63 and Thriving

It’s easy to talk about the rot in the country and how things continue to fall apart but for a change I’ll be highlighting our achievements as a nation since 1960.

Nigeria was fought for by a group of nationalists who saw potential in the country and did not think we should continue to be tied to the apron strings of the colonial masters. They imagined a beautiful country ruled by people who looked like them and had the same goals of lifting the country to greater heights. We can say “the labor of our heroes past” was not in vain as Nigerians have exceeded expectations and contribute not just to the country but the world at large.

Let’s take a look at the things we take for granted that are actually great achievements. First of all, we used to have only one university and that was, The University of Ibadan. Today, we have over 170 universities.

We can boast of world class writers and a Nobel Prize winner in the person of Professor Wole Soyinka, world acclaimed author and playwright.We met a bump in the road with the civil war but we managed to move past that and got reintegrated as one country. Today many ethnic groups mingle amongst each other, conducting business and other activities peacefully.

Literacy in the country has greatly improved as many people have come to see the importance of education and regions previously thought of as primitive have become more receptive to learning.

A country where women weren’t allowed to go to school can now boast of multiple female graduates and professionals working hand in hand with their male counterparts.

The mortality rate has reduced because more people are using modern medicine to treat illnesses instead of frequenting places with fetish doctors. We contribute 5% of the world’s fossil fuel and rakes in a lot of money for the country.We started out with only NTA as our national Tv station but today we have many Tv stations transmitting credible information.

Our music and cuisine is now world class too with more people showing interest in the Nigerian culture and wanting to participate in it. I could go on and on about our many achievements as a country and it will fill up a book but I will stop here. While we rightfully criticize the shortcomings of the country, we should also remember to uphold it and also talk about our great achievements.