By Ochiaka Ugwu
Today marks the 66 years of Nigeria’s independence from the British imperial government. Pricelessly on October 1, 1960, the British flag otherwise known as the Union Jack was lowered and replaced by Nigerian flag heralding a new nation with hope and aspiration. The founding fathers declared forever freedom on political, economic and social activities of the peoples. In response men, women, youth and children in excitement with full of hope gathered at the Balewa square, Lagos to celebrate the birth of a new country. Others observed the ceremony within their own localities with dances, songs wearing costumes of different shapes.
However, over six decades and half on, has Nigeria attained nationhood and has it really met the yearnings and aspirations of its citizens who desired a better life from a country blessed with immense human and natural resources?
No doubt, Nigeria had a chequered history as it has been characterized by short-lived civilian rule interspaced with military dictatorship, civil war and interim leadership and finally stable and sustained democratic governance. With the return of democracy in 1999 which has been sustained till date, there has been some kind of good story especially in terms of governance. Elections have been held from 1999 to the last one that took place in 2023. Although, the elections have always been contested with electorate questioning the integrity of the whole process, but if not for anything it has achieved smooth transition of government with power alternating between two main political parties. This was in 2015 when the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost to the then opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC). For some, Nigeria is now a symbol of thriving democracy for the continent, where freedom of expression is guaranteed, democratic norms are respected, human rights are widely restored, and where media freedom is indispensable with people voicing out their opinions without fear of harassment or intimidation.
However, political pundits have come hard on Nigerian kind of democracy, describing it as civil rule noting that it is yet to deliver what real democratic principles offers the populace.
In reality, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the nation’s electoral umpire’s integrity in conducting elections and ensuring free, fair and credible polls has been questioned most times, pointing to the fact that Nigeria’s democracy is not perfect, and needs to be reformed to win peoples’ confidence.
It is a worrying reality that the gap between Nigerian government and the people is widening by the day with many wondering whether it will improve in a short while. Government response to the needs of the citizens has been on the decline ever since. The social contract is not just present as the people don’t trust the leadership at all. Just last year, the World Bank disclosed that the poverty rate among Nigeria’s rural population has reached an alarming 75.5 per cent, highlighting deepening inequality and widespread economic hardship across the country.
The World Bank’s 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria, noted that rural dwellers are overwhelmingly bearing the brunt of economic stagnation, inflation, and structural challenges that have characterised the country’s growth trajectory in recent years.
The data, derived from Nigeria’s nationally representative surveys, showed that while 41.3 per cent of the urban population lives below the poverty line, the figure for rural Nigeria is almost double.
The report noted that overall, 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day in 2018/19, before the outbreak of COVID-19.
Though, multiple economic shocks, mounting insecurity, and inflation have worsened poverty levels since then.
This has made experts to call for a shift in Nigeria’s poverty reduction strategy from welfare-based interventions to policies that build capabilities and create sustainable economic opportunities noting that successive governments had consistently pledged to tackle poverty, but the problem persists because many interventions have focused on sustaining poor people rather than enabling them to overcome structural constraints.
They are of the conviction that meaningful poverty reduction should equip people with the capacity to become active wealth creators and contributors to national development.
They observed that shrinking of opportunities is fundamentally linked to poverty hindering capabilities needed to achieve a decent standard of living.
The rise of a young population
In 1962, when the first post-independence census was conducted. The Nigeria’s population was put at 45.26 million by the Census Board. 64 years later, the population has almost risen to approximately 230 million with over 60% of the population under the age of 30, making it one of the most youthful countries in the globe.
Economists have revealed that this huge young population presents a powerful opportunity for social, economic, and political transformation, if strategically, comprehensively and constructively engaged.
In contrary, many young people are unable to realize this potential due to inconsistent policy framework which has hindered the creation of a structure of job hub that will absorb these teaming youth population. it is estimated that over 1.7 million graduates enter the labour market annually and youth unemployment has remained high, with nearly 80 million young people, about 53% of the youth population currently unemployed.
Rising insecurity has placed young Nigerians at a great disadvantage by keeping them jobless which is pushing many to migrate for greener pasture. Uncountable lives have been lost, and many people kidnapped, with young people and girls disproportionately affected through forced displacement, and abductions. There is need for government to urgently embark on interventions that will address youth unemployment and create inclusive opportunities.
The fact remains that the growth in population has not been matched by an equal investment to transform it into a demographic dividend – both in education and employment. It shows that young and innocent Nigerians continue to be at the receiving end of government’s poor planning and enduring failures.
There is no doubt Nigeria’s progress is heavily hinged on the opportunities that will be created for young people in the near future. The country stands at a crossroad and its inability to meet the aspirations and yearnings of its youth may spell doom in no distance time.
Economically, Nigeria has been largely agrarian with heavy dependence on subsistence mode of farming majorly focusing on food crops. Most people on the informal sector of the economy fall into this category.
Crude oil which is the major source of its earning are largely exported as primary product while we import fuel, diesel, machinery, electronics, solar equipment and other higher value goods. This practice has only altered the margin of trade without changing its structure.
This calls for massive investment in our local industries as the real prospect lies in using this rare opportunity to move more produce further up the value chain in cotton, cassava, cocoa derivatives, processed foods, and other semi-processed and finished products that allow the nation to retain more value before export and create the much-needed jobs for it peoples.
Nigeria needs this structural transformation to propel it into an economic giant. This must be a call on policy makers to do more in transforming the structure of the economy.
Prospects for growth
Agreed that vital milestones have been achieved after 66 years of freedom, but there is greater room for improvement to reposition Nigeria as the economic giant of the continent. We need to strengthen our institutions with the aim of making it productive and peoples centered. We need to reform, reposition and strengthen our wealth distribution to reduce inequality in the polity. Many Nigerians are yet to experience the economic progress that comes with democratic government, youth unemployment remains a threat to the security of the country, with many young people feeling that Nigeria has forgotten them and believing that their future aspirations can only be realized abroad. This best explains why many Nigerians are making every effort to travel abroad.
Finally, the truth remains that the true measure of leadership will not be by the number of promises given, policy frameworks and poverty reduction initiatives initiated by the present Nigeria leadership, but by the progressive outcomes achieved for the peoples, the investments gotten, opportunities created, developmental challenges surmounted and the institutions built and strengthened to spread prosperity and lift greater number out of extreme poverty.
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