Opinion
Nigeria Is A Lost Nation [OPINION]
By Tijani Sheriffdeen
Countries around the world wake up every new day to do something different, and of course productive. They attend to the challenges their yesterday brought them, and draw brilliant inferences from them to improve on their today. When one understands this, one begins to wonder less why their tomorrow is always a lesson for many others. Nations around the world who mean to develop and grow don’t look down on anything, especially elements capable of irreversible and inerasable growth and development. Developed nations understand the impact every single member of a community has on that particular community, as such; they respect their contributions, suggestions and complaints when they come because they are only meant to bring about growth or change when need be. Who respects opinions in Africa? Not to talk of Nigeria!
Nigeria is a country with over 180 million people, one of the facts we enjoy telling people, yet bearing the status of a developing nation since 1900. Why should a country have the numbers without it amounting to anything? Maybe this question is not as important as when we want to make the number we have count as a nation. Looking beyond population, Nigeria is blessed with bounteous natural resources, but it has only helped in tearing apart our nation, rather helping it gain good grounds. Maybe the only time Nigerians appreciate their ethnic diversity is when they have to come closer with Ayodeji Balogun’s (Wizkid) hit song titled “Come Closer”. Our ethnic diversity is a reason for us to worry as a nation, as if other nations are monotonous in this regard.
Nations around the world see development and growth, because their advancement is always seen as a collaborative effort, where everyone’s contributions matter. It’s expedient to note that the youth of developed nations see themselves as essential ingredients in the progress and phenomenal development of their states. I don’t want to believe it’s not the same case with African youth, because they have overtime shown they are productive and creative too, with the unmatchable news of their achievements, which most time reach Africa from developed nations, with few exceptional cases. Doesn’t it look like something is wrong somewhere?
There is no reason why Africa’s youth, particularly Nigeria’s youth, are not involved in the developmental activities of their country. It’s because the society they have found themselves doesn’t respect opinions, especially if it doesn’t go in line with the idea of the ruling class. It all begins with having little or no concern about the education of young minds, so that they may not be able to get the right education to challenge situations and times unapologetically. And when this happens, it means we have a fair number of students who have the opportunity of getting a proper education. In getting the so-called proper education, most academic institutions in Nigeria, particularly tertiary institutions, water the thoughts of not being relevant and important that our society and her leaders have successfully planted in many. A good number of universities don’t respect the opinion of students; they want to dictate to them what their perception about everything should be. At the end, we have students who graduate from higher institutions without a mind of their own; the power of critical thinking is stolen from them. How then would the youth be helpful to their society?
If we must get things right as a nation, we must not forget that a nation like ours with a good number of youth wouldn’t work, if the youth who are supposed to be instrumental in the development of our state are one of the problems the nation must fix. Sixty percent of Nigeria’s population are the youth, how far would we go with no reasonable input from this bogus number? When a farmer continues to harvest forty percent of planted crops every now and then, with the remaining percent wasting away, where would the farmer stand? In comparison to others who get to smile at the turn-out of their laborious effort. Do we say the former doesn’t work hard? Not until he finds a lasting solution to how a good number of his crops waste away, he might still be in the same spot, if good luck doesn’t push him back.
Education is key for a nation that wants to stand tall, young minds should be given sound education, one that would help them with a sound mind, capable of thinking critically, then we can say we are heading somewhere. Higher institutions have a great role to play in ensuring students see themselves as instruments of development, rather than dictating functions that don’t bring about personal growth and development, which only helps them in becoming more irrelevant in a society that doesn’t place any value on them. Have you asked yourself why Nigerian youth leave this country and thrive in other countries or why young professionals have to leave our country for greener pastures? Don’t you think journeying the path of not looking into how the bulk of our population can be useful could spell greater doom? The line that we are not where we want to be, but not where we used to be is as old as the days of our founding fathers, where the development, growth, and opinion of the youth matters. Now, we are not where we used to be, and we are not where we want to be, we are lost, we don’t know where we are heading as a nation!
Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Oriental Times
Tijani Sheriffdeen is an undergraduate student of the University of Ilorin. Tweets at docshe_42.
Kingosita Onah
September 29, 2017 at 8:15 pm
Nigeria has come to an end
Mike Napo
September 29, 2017 at 8:12 pm
The zoo Nigeria kingdom have fail
Bennedict Benzou
September 29, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Sai biafra…
Ken Norman
September 29, 2017 at 2:48 pm
Abubakar D Nuhu you are very Stupid Idiot Animal aboki lazy northerner.
