But the story of Nigeria has rather been different and pathetically so, tells a story of people seemingly united in their clandestine resolve to work steadily at bringing down their own country. Those who led the nation before independence had lofty goals they set out to achieve and they worked relentlessly towards this until the much sought-after independence was secured. Unfortunately, immediately after independence, the narrative suddenly changed as tribal politics took over with each trying to dominate the others while lip service became the main tool of governance, leading to so much distrust, ethnicity and eventually war while the nation wasted so much resources that could have been deployed towards building national infrastructure in prosecuting the war. The first coup that dislodged the parliamentary government was premised on the need to rescue the country from politicians accused of massive corruption and profligacy. Since then up till now, the situation rather than improve for the better has only continued to deteriorate as Nigeria is continually tossed between either very repressive military governments or politics that alienate and subjugate the citizens completely. Nigeria’s leaders have remained unrelenting in their unrestrained greed and kleptomaniac tendencies thereby sinking the country deeper and deeper into the abyss of chaos.

From bad leadership springs poor followership which also puts self above any nationalistic zeal. This is reflected in having Nigerian-trained professionals lining up all embassies of the world trying to relocate abroad for the sake of greener pastures. To them, the nation no longer has anything to offer and the best decision is to opt elsewhere to enjoy the good life. Now, while there are more than enough reasons to justify such decision, none of those trying to rush out of the country ever pauses to ponder about what would have been their lot if the same bad Nigeria has not provided them with the necessary trainings that made them whatever they have become which now makes them hot cakes elsewhere. If a man has not been trained as a medical doctor in Nigeria for instance, can he be accepted to join any medical team abroad? But those who tend to prefer serving the foreign gods never ever put any such thinking into consideration as all they ever think about is just about themselves and the need to leave the country at all costs. The need to give back to the same land that has made them whatever they are never crosses their minds as they are hell-bent on leaving the country to join nations that already have more than enough facilities while their own country and people faces acute shortage of medical personnel. The kind of situation Nigeria has found itself can be likened to that of a mother of many children whose own children only inflict serious injuries on her not minding even if she would die as she is continually hit at different sides and left wriggling in pains.

The most urgent need of all Nigerians is a complete change of mindset. Leaders must work hard to restore people’s lost hopes in order to earn their confidence and trust through greater accountability and transparency in governance, and by complete overhaul of both the education and health sectors. Achieving such goals should never prove a Herculean task if only the government can halt all manners of excessive and wasteful spending and focus more on those elements that have direct bearing on the citizens as a whole. Having crossed such important but obviously difficult hurdle, it would become easier to convince the citizens to work in the overall interest of Nigeria.
Oyewusi, the coordinator of Ethics Watch International, wrote in from Lagos