Let’s join hands to make Nigeria great

The objective of nation building is to unite the people in order to remain politically and economically stable. Someone once remarked that “it takes a generation of committed leaders to build a great nation.” Building a nation for greatness doesn’t happen by accident, it is a product of conscious statesmanship. Although, building a nation is work-in-progress, it is however a very dynamic process that needs constant nurturing and reappraisal.
In building a nation, true leaders aren’t tired. They are always confident of facing new challenges as they evolve. Nations such as China and India have the largest number of people in the world but they have emerged as important global players. What about Japan and Singapore? They were once regarded as “third world” countries with few natural resources, but they’ve long managed themselves into global economic driving forces. So, what is Nigeria waiting for?
Nigeria is seen and described by some analysts as the “giant of Africa,” not because of the quality of the nation’s institutions and values, but because of its population and oil wealth. The greatness of any nation is earned and not determined only by its population and abundance of its mineral resources.
Today, the world measures the greatness of a nation by appraising its level of productivity and industrialization. Productivity, which is a measure of efficiency and a key determinant of long-term development is increased in a nation where its citizens produce more for the same or less time, effort and resources. Interrupted power supply has disabled most Nigerians from attaining their desired level of productivity. With epileptic power supply, most Nigerians are operating in the realm of production, not productivity.
Notwithstanding the current improvement in ease of doing business, increased productivity is achieved either through better ways of working, and or the use of more and improved technology. These conditions are not entrenched in the country because of poor industrial linkages, underdeveloped infrastructure, high tariffs, and the common management and production bottlenecks associated with manufacturing. Consequently, the cost of production is very high.
Due to high cost of production, Nigerian firms cannot compete favourably with their peers in the international market, and thus, no competitive advantage. This challenge interrogates the hypothesis that “Nigerians are hardworking people and that the country is generously endowed with human resources”.
The political structure of a society when examined reveals how politics have influenced the society. Most Nigerians have expressed their views on many occasions that the nation is not structured to develop politically and economically. It is one of the reasons why Nigerians clamour for restructuring of the nation. The long term political stability of a nation ensures healthy and long-term economic performance.
The race for 2019 elections has commenced and gradually political tension is building up. When tension mounts in a state, and political opponents are at daggers drawn because there is going to be elections, one wonders the “stuff” some Nigerian politicians are made of. Elections should not lead to a situation where a battle line is drawn. A viable nation isn’t a product of political instability.
When there is political instability, various segments of the society are systematically weakened. But the real question is: Why has it been difficult for our leaders to build a viable nation despite Nigeria’s abundant human and mineral resources? There are several reasons namely, socio-economic inequalities- based on income, education, and occupation, constitutional imperfections, weak institutions of governance, and the leadership challenge amongst others.
Nigerians must share common aspirations in citizenship, by being a people with collective purpose coming together to build a viable nation. But then, how is this possible when the quality of life of people in Maiduguri, Abuja, Oshogbo, Owerri, and Lagos aren’t the same? Can Nigerians be said to have common citizenship when they don’t have equal access to food, shelter, health, education, and transportation? As a result of these inequalities, most Nigerians feel neglected and alienated. They feel marginalized that the society doesn’t adequately cater for their welfare.
Some Nigerians have argued that the 1999 Constitution needs to be amended because of its imperfections. In spite of these imperfections, we must learn to be governed by the rule of law. Good governance is key towards achieving greatness and our leaders must shun corruption. The issue of corruption, marginalization, and exclusion in the polity must be squarely addressed by elected and appointed office holders. Moreover, executing the federal character principal should not be at the expense of merit, or a substitute for equal opportunities for citizens.
Having weak institutions of governance is a big challenge towards building a viable nation. We must set standards to measure the effectiveness and performance of our institutions at local, state and federal levels. This would only be achievable if we set the rules; hire Nigerians with the technical and professional expertise as well as moral competence to interpret the rules; and ensure that the institutions inspire public confidence through transparency and accountability.
It has just been realized that leadership goes beyond integrity. Integrity is key for a good leader but not sufficient to bring about change. If Nigeria is to change positively, we must have a leadership that is committed to the rule of law. This type of leadership has to be one that demonstrates a sense of fair play and democratic tolerance, with the ability to see beyond the flamboyant splendour of government office. Most importantly, Nigerians deserve leaders who are democrats, having a better vision than the one they inherited.
Leaders who are reformers will lead by deeds and not by mere rhetoric. Nigeria needs leaders who are achievers, not deceivers. Nigeria earnestly asks for “leaders who will not only live their footprints on the sand of time, but those who by dint of hard work and fair play, dedication, and commitment, will live forever in the hearts of Nigerians.” Let’s join our hands together in making Nigeria a great nation. It’s for our own good, and for generations yet unborn.

MA JOHNSON