Ugwuanyi Mescana
September 29, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Biafra will no
Malachi Chibuzo Godfirst
September 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Nigeria is a lawless country
Emeke Afunezi
September 29, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Biafra we stand
Eden Iwuchukwu
September 29, 2017 at 2:09 pm
Big lost
Ozumba Charles Chidozie
September 29, 2017 at 1:33 pm
The very last independence, what a zoo. Biafra we know
Mack Chanchin'g
September 29, 2017 at 12:44 pm
big lost
Peterson Christopher
September 29, 2017 at 12:39 pm
D ZOO IS BURIED AM NOT WEEPING BECAUSE THEY KILLED MY PEOPLE
Chinedu Gloria
September 29, 2017 at 12:36 pm
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Uche Okwuoha
September 29, 2017 at 12:24 pm
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September 29, 2017 at 12:22 pm
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Clement-Paul Chibuike
September 29, 2017 at 11:57 am
Nigeria is a disgrace to black race
Tk Mohammed Hassan
September 29, 2017 at 11:43 am
Terrorist on the Run
Sunny Kprince
September 29, 2017 at 11:36 am
I hate Nigeria
Sengemenge Oluomo
September 29, 2017 at 11:21 am
Sengemenge Oluomo
September 29, 2017 at 11:21 am
Sengemenge Oluomo
September 29, 2017 at 11:20 am
Woliwo Emeka
September 29, 2017 at 11:05 am
Correct
Ogu Egege Samson E
September 29, 2017 at 11:00 am
A big time lost
Christian Abor
September 29, 2017 at 10:59 am
Biafra is the answers
Basi Alieke
September 29, 2017 at 10:59 am
God bless biafra
Basi Alieke
September 29, 2017 at 10:58 am
Nigeria has lose and it will continue to lose
Uchenna Ossai
September 29, 2017 at 10:55 am
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:52 am
One Nigerian or death
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:47 am
Biafra is a death or sickness
Ibrahim Nazari
September 29, 2017 at 10:47 am
Good blessing Nigeria.
Kelvin Ikiogha Ebidah
September 29, 2017 at 10:45 am
Nigeria is dead long ago
Nelson Okoro
September 29, 2017 at 10:44 am
Zoological republic of Nigeria….baboons and monkeys….zoo must fall
Chidiebere Azodeh
September 29, 2017 at 10:44 am
Zoo
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:49 am
Look at igbo fools
Daniel Nelson Dike
September 29, 2017 at 10:42 am
Dead and forgotten
Emeka Unity
September 29, 2017 at 10:41 am
Nigeria is like woman @57
Look at this picture here
James Ogbodu
September 29, 2017 at 11:33 am
Yes,we are still underdeveloped.
Steven Cathrine
September 29, 2017 at 10:40 am
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Geoffrey Udeagu
September 29, 2017 at 10:37 am
Yes they have been misled and lost direction
Okeson Onu
September 29, 2017 at 10:35 am
Donarad Donarad
September 29, 2017 at 10:35 am
I hate that name nigeria
Chukwuemeka Sunday Biafran
September 29, 2017 at 10:34 am
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:50 am
Ur death
Chukwuemeka Sunday Biafran
September 29, 2017 at 10:34 am
It dead already
Chukwunonso Ajiro Tex
September 29, 2017 at 10:33 am
Hahaha hahaha I am happy u understand
Okeson Onu
September 29, 2017 at 10:32 am
Okeson Onu
September 29, 2017 at 10:32 am
Iyk Don
September 29, 2017 at 10:30 am
Gbam
Kelechi Eze Ajah
September 29, 2017 at 10:30 am
Reality
Ikechukwu C E Emmanuel
September 29, 2017 at 10:30 am
That is capital TRUTH
Okino Edward
September 29, 2017 at 10:29 am
Ik Brown Brown
September 29, 2017 at 10:28 am
zoo to zoo
Yemi Pierce Lanny Lanny
September 29, 2017 at 10:27 am
Anyone wishing Nigeria dead,,will surely be put to shame!! We love Nigeria and Nigeria will never die.long live my country Nija
Chukwunonso Ajiro Tex
September 29, 2017 at 10:36 am
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:51 am
Igbo are fools
Obioma Samuel
September 29, 2017 at 10:57 am
Cow milk in progress
Princewel Jose
September 29, 2017 at 10:24 am
Nigerian is not a nation rather is a union of nations which is a country
Micheal Barthlo
September 29, 2017 at 10:23 am
Abubakar D Nuhu
September 29, 2017 at 10:51 am
RIP igbo
Samson Kanayo
September 29, 2017 at 10:22 am
Nigeria already expired
Nnaemeka Owoh
September 29, 2017 at 10:22 am
no two ways abt it.
John Lesley Williams
September 29, 2017 at 10:21 am
Lmao
John Lesley Williams
September 29, 2017 at 10:21 am
So true
Jennifer Okojie
September 29, 2017 at 10:20 am
Yes
Emmanuel Petera
September 29, 2017 at 10:19 am
DEAD ALREADY