On the Ist of October 1960, Nigeria gained her long sought independence from her British colonial masters, amidst the heightening of hope, with the dreams and aspirations of a people blessed with talents rarely seen, placed in the hands of the political class and those at the helm of affairs. Decades have passed by, and the sweat of our leaders--some of them heroes, readily come to mind as we as a people contemplate a way forward to re-position Nigeria on the right part to development.
However the euphoria arising from the early promise and prospects shown, have largely died down, as Nigeria is at a crossroads over its continued peace, stability and progress. Back in the 60's, with a rapidly evolving agricultural sector, and the then discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities, indeed the nation was on the pathway to growth and sustainable progress. Fast forward to the present day, and the early signs and promise shown have dissipated with the Nigerian economy clearly lying in the doldrums, and in need of much needed resuscitation. The problems however run deep in the economy at large.
Bad leadership, ever increasing apathy of the people to their government, a need for reorientation of our mindset, the hyper-inflationary trend, huge public debt, a chronic lack of diversification of productive base, have all put paid to the quagmire in which the nation finds itself. However despite all these, the solution lies within.
To begin with, the over dependence on the crude oil sector should be addressed. Nigeria indeed is blessed with natural resources , which is the envy of many. With vast amount of fertile lands and a favourable climate, the agricultural sector provides a ready alternative for the generation of employment opportunities and exportation of produce. Increased exportation of primary agricultural products will go a long way to generate much needed foreign exchange and lower the domestic prices of essential commodities. Despite the lower prices commanded in the international market by such agricultural products, they however reduce the need to spend massive sums on importation of such produce. Increased importance placed on agriculture will lead to raw materials becoming available for industries. With dwindling and unstable crude oil prices, an alternative source of productive effort is sorely needed. That's a good start-up point at the very least.
Crucially important however, is the sine qua non role played by good and transparent leadership, without which developmental strides become a waste of precious time and resources. Is the Nigerian government and indeed we as a people ready to eschew redundant ways and seek an overall change in perspective? The good news however is that the answer lies inwards.
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