For youths in Nigeria and other developing nations of the world

Abstract

The Nigeria of today is miles apart from the grace and reference that accompanied her at independence. The progresses hardly compensate for the problems and the present national crossroad demands mint ideation for Nigeria. In this regard and with the hope of expounding the contemporary realities, this essay employs secondary sources of data from journals and local publications in highlighting the current state of Nigeria. In a bid to detail the desirable features of the most populous black nation on earth, this essay goes further by dreaming of and re-imagining Nigeria. Finally, this paper proffers sustainable recommendations on how to achieve the Nigeria of our ideation. These recommendations include empowering law enforcement agencies in stemming insecurity, revitalizing education in Nigeria, improving the Nigerian FDI appeal, bettering leadership, reinforcing transparency and accountability, transmogrifying the Nigerian socio-cultural psychology, reviewing the constitution and amending, economic crises alleviation, and maximizing Nigerian youths.

Keywords: Nigeria, dreams

ABBREVIATIONS

ASUU - Academic Staff Union of Universities

CBN - Central Bank of Nigeria

CIT - Company Income Tax

EI - Emotional Intelligence

FAAC - Federation Account Allocation Committee

FCT - Federal Capital Territory

FIRS - Federal Inland Revenue Service

FDI - Foreign Direct Investment

ISWAP - Islamic State West Africa Province

NNPC - Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

UI/UX - User Interface/User Experience

UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

SBIRs - State Boards of Internal Revenue

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Asides a population that surpasses that of every other nation in Africa, Nigeria is one of the most resource rich countries of the world. Nigeria has the splendor of magnificent culture, alluring ethnicity and festivals, biodiversity, cuisines and a landscape without the common natural calamities, say earthquakes and hurricanes found elsewhere in the world. Nigeria homes brilliant and innovative minds with a track record of excellence in sports, music, art, and an unprecedented black Nobel laureate in literature. Sadly, Nigeria has since independence regressed slowly and slowly. Numerous frameworks and efforts have been put in place to turn the gradual retrogressive tide of Nigeria, yet the ‘nation’s head remains in the same position’.

This brings the need for rethinking our beloved nation and materializing the Nigeria of our dreams through novel and highly workable avenues. Meanwhile, an understanding of how Nigeria stands today is quintessential to the Nigerian of our dreams.

2.0 AN OVERVIEW OF NIGERIA TODAY: THE STATUS QUO OF THE NATION

Nigeria is currently befuddled by the following crises;

National-Cake Inclination

Corruption is the abysmal cankerworm eating into the wool of the Nigerian state. It pervades every sector as ‘everyone’ seeks to eat their portion of the national cake. The prominent Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International in 2021 reports that Nigeria ranks 154 of 180 countries. (1) Corruption is complex and interconnected across sectors. Its systemic form in Nigeria encompasses lack of investigation for high profile corruption cases with greater focus on cybercriminals and the lack of a crime proceeds recovery database visible to citizens. These systemic vices aid in abating illicit dealings and corruption amidst billionaires and politicians.

Insecurity

On July 5, an attack was launched on a prison in Kuje; July 25, six officers of the presidential brigade guard were killed; July 29, a military checkpoint was attacked (2) – all around the FCT. This reveals the horrendous spate of attacks and insecurity even around the capital city of Abuja and its axis. In a broader context, northeast Nigeria has been the batting the Boko Haram insurgents since 2010 (3) and the ISWAP in recent times. Insecurity is spreading fast and with secessionist groups, extrajudicial killings in Southern Nigeria, no geopolitical zone is a sacred cow.

Educational Difficulties

Education in Nigeria is suffering huge dawdling with the latest ASUU strike which began on February 14, 2022 and has gone on for over 7 months. (4). Despite the billions of dollars invested in education by government of Nigeria, a recent UNESCO survey reveals that there are about 20 million out-of-school children in the Nigeria. (5). The sad implications of these difficulties within the educational system of Nigeria is not only in the unattractiveness of schooling in Nigeria to foreign students but that Nigerian graduates become half-baked from substandard education and are as a result unemployable.

Economic Turmoil

With a 2022 first quarter imports spending of N5.9 trillion (6), the oil dependent Nigerian economy is near collapse as the NNPC has been unable to remit oil sales to the FAAC and CBN for months in 2022. This is a depiction of a pummeling currency in the capital market and signal of the imminent inability of the government to fund capital projects in 2023. The January to April 2022 fiscal report shows that the Nigerian debt serving was N1.94 trillion while the total revenue was N1.63 trillion (7). This spiked borrowing and revenue dwindling explains the high national debt pegged at 41.6 trillion as at 31st March, 2022 (8) and the disruption in sectors like education, transportation, power, industry, et al.

