I had a dream that Nigeria will be great again

By Faruk Ahmed

I had a dream that, a score and ten years hence, Nigeria will be great again. By then, the nation will rub shoulders with India, China, Singapore, Israel, and the United States of America. But Nigeria cannot get there until she has slain the multifaceted problems weighing her down.

I had a dream that 30 years from today, my children, who will be 34, 35, 36, and 38 years old respectively, can aspire to become ministers or the head of the Nigerian state—and achieve it. Leadership will no longer be a jamboree where only the children of the privileged or 80-year-old grandees pass the baton of leadership from one hand to another.

At independence, Nigeria was led by exuberant youths in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Even though they made some substantial mistakes, the gigantic landmarks they left behind are what today’s thieving leaders are dressing up as new projects to plunder our sovereign wealth.

Blessing or curse?

Hitherto, the nation sat among the top economies of the world. As the top producer of palm oil, Nigeria gave Malaysia its first seedlings to plant. But today, while palm oil is one of the top foreign exchange earners for Malaysia, Nigerians are finding it difficult to even cook with the essential commodity, let alone export it.

At a particular time in the 1960s, the Ahmadu Bello-led northern government gave a large sum of money to the Saudi Arabian government to refurbish the Ka’aba, the holy site of Muslims. Today, the Arabs are in a better position to provide handouts to the once giant of Africa, thanks to their stupendous oil wealth.

But this does not discount the fact that Nigeria is also blessed with oil. It is just that ours has proven to be a curse.

Today, Southerners look down on their northern counterparts, denigrating them as parasites who rely solely on oil revenues and the VATs from the South. In their defence, Northerners point out that the revenues generated from groundnut pyramids, cotton, and other agricultural products in the North bankrolled the nation in the 1960s. In essence, they argue, the North provided about 70 per cent of the revenue that fed the South, which was used to build the Kainji Dam, construct roads across the country, explore oil, and create the first refinery, among other achievements.?

Why rest on our oars?

In making these back-and-forth arguments, Nigerians are missing the vital points. If Nigeria’s oil dries up tomorrow, what will the country fall back on? If our forefathers thrived without oil, prospered, and even provided handouts to needy countries, how should today’s generation and those to come wean themselves off oil dependence?

The answers lie in tapping into our abundant natural and human resources. For instance, we have iron ore in Ajaokuta and the machinery in place, yet we continue to import iron rods or melt scraps to make them.

In places like Zamfara, Kwara, Niger, Katsina, and Sokoto States, bandits are pillaging villages and killing residents to mine gold, cobalt, nickel, and other precious metals. But instead of processing these gems into finished jewellery for sale in Lagos, Abuja, London, or New York boutiques, the raw materials are smuggled out and sold at dirt-cheap rates, while the finished products are imported at astronomical costs.?

The Beggar North

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently introduced a tax reform bill to the National Assembly, proposing that each region and state spend only what it earns. This sparked outrage across the North, where many perceive it as an attempt to sever their financial lifeline.

But should a two-year-old child cry endlessly because its mother has decided to stop breastfeeding? No! The child should instead look forward to devouring hefty morsels of tuwo and chunks of meat in the future.

If Tinubu’s tax reform means revenues from crude oil sales and VAT collections in the South will no longer flow into the North, should this be considered a death knell?

Consider Singapore, expelled from Malaysia in the 1960s. Despite having no natural resources and relying on Malaysia for drinking water, Singapore's economy today outshines Malaysia’s like day to night. The secret? The Singaporeans donned their thinking caps and got to work.

The Sleepwalking South

The South, on its part, is teetering on the brink of implosion. Many youths there chase easy money, turning to yahoo-yahoo scams, rituals, and other criminal acts. Few are willing to pick up a hammer, spanner, screwdriver, or stethoscope. Instead, they drive flashy cars, live in opulent homes, and woo the most beautiful women in town with ill-gotten money.

In Edo State, my mother must hire Hausa labourers to help on her farm. Even when our family mosque was being renovated, we had to fly in a Hausa carpenter from Kano.

If most able-bodied Southerners refuse to work or migrate abroad in droves, won’t the South’s fears of being colonised by the North become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

What is the way forward?

Nigeria’s future seems bleak. Today, you must scam, plunder, or kill your way to riches and power—or live an honest life in perpetual penury.

Living in such bondage might be tolerable for some, but with the double whammies of insecurity and inflation, life has become increasingly miserable for most Nigerians.

How do we reverse this trend?

Our salvation lies in reverting to parliamentary governance. Major global economies like Israel, Singapore, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates all employ parliamentary systems.

One advantage of parliamentary governance is that it lowers the age for political participation while broadening opportunities for all. For example, Kemi Badenoch, a woman of Nigerian heritage, is currently the Opposition Leader in the British Parliament. With a Conservative majority, she could one day become the UK’s prime minister.

Moreover, parliamentary systems preserve the tenures of great leaders while swiftly removing incompetent ones. The UK Conservatives, for instance, ousted Liz Truss within 50 days when her policies endangered the nation.?

How to make Nigeria great again

In my dream, I envisioned Nigeria returning to parliamentary governance by 2034—a critical first step toward national greatness. Since a fish rots from the head, we need both exceptional leaders and an effective system to rebuild the country.

Once we establish a stable parliamentary system and elect capable leaders, we must focus on addressing the nation’s pressing issues.

For starters, research and development (R&D) in Nigeria should prioritise innovation and problem-solving, not just documentation. Consider Google, which began as a PhD project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Today, it’s one of the world’s most valuable companies. Nigerian lecturers and students should choose project topics that solve real problems and can be developed into businesses.

Nigeria’s challenges—power outages, bad roads, mosquitoes, and high transportation costs—are low-hanging fruits. With innovative solutions, these problems could generate significant revenue.

We have no excuse for importing items like paper, rubber, iron rods, salt, toothpicks, textiles, or cars. All these can be produced locally if we ensure stable governance and basic sustenance for our people. With these two factors in place, Nigeria could even rival India and China in technological advancements, perhaps sending spacecraft to the moon.?

Picking up the gauntlet

Building a great Nigeria requires a collective effort. Those born in 1975 or later will either enjoy or endure the country’s fortunes over the next 30 years. We must act now to secure a brighter future or leave the nation in the hands of corrupt leaders, perpetuating our suffering.

To spearhead this transformation, I am launching the Movement to Make Nigeria Great. Our primary goal is to restore parliamentary governance in Nigeria by 2034.

If you’re interested in joining this movement, email your details to [email protected].

Together, let’s work toward a great and prosperous Nigeria!

#MakeNigeriaGreatAgain

Ahmed is the co-founder of Nigerian Track Magazine.