Every Nigerian's dream of Nigeria.

"Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together - Eugene Ionesco

    Nigerians today are people characterized by high level of worries, fears, concerns and anxieties, for the future and yet full of hope for a new and better Nigeria. Nigeria nowadays is known for its everyday tension, social division, religious and ethnicity crisis, terrorism and assassination, corruption and mismanagement, immoral behaviours and quite a lot of social vices. Despite all these concerns, Nigerians still have assurance and possibilities of a new Nigeria, the one they all dreamt of, the one flowing with the proverbial "Milk and Honey".

   When the notion for independence was moved by Chief Anothony Enahoro on April 1st 1953, every patriotic citizen was delighted that a new Nigeria would soon emerge. A Nigeria that would be ruled by a Nigerian without any external control. My Dad told me how October 1st 1960 was all gay and full of merry. He told me that the celebration of an Independent Nigeria lasted for a week, with Nigerians talking about how their dreams of a new Nigeria have finally become a reality.

   But they became surprised when the new Nigeria they began to experience was in no way similar to the one they saw in their dreams. The new independent Nigeria experienced its first wave of National division during the first general election of 1959, the same election which brought in Sir Ahmadu Bello as Prime Minister and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as Governor-General.

   While Nigerians were still trying to adapt to the new Nigeria and get over the General Election crisis, another wave of social uproars came that finally shattered the hope of the new Nigeria everyone of them had dreamt of. Kano riot of 1953, the population census crisis of 1962/63, gross misappropriation and mismanagement, religious and ethnicity riot in the Northern region, Action Group (AG) crisis of 1962, Second Federal Election of 1964 all came like the thief that wasn't welcomed and stolen away their hope.

   The first military coup of January 15th 1966, led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu which brought in General J.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi was the last straw that broke the camel's back. The coup came as a surprise to all Nigerians who thought they were already close to their dreams of a new Nigeria. All dreams were shattered, leaving all Nigerians hopeless and scared of what the future holds for their dear country.

    The civil war that lasted for three years(1967-1970) wasn't an exception. A war that divided Nigeria and led to the death of able youth and destruction of millions of naira worth of properties. This war did not only affect the dreams people had for Nigeria but also the dreams they had for themselves. As the war started, all activities; schools and businesses were halted.

      When the Murtala-Obasanjo administration promised Nigerians handling over of power to the civilians after 13 years of military inventions in October 1979, Nigerians began to nurture another dream, they began to anticipate another new Nigeria, the one that will be free from military dictatorial mode of leadership, that suppressed every human right and political activities. Light of hope began to ignite in their dark tunnels. A new Nigeria was about to be birthed and they anticipated it.

When the rule was finally handed to the civilians on 21st September 1979 by General Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerians couldn't wait to start enjoying the goodness that come with the new Nigeria they had anticipated, but they were utterly disappointed few years into the rule, as what they saw was the one full of misappropriation and mismanagement, embezzlement and corruption, high level of employments and insecurities, even the health and educational sectors were in shambles that General Muhammad Buhari who later led a coup to take over power from the Alhaji Shehu Shagari regime announced while notifying Nigerians of the change in government that "Our hospital have been turned into mere consulting clinics".

With General Muhammad Buhari coming to power, Nigerians experienced another nine years under military dictatorial mode of leadership before the light of new Nigeria appeared again when General Ibrahim Babangida promised to return the leadership to civilians but the hope was cut short when the election results were nullified and Chief Ernest Shonekan was appointed as the Head of interim government, an appointment which only lasted for three month as General Sanni Abacha overthrown the government in early morning of November 17th 1993.

The military rule of General Sanni Abacha, just as all military rules, shattered all the dreams of a new Nigeria. Although, the military rulers, or should I say dictators, actually brought a lot of changes and developments to Nigeria, which should always be appreciated but the willpower to dream of a new and better one was not granted to Nigerians. That is why when General Abdulsalam Abubakar announced yet another transition of power in 1998, Nigerians began to dream again. Nigerians were never tired of dreaming. Every generation came with their own dreamers, dreamers who believe that there is still hope for a new and better Nigeria, the ones our founding Leaders saw and tried to build but failed.

When the power was finally handed to civilians on May 29 1999, it became a dawn of new water. General Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military dictator became President of the federal republic of Nigeria and that day lot of dreams came alive. Nigerians anticipated yet another new Nigeria era, just as they always anticipate with getting to see it.

Since 1999, we have been under the leadership of civilians and we have been dreaming even when our former dreams have not become a reality. We have been dreaming of that new Nigeria we always admired in our dreams but they just stay there, in our dreams, as they never come to past. We have been dreaming it but we have not been seeing it. Nigeria, even though it has been over five decades of its Independence, is still stuck in its shell. 

Nigeria is still characterized by high level misappropriation and mismanagement, embezzlement and corruption, high level of employments and insecurities, religious and ethnicity crisis here and there just like it was in the beginning. The new Nigeria is still what we hope for even when we know we might not live to see it, but our children or probably our children's children will see it, just maybe.

A new Nigeria, where the government and the governed will be in good terms and accountable to each other, a new Nigeria were educational and health sector is affordable and easily accessible for all, a new Nigeria where government will rule with their pure conscience and sense of integrity, a new Nigeria where the gap between the rich and the poor is short, a new Nigeria where handwork, commitment and dedication is rewarded and honoured is all we longed for. A new Nigeria, in the words of Aisha Yusuf, "where the child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody" is what we want to see, is what we long for and is what we dream of.

Penned by Adekunle S. Adewale.

Author short bio:

ADEKUNLE S. ADEWALE aka Light is a versatile creative storywriter, copywriter and content creator and around him revolves the truism, "Writers are lightbearers." 

His always captiving stories and well-researched articles just not entertain his readers but also motivate and inspiring them into taking action for the betterment of not themselves but also their families and countries and he also successfully touched and impacted people via his writing and speaking refined-talent.

If you don't see him writing you'd probably find him engrossed in music, watching bollywood movies or cartoons or probably admiring nature and making new friends.

Facebook: Adewale S. Adekunle

Twitter: @adewale_light1