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In a cab yesterday, the driver made a joke about how Nigeria is already red “e remain one bar this country go soon off” I laughed hard but he didn’t lie. The truth is while most of us hang on to our somewhat temporary middle-class status we forget that we are slowly slipping into the decline. 

The 1st of October 2018 marked the 58th anniversary of Nigeria's Independence. One of the greatest countries in African without a doubt, in 2017 alone Nigeria had a GDP of $566.284bn being the highest in Africa, single-handedly capable of being the powerhouse of Africa and with the right direction the world. Nigeria has more than just the right amount of natural resources, agricultural advantage, Nigeria has resilient and intelligent citizens, Nigerians are blessed with beautiful landscapes and terrains, our culture is our pride, the brilliant weather, lack of natural disasters, generous and accommodating citizens, Nigerians are trendsetters…...this list could go on about the beautiful things Nigeria has, our accomplishments as individuals and as a country.

I won’t even lie to you Nigerians are some of the most hardworking, industrious and entertaining people in the world, the happiness and humor within us even in tough times is always a sight to behold. Unfortunately, we cannot survive on happiness and humor. Nigeria is currently in the “survival of the fittest” mode, if you can survive in Nigeria the reality is that you can thrive anywhere.

The few who are privileged in this country seem ignorant to the fact that millions of Nigerians are indeed suffering. Like I said they are comfortable but for how long? Go into the streets of Nigeria, ask the woman selling akara how she feeds,  ask the man fixing your generators how he sends his child to school? You will indeed see what makes Nigeria the poverty capital.

The struggles that Nigeria currently faces cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of the government. I will also not put the blame on any single governments regime. We as citizens are also to be held accountable for our place in the slow and ungraceful decline of our beloved country.
The sad truth is that most people do not respect this country, many people tolerate it, the rest are trying to find ways out of this place. Where two or three Nigerians are gathered believe when I say the chances are very high that we may be degrading our country (sadly I am also guilty of this), complaining about the government, the lack of electricity, lack of basic infrastructure, etc. In reality, we speak nothing short of the truth but, if we only talk then we will continue to be what is wrong with the country.

Recently, I saw a post on twitter attached was a picture, to be honest, the picture was what caught my attention, not the message. The tweet was calling upon the attention of the Lagos state government to clear the drainage in the community to avoid the floods that were threatening to submerge the community. Fam! the picture had almost a thousand take-away packs on the streets, in the drainage -everywhere, it made me wonder did the Lagos government eat from these packs? What is so difficult in properly packing and disposing of waste? When will we hold ourselves responsible for the things we need to do? Even to properly package YOUR waste is the job of the government? Haba!

We seek employment, not in order to do anything meaningful, but just in order to get paid. In short, we don’t want to be educated: we just want to make some money. No surprise the number of people involved in Yahoo Yahoo (fraud) has increased within and outside the country. Leaving bad stereotypes about Nigeria and its citizens everywhere they lay their nests. I can’t even deal. We are so comfortable with the mediocrity, with this faux idea of success simply because we produce oil but our internal development is nothing. Let me not even get started on how the laws of this country are written only on paper but almost never practical. Security in all regions in almost nonexistent, healthcare in Nigeria is laughable.

Of course, the politicians are not excluded from this, they as well as you and I are NIGERIANS, Nigerians that simply cannot do the jobs they have been voted to do, to carry the mandate of the people, make our lives better and restore what has been lost over the years. The minimum wage in Nigeria is below $60, yet the country cannot pay her citizens their salaries. Owe people salaries for months and you expect them to work or be effective? While, Nigeria has the highest paying lawmakers in the world, people that go to “work” twice/three times a week (could even be less) and do nothing substantial. But you and I who sit complaining may not even have our PVC or even want to vote in 2019 or feel “Wetin consign me?”

As the 2019 elections draw near the whole lot of politicians have now emerged from their holes to promise bread crumbs to the owners of the bread factory. The issue for me is who is going to be strong enough to take this country out of the mud? If we do have fresh candidates that genuinely seek to rescue this country, will we the citizens finally wake up from this sleep? Or will we sell our rights for N10,000 or puff puff?

Will the youths support better candidates or will we allow our grandfathers sell us the same old lies and then we steal ballot boxes, terrorize people and Heaven forbid in the process kill ourselves for peanuts, while their children attend schools in developed countries and they watch from a safe distance?

Do you see the dysfunction?

Our development goes beyond religion, ethnicity or money. Beneath the struggles and seeming, hopelessness and poverty is an unbelievable array of opportunities and potential. We just need to take all of this nonsense happening in the country as a wake-up call, prayers are not enough, an action is what we need, protest, use social media, educate the masses. Then perhaps 2019 will bring forth the desired results.

UPDATE- Cause this songs is an anthem on its own.........