Nigeria we hail thee!! This pre-colonial slogan from our old imperialist national anthem keeps coming to mind anytime I think of the situation our beloved country is in. Every situation in this world goes through a cyclical effect which was one of the main components that changed the minds of arcane scientists from the notion that the world was flat to the spherical nature of the planet. It is amazing to find that this situation still prevails in economics, geography and geological nature of the world. Nigeria is definitely a major player in the globalized world however it appears to have been sleeping for the past 4 decades. “The giant stirs” is my allegorical way of highlighting the changing fortunes that the federal republic of Nigeria must endure to get to the promised. I have always and will always state that Nigeria will attain its idealistic potential. The slogan “Nigeria go better” is a reality in the making. It is however amazing that this sleeping giant is starting to stir. Nigeria is about to arise and I will endeavour to expatiate on this notion that our generation will see the upheaval of cyclical change that must precede the emergence of Nigeria as a true global giant of reckoning. This article will endeavour to highlight the current and impending upheavals that will engulf our motherland with a sporadic spasm that will ultimately act as a precursor to the rebirth of this great nation.

It has always been said that pre-colonial Nigeria was a haven in Africa for growth and development. Lest we forget; the country called Nigeria was a product of British imperialistic ideals during the scramble for Africa. This scramble for the continent by the European imperialists was the birth of a great nation. This was in the days when the British Empire was heading towards a certain fragmentation and the least that the other colonial powers could cede to the British domination of the African sub-continent was a large expanse of land as well as a country rich in culture and diversity called Mother Nigeria. This pivotal event is what we are today, will be tomorrow and forever. This state of affairs that brought us to the fore has also been our main issue. As stated by a great philosopher whom I will not mention here “the best quality of an entity is that same quality that has the potential to destroy it”. Without delving into much rhetoric here the Nigerian scenario is obvious to anyone that has taken pleasure in studying our gradual regression into the state we are in today.

The Nigeria of our dreams is what I want to delve into. I have always predicted that Nigeria will be great in our generation. That Nigeria will overcome all its travails and become that great country that we all dream of and are proud of. It did not come as a surprise that I now see that dream becoming reality. The dream of one Nigeria was fought for during the civil war and now we are in the throes of rebirth. The new war is one for a great Nigeria. The recent events in the past decade of the motherland have proven to me that we are finally on the path to growth and re-development. The  Nigerian ideal is one that states categorically that Nigeria remains one entity and that poverty is eradicated in the motherland.  The collective vision of every Nigerian is one of prosperity and welfare. I say this with alacrity because an average Nigerian has inherited an ideal of prosperity which is not beyond our reach in this generation.

What is the main driver of this ideology? The main driver of this ideology is based on a dialectical notion of ambivalent questions and answers. By virtue of the cyclical nature of the world Nigeria is bound by natural laws to get back up on its feet. The giant has been asleep for decades and now its stirs in its slumber. We have recorded a lot of firsts in the country. These moves by the concerted efforts of some great Nigerians of high intellectual ability have set us back on the path for re-development. Have you observed the ongoing fiscal and political reforms that we are currently facing? In this same generation we have endured the scourge of the Structural adjustment programme and now the proposed re-denomination of the Naira. Basically this means that we have seen both sides of the coin. Austerity was a fiscal measure and now we are aiming for prosperity. The globalisation movement has given us an imperative to redefine ourselves in the face of global cynicisms. This imperative has set about a zeal for a nationalistic ideal and vision that if sustained will surely take us to the promise land. To further augment this notion of cyclical re-development, I Implore you readers to look at the seed of a growing plant. For this seed to grow it must first be primed, planted, decay in the soil and finally burst its roots towards the sky. Nigeria has been primed by the colonial masters, planted by the founding fathers, decayed by the decadence of military rule and finally has burst its roots by the virtue of the enhancing nature of democracy, capitalism and globalisation. In all these; every Nigerian has a responsibility to assist in the nurturing process of the building of this great nation. Think of this as the nurturing effect that every farmer must give to its seed during growth. We owe this to our children unborn as well as forbearers so that the seeds of a true Nigerian ideal can be properly brought to life.