FIGURE ONE: Nigeria Country Report 2022

SOURCE: BTI Transformation Index Report (9)

Job creation in these sectors is affected as production costs mounts and more staff are laid off. The cumulative effect is experienced by Nigerians through an increase in unemployment and underemployment, 95.1 million Nigerians estimated to start living in poverty in 2022 (10), reduction in critical infrastructure, social welfare, and so on. The inflationary impact is evident in the monetary distress caused by the poor purchasing power of the naira much that the common man laments spiking costs in local Nigerian markets. The ease of doing business in Nigeria is unfavorable and beyond the shores of the country, foreign investors are more skeptical of investing in Nigerian sectors outside technology (11). Figure One below gives an index of Nigeria’s performance in governance, politics and economy.

Inequality/Injustice

Poor governance in Nigeria is characterized by deliberate indifference and instances of lack of capacity. This lack of capacity has transmogrified into the widespread inequality befuddling Nigeria on different levels. Social amenities are shared with disparity and the gap within the rich and poor is widening daily. Children and women share in the injustice of inequality as this population continues to have lower opportunities. March 1, 2022 witnessed the rejection of five gender inequality tackling bills (12) and a number of northern states are yet to ratify the Child Rights Act (13). The southeast hold political grievances and the “Not Too Young to Run” bill is sometimes termed a fantasy.

3.0 RE-IMAGINING NIGERIA - THE NIGERIA OF MY DREAMS

Youths are increasingly dreaming a new Nigeria without police brutality and extortion, where government expenditure is managed rightly and the nation has improved its power generation and supply to over 20,000 kilowatts within five years. This Nigeria that we long for is one that gives greater inclusion to youths and women and helps run academics smoothly at all levels.

The Nigeria of my dreams is one in which the political institutions abhor electoral corruption and party structures do not get hijacked. A country in which the media is given to the promulgation of a moral society and journalists detest brown envelopes. Regardless of its powerful multiplier effects, I dream of this changed Nigeria where the citizens are commitment and are using frameworks in the eradication of corruption. Such Nigeria is sans favouritism, personal interests and contract fraud in sectors. Such Nigeria has its national, state and local governments in the dynamics of killing corruption.

The socio-cultural scape of Nigerians is a total of the way of life, culture, preferences, habits, and traditions of the populace. The desired Nigeria is one in which the societal attitude and norm are once again glorifying hard work over internet scams and fraudulence; where education is revered. Nigeria awaits a new dawn in which the literate populace is defying the brain drain phenomenon and is craving to directly contribute their quota to national development.

A desirable Nigeria is one sans the apprehension, panic and fear of insecurity – one in which the citizenry is free to travel through road, air, rail and water without criminal restrictions. We long for a Nigeria where the government is able to protect institutions, and the citizens. A Nigeria where border porosity and its accompanying arms infiltration reduces as regional partnership is abetting security in West Africa.

The Nigeria of our dreams is one in which Nigerians are seamed and knitted beyond the fault lines and divisive boundaries of religion and ethnicity; one in which our cultural uniqueness intersects us better and we are neither identified as Fulani nor Hausa but simply Nigerians. Also, we desire better reputation in the eye of the world – one sans the suspicious label and distrust accompanying fraudulent Nigerians.

4.0 ACTUALIZING THE DESIRED NIGERIA

In actualizing a desirable Nigeria, the following recommendations are proffered;

Empowering the Law Enforcement Agencies in Stemming Insecurity

With greater emphasis on the Nigerian Police, law enforcement agencies in Nigeria should have salary increment commensurate to their efforts in order to improve security accountability. Empowering law enforcement agencies would help reduce crime rates, violence, kidnapping and other dreaded insecurity incidences. State Police Force should be formed with local security agencies legislated for co-existing with the national security service. Since insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria are succinct aftermaths of religious extremism, far-reaching illiteracy and poverty, alleviating these mainsprings would inadvertently ebb insecurity and reduce the burden on law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, through dialogue, basic infrastructure, reintegration, conflict-waning frameworks, the plights of the dual insecurity frontiers of cessation groups and terrorist sects must be attended.

Revitalizing Education in Nigeria

Education in Nigeria requires an urgent and targeted intervention. Education should be better funded by stakeholders and the recommended budget by the government to reduce the out-of-school children in primary education, encourage participation in external exams at the secondary school level, and ebb incessant strikes in tertiary institutions. At all levels, teachers and lecturers should be provided with incentives whilst the best should be retained in the education system. Proficient educators in Nigeria and the diaspora should help restructure the educational curriculum in Nigeria for heightened standard, innovativeness, technological inclusion and national problem-solving. Additionally, freer schemes for adult education should be opened.

