An idea called Nigeria

By Sung Bauta

“Nigeria is more than a country. Nigeria is an idea. The idea is greater than Nigerians.” His words reflect a similar sentiment attributed to the Nigerian statesman Obafemi Awolowo, who stated that Nigeria was not a country, but an idea.

Riddled with anxiety, I watched for the results of the Nigerian presidential elections on February 25, 2023. Like so many Nigerians, I prayed earnestly for the elections, and solicited the prayers of churches and friends here in the US. I wrote articles on the state of Nigeria and the hopes of Nigerians for this election. I also contacted a gubernatorial candidate of a state to offer prayers and encouragement. Based on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s assurances for freer and fairer elections, I was optimistic about the electoral processes.
To access the election updates, I perused international, national, and local streaming and print news services; moreover, I gauged the perspectives of family and friends. Very soon, my anxiety gave way to disillusionment. It became clear that the process was manipulated to favor a certain candidate. My heart sank. My optimism for the election process, although not devoid of skepticism, gave way to a scarring disappointment. I was wounded by the rascality of what was supposed to be a sacred process. For the first time in my life, I heard my soul say, “I don’t love Nigeria anymore.”
But I do love Nigeria, I will always love Nigeria. Even my relocation to the US in 2001 never dampened my love for her. Like a distant lover, Nigeria occupies my every waking thought. Unlike most people, I did not leave Nigeria for a “better life” in America. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the opportunities being in America has accorded me. Most of my accomplishments would have been impossible in Nigeria. Thus, I lament for Nigerians who have been hamstrung by the Nigerian experiment. Hearing and watching images of violence during the elections evoked deep despair within me, a despair many Nigerians feel today.
In his defining book, There Was a Country, Chinua Achebe provides a personal reflection about Nigeria. The book is his account of the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970), a painstaking description of a declining Nigeria. In 2019, William Stuart Symington, the former US Ambassador to Nigeria, gave a speech to commemorate the Independence Day celebration of the US. Symington argued that the Nigerian idea is greater than we think. “Nigeria is more than a country. Nigeria is an idea. The idea is greater than Nigerians.” His words reflect a similar sentiment attributed to the Nigerian statesman Obafemi Awolowo, who stated that Nigeria was not a country, but an idea.
The premise that Nigeria is an idea is noteworthy. We have been on a quest towards nationhood even before 1960, but we are not a one, indivisible entity yet. The Nigerian National Anthem rightly refers to us as “compatriots.” However, the anthem calls us to act as citizens of a nation. It is one thing to be born in Nigeria, but it is another thing to be a Nigerian. Being a Nigerian suggests that we all have an equal stake in Nigeria. But the just concluded elections demonstrate that the right of citizenship still eludes us. Even those who suppress the masses are not citizens; for by denying others citizenship, they also deny themselves.
If Nigerians are refused citizenship, Nigeria will remain an idea, not a nation. It is citizens that build a nation, not compatriots. Devoid of their citizenship, Nigeria’s call to obedience will continue to go unheeded. Nigerians will not serve their fatherland with love, strength, and faith; rather, they will serve their fathers’ interests, utilizing every vice to attain them. Instead of celebrating heroes who passed the idea of Nigeria to us to nurture, we will jeopardize the future by trading the idea of a great nation for a mediocre one; we will nullify the labor of past leaders. Even those who have the heart, and the might will never have a nation to serve. Without a nation bound in freedom, peace and unity will remain elusive.

Dr. Sung Bauta is a Public Policy Analyst.