NIGERIA AFTER 65 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE, STILL REGARDED AS TODDLERS

By Comrade Musa Mohammed Moonlight 

Today Wednesday 1st October 2025, Nigerians worldwide remembered as the 65 years of independence of their country from colonial. 

But, there's nothing to cheer as Nigeria has remained a toddler, unable to meet her basic needs at her age.

Nigeria has had the misfortune of being stuck in an unnaturally prolonged infancy. Our country is like a baby trapped in an adult’s body. It hasn’t even been able to change its colonially inherited national flag, much less its ill-fitting, colonially given name.

Within this period of self-rule, the country has gone through different stages, surviving a bloody civil war in which over one million Nigerians’ lives were lost and several decades of military rule.

Since independence 1960, Nigeria has also witnessed different types of leaders who have moved the country from one stage to the other- positively and negatively. Opinions are divided on their performance while in office.

There is the general assumption among observers that with so much promise and opportunity, leadership at state and local government levels has not delivered on its constitutional responsibilities.

This could be seen in the failure of basic service delivery on education, health, water and sanitation have not reached millions of Nigerians, especially women and girls.

The 2025 independence celebration came amidst the poor state of the economy, rising inflation, unemployment and rising spate of insecurity.

There's a general feeling among the majority of Nigerians that at 65, the country has failed to attain its potential.

A recent report has established that about 85 percent of Nigerians were unhappy and in a state of despondency due to poor living conditions and general state of affairs in the country.

With widespread insecurity top on the list of issues giving grave concern to citizens, inability to meet basic needs and unemployment completed the three biggest challenges unsettling Nigerians.

Meanwhile, as the nation gets drawn into the frenzy of politicking ahead of the 2027 general election, expectations are high among the citizenry that a new wave of leaders that would be elected may change the narrative and offer the much anticipated good governance.

Thus, there is the feeling among the citizenry that it is extremely important for the nation’s tiers of government to work in the direction of infrastructure and economic development to stimulate growth and quality of life.

The country needs to work on basic amenities and services such as water, roads, electricity, housing, health facilities, drains, street lights, playgrounds, and transport among others are still insufficient.

In a country of over 200 million people, the federal government, states and local government area's face the herculean task of ensuring that citizens enjoy democracy.

Experts believe that with the change in Nigeria’s population age structure, the authorities must pay more attention to the dividends of democracy.

It’s believed that no country can progress if it fails to adequately cater for the youths. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), unemployment in the last quarter has risen astronomically.

Although the country is trying to consolidate and deepen democracy since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999 when the military handed over power back to civilians after 26 years, the general feeling among Nigerians is that there is little to cheer.

Several experts have pointed out ways and what the country can do to overcome its woes, but despite efforts little progress has been achieved by successive administrations in recent decades.

The only hope is that the people get it right this time around in the coming elections. Since 1999 to date we have been experiencing democracy and still waiting for the dividends of democracy to be shown in our lives and nation.

At the height of the global clampdown on colonialism in the 40s, 50s and 60s, Nigeria was among the many countries across the world that gained independence from the European colonial masters.

Then, the country was anticipated by Great Britain, its former colonial ruler, to be among the leading lights of Commonwealth countries, especially in Africa.

Of course, the great expectations were based on Nigeria’s vast natural resources, intellectual capacity of the pioneer fathers and regional economic potential.

At a point, Nigeria was rated among India and Brazil, as countries that will lead post colonial economies.

Today, at 65 years, the reality stares on everyone’s face as almost every country that was in the class of Nigeria post-colonial has overtaken her in almost all developmental indices.

However, the country had huge developmental feats it achieved while running regional governments, which it used in developing the region’s then.

I think the only feat Nigeria has achieved since independence is the huge population and giving priority to the welfare of other African countries, while neglecting us. That is why it claims to be the giant of Africa, but we know we are not.

Unfortunately, the governance system has deteriorated as a result of corruption. If you speak to any five Nigerians, I am sure four will tell you corruption is our major problem. If corruption is not properly handled, it will destroy the country and undermine the whole purpose of our independent.

 Nigeria as the Africa’s most populous country, it's ci have given up and no longer interested in the nation’s activities because of the numerous challenges facing the masses.

At 65, we are at a crossroad; corruption is at its highest level and our economy is in total mess and completely collapsed. At 65, we cannot generate electricity for the needs of the people, the nation seems to be in war as disunity has risen to the highest heights. Tribalism and nepotism is now the new normal. At 65, insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, extortion, robbery and all manner of vices have risen beyond proportion.

At 65, our educational system has completely collapsed to the extent that our universities are closed for the past eight months and the government does not bother. At 65, we cannot boast of any meaningful infrastructural development. Our roads are a complete write off. In fact, they are now death traps. Our airports are being deserted because of the astronomical hike in air fares.

At 65, Nigerians don’t know when their next meal will come, and our waterways are even more dangerous than the roads as they have been completely taken over by sea pirates, illegal oil bunkerers and local militia groups agitating for better life for their people.

We hope that the 2027 general election will birth a new Nigeria, if eligible voters do not elect leaders that are selfish, wicked and irresponsible.

The Almighty God is giving us a second chance to get it right. The 2027 general elections should be seen as a vote to restructure Nigeria. There is room for improvement in Nigeria. Let’s return to the foundation our forefathers and that is regional government. Nigeria cannot grow in the present structure. We need restructuring for us to attain our goal.