“The giant of Africa” is asleep. Or is it? This is a very interesting notion as I wondered where this euphemism came from. Initially I was under the impression that Nigeria was called the giant of Africa because of its sheer size. This I have since found to be untrue. There are quite a few countries in Africa that are larger than Nigeria in their geographical expanse. I also thought that maybe Nigeria had a reserve of natural resources that gave rise to this impetus. However once again I was disappointed in the case scenario as it emerged that the Democratic republic of Congo is blessed with natural mineral reserves that supersedes that of Nigeria. I also wondered that maybe it was because of the oil reserves that we had but this thought was quickly dispelled as soon as I realised that Nigeria was considered the giant of Africa even before the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta. I pondered so much that it gave me a headache and it finally hit me out of the blue. Nigeria’s greatest export is not the land or its crude oil but its peoples. The diversity of the federation is so immense that we constitute the largest population of Black African descent on the planet. This was the rise of the so called “Nigger Area” that is considered by some as the root of all Africans/Humanity according to the author of “Black World” Mr Justice Faloye. It is no mere coincidence that this country must excel. The Africans must take their place in the emerging new world order and who better to chair these events but the greatest African nation of all; Nigeria. Once again we see that pure logic supports the notion that Nigeria must and will be great. We have a responsibility not to our populace alone but to the entire African race. Destiny has definitely put us on the map for a reason which we must dare to attain.

For these predictions to take place Nigeria must take a stance against its natural ills. These are borne out of the inherent nature of the country and its constitution. I quote Chief Obafemi Awolowo when he states that “there is no country called Nigeria but a collection of people in a geographical location called Nigeria”; this may have been true during the tribalistic politics of the early 60’s and 80’s however the nature of tribalism now has a different approach today. This “ill of society” in political circles is referred to as the national character. I know this may sound like another divisive ideal however it answers a question. How do you include every part of a country of over 300 ethnic groups in the process of governance? The former Senate President Ken Nnamani answered this national question when I posed it to him on his visit to the UK. “It is a necessity” he said. I will like to say as a matter of fact that there is an entity called Nigeria. We all share the same capitalist ideal. We all want to live well and even better. We roam around the globe with a chip on our shoulder. This defines us at this moment in history. This is the current Nigerian answer to tribalism.

Another natural ailment is corruption. This was borne out of the decadent nature of the oil boom in the seventies where Nigerians became used to an extravagant lifestyle. This was also borne out of the pecuniary nature of state control as inherited by the British colonials where a British civil servant was sent to Nigeria by the Queen with pittance for a salary. It was accepted that the civil servant would not only depend on his wages but also exploit his position for personal gain. The Nigerians of that era learnt well from their colonial masters and this is where the seed of corruption was sown. To understand this logic one must ask that how much was the then Governor General Lord Lugard paid to govern the country called Nigeria?  The Nigerian answer to this in this new era is the all encompassing power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC}. I implore all those Nigerians that think that corruption will go unpunished not to try the whims of Nuhu Ribadu the Czar of the EFCC.

The one big spasm that we will all have to tackle is that of religious intolerance. I will not delve into this as I will leave this to the various ecclesiastical authorities to solve amongst themselves. My only advice to them is that religion is the biggest killer of man since the inception of the world {bigger than natural disasters} and it is advised that all faiths respect each other and their religious creeds so that peaceful co-existence can prevail.

The one divisive ideology which threatens the co-existence of the federation at the moment is the case of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta. This argument has been existence since pre-colonial days and has now become an issue. This issue transcends the region as this is the prevalent emotion amongst majority of the youth in the country. Youth negligence by the Federal government, has led to Youth restiveness which ultimately has now led to Youth militancy in this region. This is one of the reasons that the Nigerian Youth League was born we hope we will be part of this necessary solution. The matter of youth pacification is one that must be discussed on a national level and until this discussion takes place and poverty is eradicated amongst the idle, jobless and mobile youthful population Nigeria’s coherence as a Federation will remain threatened. I will use this opportunity to implore any young Nigerian of any intellectual clout to raise their voice and endeavour to intellectualise the struggle of the average Nigerian youth before it becomes a malignant tumour with viral tendencies. Violence only breeds violence and the hard fisted approach being used by the Federal government and the warring militias will only serve to exacerbate the situation. If only the approach of the Nigerian Youth league is used to cause a decisive dialogue which will empower the intellectual youth of the region and hence breed progress for the region and its peoples else we remain at a limbo. The motto of the Nigerian Youth League is Dialogue, Power, Progress and our website is www.nigerianyouthleague.org

