Is Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary worth a celebration?. The poser by an unknown author is enriched by Bernard Balogun

Last week, at the preparatory moments for our country’s 61st Independence, one lazy social analyst asked “what is there to celebrate at 61? Nigeria should go extinct and recreate a fresh country with a befitting name (…note the word “befitting” is relative)”? I stumbled on another comment. It said…civil servant retires at 60, so Nigeria should retire…strangely, no alternative idea. What becomes of Nigeria as a nation when it retires, no suggestion was advanced? To this, l replied… 60years in the life of any individual is huge, it is a significant milestone. But 60years in the life of any nation or country is indeed infinitesimal. For example how old is the American nation? About 260years. Has the USA come to a standstill? America is still evolving. I like to encourage ourselves to endeavour to internalise our ideas scrupulously before we present such ideas on a public platform.

At a time like this, it is important we go down memory lane. These are my findings….

My curiosity took me to an elder in my community, who is about 92years. I asked these questions. Sir, why are we like this 61yrs after Independence?

The elder looked at me so profoundly, shook his head and began to reel out some facts..

You need to be here 59yrs ago! This place was a bush, not just a Bush but thick forestry.

1. After 59 Years, we have at least a fairly looking city of Abuja. Note, Abuja was a thick forest 59yrs ago.

2. 59 yrs ago, we had only one university. The UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN.. Today, we’ve 154 Universities just in 59yrs

3. 59yrs ago, we had less than 200 qualified Doctors in the whole country. 59YRS after, Unilag alone produces 250 Doctors per annum.

4. In fact 30 yrs ago, Lekki Peninsula was a mangrove. Today, it ranks among the fastest developing estates in the world.

5. There was no Nigerian Pliot 59 yrs ago. No Nigeria Airways. Today, we have female Nigerian Pilots flying planes with international airlines. Nigeria Airways had collapsed. We are told “history will not forgive us for not trying. In yes, but history will forgive us for trying and fail” Let us try to start again. Though not a justification for a fail attempt.

6. 59years ago, there were no Ajaokuta Steel complex, Machine Tools complexes in the six locations essentially to produce simple industrial implements, including rail shutters. Though these steel complexes are grounded today. However history will be fair to our generation for trying. We can kickstart it again. Ab initio, there were no metallurgical engineers (steel engineers), today there are about 250-metallurgical engineers and some heading some foundry/machine tools complexes in the US, the UK, USSR, Germany.

7. In between 59years ago and now, we had Leyland, Exide Battery, Sanyo Electronic in Ibadan, Steyr in Bauchi. Though these industrial are grounded, it could be rebounded.

8. The first African Nation to participate and win a Junior world Cup. We’ve won it 5 times. We have even won Olympics Gold medals in Football and High Jump. …

9. The total National Income of the Nation was less than 1B USD 59yrs ago. All the so called Cotton, Groundnut pyramids, Cocoa etc generated less than 1B USD as at 1960. Today, Nigerias’ FDI is 20B USD per annum. That’s Progress we seemed not to measure.

10. ANPA – Association of Nigerian Physicians in Northern America, New York branch has 5000 Nigerian Doctors and Medical Professionals. 2nd highest ethnic group of Physicians in the United States and UK after India….that’s progress in Intellectual Development.

11. Within 59yrs of corporate existence, we’ve produced a Nobel Prize Winner, A Pulitzer Award Winner, and other professional leaders of global repute

12. In 59yrs, we now do Renal Surgery, IVR, Organ Transplant, and some good scientific breakthroughs.

13. We have dropped fetishness and poor hygiene to an extent that Polio and Cholera had been eradicated. This had dropped the number of children per woman from an average of 8 in 1960 to 3 -4 in 2019.

14. We contribute about 5% of global fossil fuel. This had earned Billions of Dollars, though not properly managed but had kept our finances as a Nation.

15. We fought the Civil War unfortinately and recovered, we had about 5 Military regimes and survived, we had had 20yrs of uninterrupted democracy.

16. Most of us reading this post are living in a “Cement Building” do you know how houses were built 59yrs ago,? Pay a visit to your granny’s building in the “village”

17. There was a story that the entire Northern Nigeria had less than 10 graduates as at 1959. The dearth of human capital was touted as the reason Sir Ahmadu Bello deferred independence to 1960 for fear of dominance of the fairly educated south. Check the number of graduates ABU alone produced per year as at 2019.

18. 1960, the Oba or Igwe or Emir of your village was a god! They even had the power of lives! 2019 , you can take an Oba or Emir, Obi, or Igwu to court if he infringes on your rights….! Are we not progressing?

19. Almost 2 Million Nigerians write JAMB per year. That’s 2Million people that can at least read and write. Check the population of Nigerians that can read as at 1960.

20. How many Military Generals do we have 59yrs ago? How Many Naval Admirals? How many senior Police officers How many Airforce Commanders? How many Professors? How many Vice Chancellors.

How many Military Bases, Banks? Bank Directors and Managers? SME Directors, Broadcasters, Music Producers, World Class Singers and Composers, Authors, Doctors and Nurses, Engineers, Architects, Business Men and Women? etc.

All we have then were itinerant subsistence farmers and the elites are village teachers isn’t it? Are these not worthy celebrating?

21.The entire SW Nigeria had only one TV and One Radio Station as at 1960. Today, we’ve over 200 functional private radio & TV stations just within 59yrs

At this juncture, l have had enough and baba needed to go for his dinner (time was 7.15pm) and relax before going to bed. l told him so. And that was it.

In all sincerity, I think we’ve tried as a nation but we could have done better. Experience is the best teacher. We have noticed our pitfalls in the various failed attempts.

Now it is time to re-strategise for an industrialised Nigeria. We have the resources, the intellectual and human resources and the land mass to enshrine an egalitarian society. God give us leaders, committed leaders to help us reclaim lost grounds. Amen.

Yes, we have cause to celebrate.

This is wishing my compatriots a belated Happy Independence.