Nigeria’s 63rd Anniversary: All about unmet expectations

Ahead of the upcoming 63rd Independence Day celebration, the mood across Nigeria is one of melancholy after an acrimonious election process, which triggered petitions against the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

The eerie feeling is not unconnected with dimming hope and near hopelessness nationwide. The Federal Government must have gauged the mood of most Nigerians, when it declared that the independence celebration on Sunday would be low-key, as foreigners will not be invited to commemorate the day with Nigeria.

The theme of the anniversary is: ‘Nigeria @ 63: Renewed Hope for Unity & Prosperity;” however, there is an enveloping feeling of hopelessness amongst the citizenry, with the country currently battling challenges on almost all fronts.

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Most countries that got their independence at almost the same year as Nigeria have passed the teething economic stages and are ranked among the developed countries in the world, while Nigeria is still crawling at 63.

For instance, Nigeria and Singapore were newly independent countries in the early 60s and shared several homogeneous economic statistics as of then. However, Singapore has outperformed Nigeria in economic development, and has earned a first world status. Singapore has a GDP per capita of $93,400 as of 2020, while Nigeria’s GDP per capita is $4,900 at the same period.

Besides the appalling state of the Nigerian economy, the recent removal of fuek subsidies has further increased inflation and hardship in Nigeria without corresponding palliatives from both the federal and state governments.

Apart from parlous state of the economy that will prevent most Nigerians from celebrating Independence Day on Sunday, the outcome of the 2023 general election has further polarised Nigerians along ethnic lines, causing serious setbacks in efforts to build a nation-state.

In the case of Nigeria, just like every other African state, independence presented both the cross and the crown. Success in the ensuing eras lies solely on the ability of the beneficiaries and progenies of such bequest of power to carry the cross as graciously as they adorn the crown.

It is needless to say that Nigerian leaders chose to adorn the crown while avoiding the agonies of the cross. I must admit that wearing the crown while bearing the cross is only the stuff of messiahs, not politicians.