You will have observed that this dialectic dialogue is one that tries to answer a great question of a great Nigerian giant that stirs in its sleep. As Nigeria stirs it begs the question what part will you play in awakening this sleeping giant? There are various ways one could participate in this ideal. Christopher Kolade the Ambassador of Nigeria to St James court “High Commissioner of Nigeria” has advised that we all try to excel in our chosen fields of endeavour and use this to enhance the Nigerian brand. Frank Nweke Jnr the former Minister of Information has endeavoured to white wash our image however Nigeria doesn’t require a white wash but a re-engineering. White washing the polity is akin to taking the ostrich approach to the issues at hand and burying ones head in a heap of sand. Let’s take a pro-active part either politically, economically, socially or technologically towards achieving the potential of a great Nigeria. This vision is one that must be attained if we are to enjoy our tenure as the salt of the African earth. My example for this will be taken from the Indian example. India has managed to use its human resources to attain a global significance that competes with the giants of globalisation like the USA and the UK. It has also used innovative micro-finance strategies to tackle its prevailing problems of poverty. Nigeria is on the right path however we are still a long way to go before we get to the Promised Land. We all need to watch out for any school of thought that supports the regressive tendency of the federation and kick against it. We need to join hands in highlighting issues and use our god given gifts to move the motherland to new levels of recognition and reckoning. As India hits 60 years since independence, Nigeria is about to be 47 years old on the 1^st of October. Have we moved any step closer to that vision? Have we taken up the challenges that face us for their intricate value and tackled it with corrective measures? Have we created a vision for the motherland that can be pursued by successive governments? Have we looked at the true Nigerian ideal to see how we as individuals fit into this vision? The moment that all Nigerians can answer these questions within themselves then and only then will we be closer to awakening this sleeping giant called Nigeria as it currently stirs from decades of slumber!!

Daniel Afilaka - President, Nigerian Youth League

Robot  # 1 | 23.03.2008 15:47

Nigeria we hail thee!! This pre-colonial slogan from our old imperialist national anthem keeps...Read the full article.

Jucihart  # 2 | 24.03.2008 06:48

Thanks for this piece. I know there is a big difference between dreams and reality. From the little i know of Nigeria, both are quite different. we all have beautiful dreams about the great Giants of Africa, but how real can they be? Yes there are lots of reforms going on but by the end of the day THE NIGERIAN FACTOR takes an upper hand. thats sad anyway. You know the saying that a fool at 40 is a fool forever. Nigeria will be 48 yrs old by Oct, and what do we have to show for it. I think things were much better when i was younger. we need divine intervention for things to work out. i am not saying it cant but .... I long for it to happen Jucihart

Johntina  # 3 | 24.03.2008 16:55

Nigerian Youth League based in the UK! I wish you the best, but I must remind you that youths in the UK and other civilised world are basically children in Nigeria. Hence you will look stupid to be using Nigerian or Black African interpretation of Youth hood in the UK. Both the World bank and the Unite nations general Assembly define Youth age limit as between 15 and 24 while in Nigeria and other Black African countries people in their late 40s label themselves youths. I will be glad to know that this Nigerian Youth league is not like other Nigerian youth organisations!!

Son of the Delta  # 4 | 24.03.2008 18:13

A fool at 40 is a fool for life. A giant that have been sleeping for over 40years is a giant in coma waiting to breathe his last breath.

apanajare  # 5 | 24.03.2008 20:12

=Son of the Delta;4294998758>A fool at 40 is a fool for life. A giant that have been sleeping for over 40years is a giant in coma waiting to breathe his last breath. This is very apt. That last breath will be any moment from now. I used to dream too. But when you are still dreaming at almost 50 years old, when are you going to actualize the dream.....heh? In this day and age, 50 years is like 500 years in the life of a Nation or a country. Nigeria can never make it. I am tired of platitudes coated in the garb of hope that will never come. "THE MAN DIED IN HIM WHO KEEPS SILENT IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY." Wole Soyinka

DanielBAfilaka  # 6 | 25.03.2008 04:55

=Jucihart;4294998632>Thanks for this piece. "I know there is a big difference between dreams and reality". "THE NIGERIAN FACTOR takes an upper hand. thats sad anyway." "Nigeria will be 48 yrs old by Oct, and what do we have to show for it. I think things were much better when i was younger. we need divine intervention for things to work out. i am not saying it cant but ...." I long for it to happen Jucihart Hi Jucihart, Thanks for your reply. T wo things are of note here 1. The Nigerian Yoth League doesnt dream but has a vision for the country as we have shown in our persistent/self funded activities over 3 years. 2. We are consciously developing younger generation of Nigerians in ensuring that the real leaders of this new generation are not swept off theri feet by the Nigerian factor. 3. I really appreciate your optism in the hope that Nigeria willmake it in our time. Regards DBA

