NISM YPro October 2016. Volume 2, Issue 7
We celebrated Nigeria’s independence again at the beginning of this month!
I always feel like this time of year is a time to truly reflect on what independence means and how important it is to recognise this. Considering the hard time Nigeria is currently facing, is it even something worth celebrating? How far have we really come since 1960? What have we truly achieved? Where do we go from here? Also, what does an “independent” Nigeria look like in an ever globalised world?
I made this point last year, but not afraid to make it again — Nigeria is not 56 years old. That’s a ridiculous thing to say and completely dismisses the depth of our history as a nation! It’s also wrong to say that we are independent of Britain in a real sense. Yes, officially, we are no longer a colony, but we are certainly still tied to Britain in many ways, whether it be through trade, our diaspora or exchange of human capital (both in terms of education and jobs). Nigeria and Britain are irrefutably tied and so we certainly must view ourselves, at the very least, as economically dependent on one another in many ways.
This brings me to the main point I’d like to make, or rather, a question I’d like us to reflect on. What position should Nigeria have in this ever evolving and increasingly globalised world? Do we want to be simply reactionary, or a proactive leader — a nation with vision and a strong sense of our position among our global peers? What are our competitive advantages? We have a thriving, entrepreneurial, increasingly globally aware, young, hungry, enormous population! How can we leverage this? Is there something the world needs, which Nigeria is in the best position to provide? If so, what is it, and how can be offer this service? These are the questions we should be asking ourselves.
Recent developments in Nigeria are pointing to a risk of us becoming more insular, instead of trying to understand what our role in the world could be. This isn’t forward-looking and isn’t in the spirit upon which our independence was founded. We didn’t work for independence from Britain and win back control of our collective fate, only to act in isolation! We worked for independence so that we could set our own agenda, our own goals, visions and aspirations; to be a world power in our own right, because we believed we could be!
We need to start having more faith in ourselves, in our capabilities, in our potential and in our position in this world, because I for one certainly believe we are a titan in the making. If we don’t realise this and take ownership of our power, who will?