Foreign Direct Investment

Nigeria can improve her FDI appeal through a number of ways including improving foreign exchange lucidity, stabilizing governance and reducing the Nigerian CIT pegged at 30 percent (14) to help reduce the tax burden on companies. Furthermore, various aspects of taxation should be improved in boosting FDI. Multiple taxation problems should be prevented through digitalized taxation, foreign companies providing more opportunities for Nigerians, exporting products, and converting raw materials to finished products should pay lower taxes. The heavy dependence of businesses and investments on security and power generation is basis for which these dual factors must be improved on. The government, FIRS, and SBIRs should work together in improving infrastructural development in Nigeria as infrastructure draws both local investments and FDI.

Leadership

Often, when well-meaning Nigerians take up leadership positions, they are bereft of adequate performance and the efficacy of their offices, and so cannot mar, yet cannot make. In addition, many Nigerians underestimate the impact of good leadership on the citizenry. The reality remains that Nigeria will only see as far as her leaders. As such, Nigerian leaders must be facilitated in their leadership roles by attending leadership seminars and schools where they learn the core of self-awareness, problem-solving, EI development, national development strategies, communication, et cetera. Through leadership provoking symposiums, Nigerian leaders can be educated on the right approaches to crucial societal and world matters as democracy, conflict resolution, human rights, Millennial Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, et alia.

A Culture of Transparency and Accountability

Transparency and accountability would help reduce vices like nepotism and corruption in governance, institutions, private and public life. Transparency and accountability can be achieved by improving project and parliamentary scrutiny. Other ways include punishing compromise, investigating previous accountability failures and improving monitoring mechanisms like enhancing citizen observation/inclusion and better access to information. Also, the decision-making of the government should be evidence-based, flexible and open to well-known value systems and effectively advocacy through powerful civil societies. Involved civil organization and actors can be empowered via grants. Nigeria’s anticorruption war would take a finer terrain when there is financial sector visibility and enhancement through technological aid like e-Office and blockchain technology.

Transmogrifying the Nigerian Sociocultural Psychology

The way forward for the prosperity of Nigeria is as much a sum of structured strategic planning as it is of recuperating the psyche of Nigerians. Nigerians have to once again believe the realistic dream that Nigeria can be great again. Such patriotism and faith in country would in turn motivate Nigerians from all walks of life for the collective pursuit of national development and progress. The herculean task of reviving the Nigerian patriotism is thus, the function of all Nigerians. From the social units in families, ethnic and religious gatherings, cultural platforms, political convergence, et al., public enlightenment and social re-education must herald the national narrative of a new Nigeria.

Constitution Review and Policy Amendment

Very often in Nigeria, there is misuse of power and the loopholes of the law and policies are exploited for violating rights. For these reasons, the Nigerian constitution must be made supreme and efficacious through constitution review and some policies must be amended. The recent debt-for-climate swab deal by the Nigerian Vice President is merely a tip of the grand initiatives that should be implemented. While this focused on climate change, the legislative power vested on the national assembly and the FG must be utilized in structuring policies for improved civil rights, a better justice system, healthcare and pandemic preparedness, education, national defense, gender equality, foreign policy, diaspora voting, et al.

Economic Crises Alleviation

To alleviate her economic crises, Nigeria should limit borrowing to the statutory 5 percent of revenue and borrow for investments over consumption. For the mono-economic oil syndrome, the economy should be better diversified into commercial agriculture and a technological economy. In reducing oil sabotage, aggrieved indigenes of oil communities should be given inclusive roles in oil protection and production. The private sector should be granted increased dominance over the public sector. Also, the government should permit the sans-license and individual generation of power of up to 100 kilowatts. Personal power generation followed with more government commitment to power generation and transmission would lessen the national power problems rapidly and cause improvement in heavily power dependent industries.

Maximizing Nigerian Youths

Critical to Nigeria’s development are the Nigerian youths. Nigerian youths are a plenteous energetic population given to creativity and innovativeness. The technological attention given to Nigerians is an indication of the need for a technological economy. A technological economy can be attained by giving free or near-free training to young Nigerians in learning top in-demand technological skills like UI/UX design, Data Science, and Software Development and Blockchain Technology. Tech savvy Nigerians would have better earnings through remote tech jobs and contribute to the economy monetarily and innovatively. Lastly and with a focus on young Nigerians, the government should encourage startup amidst the citizenry and boost the creative economy via creativity incentives. This would create employment directly, contribute to GDP and spring up new services.

5.0 CONCLUSION

The content of this paper is not for the mere funfair of speculating Nigeria’s future. Instead, this paper is to bring the citizenry to a state of reflection, propel further dialogue, precipitate patriotism, and spur the consequent realization of duties. Our responsibility as a people is to collectively create a nation of our dreams. This possibility is not far-flung but the nation of our dreams cannot emerge if solutions are given in seclusion. The onus lies on the entirety of the Nigerian citizenry; from the littlest stakeholders, seemingly apolitical folks, to the topmost ranking member of our polity, to concert our efforts in forming an indefatigable ecosystem for the actualization of a new Nigeria.

May the Nigeria of our dreams dawn on us!

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