DanielBAfilaka  # 7 | 25.03.2008 05:03

=Johntina;4294998734>Nigerian Youth League based in the UK! I wish you the best, but I must remind you that youths in the UK and other civilised world are basically children in Nigeria. Hence you will look stupid to be using Nigerian or Black African interpretation of Youth hood in the UK. Both the World bank and the Unite nations general Assembly define Youth age limit as between 15 and 24 while in Nigeria and other Black African countries people in their late 40s label themselves youths. I will be glad to know that this Nigerian Youth league is not like other Nigerian youth organisations!! Hi John Tina, Thanks for the reply. Some point of note. 1. The United nations charter defines youth as between the ages of 15 and 35, which co-incidentally aligns with our declaration as stated in the NYL Manifesto see our website for more info. 2. The NYL has a secretariat which is currently based in the UK with membership that spans across 9 states in Nigeria and fast growing. We are a visionary organisation and we implore you to request a copy of pour manifesto to understand our ideology. 3.You are very right in your assertion that NYL is not like other youth organisation as we work to bring out the leaders of a new generation and give them a forium to air their views and ideology. The younger generation of Nigerians are no longer alone in their quest for recognition and relevance in the polity. 4. The young at heart mentality is an attempt at diffucing the message of this illustrious generation by the powers that be. Hope this clarifies the issues. We are here and we wont stop in our ideals for a greater Nigeria!! Regards DBA

DanielBAfilaka  # 8 | 25.03.2008 05:07

=Son of the Delta;4294998758>A fool at 40 is a fool for life. A giant that have been sleeping for over 40years is a giant in coma waiting to breathe his last breath. Should we now remain in coma forever.. My brother Son of the Delta, you of all ppl will appreciate that a patient in coma is work in progress for the doctors. Consider Nigerian Youth League as the doctor or even the "witch doctor" that when all else fails even the orthodox doctors will refer you to them. We are working and gradually bolstering our ideological resolve with young men/women of clout and intellect for the nation building process that lies ahead. Thanks for the reply Regards DBA

DanielBAfilaka  # 9 | 25.03.2008 05:11

=apanajare;4294998773>This is very apt. That last breath will be any moment from now. I used to dream too. But when you are still dreaming at almost 50 years old, when are you going to actualize the dream.....heh? In this day and age, 50 years is like 500 years in the life of a Nation or a country. Nigeria can never make it. I am tired of platitudes coated in the garb of hope that will never come. "THE MAN DIED IN HIM WHO KEEPS SILENT IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY." Wole Soyinka Hi Apanajare, It is this ideology of lost hope in our generation that spurned us into action. You can not deny and run away from the fact that you are responsible for the nation building process of your own country. We are true Nigerian patriots and strongly believe that the younger generation of Nigerians if properly inducted have the potential to move the country forward. We will not stop working as we carry the torch of hope for Nigeria in our generation. Time will prove us right and providence will prove us worthy of tackling this great challenge to our generation. The older generation have destroyed the hope, we are here to restore it to you and yours. Regards DBA

Bode_Boluz  # 10 | 25.03.2008 06:11

Daniel Afilaka, A nicely written piece... Please post your manifesto here. We would love to see it. Do you have a web site?? Post the address here. or better still set up a little corner/thread here. I am sure the NVSq powers that be would not mind. If you have a planning committee or think tank, please start posting your ideas for improving the future of Nigeria, HERE... There are a lot of positive, well intentioned and knowledgeable Elders here who can guide your groups' efforts and see they lead to success. Please make a conscious effort to show action. Too many of my generation, I am sorry to say, talk too much. You need to engage folks to act civilly on the ground by documenting where they live, the evils and ills, that plague them in pictures and sound. Giving a face and a voice to the circumstances, especially when it is a young one, makes people sit up and take note, whereever they are in the world. Why not be proactive and set up resources like the BBC's Newsround. It is all about empowering those young people with active imaginations, enthusiasm, sense of adventure and keen innovative insight before they get beaten down and disillusioned. Need help and advise doing any of these things? Just post them here. I am sure many will chime in to help. Hope to hear from you soon...

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---