Nigeria as a country has no doubt come a long way in the struggle to achieve greatness in all aspects of development. The effort to build a strong country that will not only be the true “Giant of Africa” but also a developed country and a country of choice among the comity of nations has faced many limitations.
However, in the midst of these limitations and successes, Nigerians, both singularly and collectively, need to do more to move the country from “the good to the great.” According to John D. Rockefeller, “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
The critical thrust of this effort is to reawaken all and sundry, leaders especially, to recalibrate priorities in the private and public sectors, with the aim of achieving uncommon development and advancement in Nigeria. The country has crawled long enough on faulty foundations of welfare politics and must begin to direct its energy toward doing the hard job and breaking barriers solely in the interest of future generations and the true greatness of the country. In the words of J. F. Kennedy: “America decided to go to the moon not because it is easy but because it is hard. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
The development and advancement of Nigeria cannot be achieved by men and women whose horizons are limited by the unfortunate retrogressive ethics of “I-existence” as opposed to “we-existence.” Living for oneself is utter foolhardiness, and according to Napoleon Hill: “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice and is never the result of selfishness.”
Nigerians need new thinking chips to connect to the vibration of development thought, and leaders in both private and public sectors must lead the way. In the next decade, where will Nigeria be? It is a solemn prayer that Nigerian leaders in the public and private sectors design a program to do the hard job that will move Nigeria to the top 10 economies of the world. The mentality of “Giant of Africa” has limited Nigeria. There is no doubt that Nigeria holds the hope of the black race as the largest black nation on earth. However, this is all the more reason Nigeria should aim for the global platform at all times. Nigeria has a vibrant private sector, and this sector can do more to drive the vision.
It is very clear that the business environment in Nigeria is challenging, but because it is a hard job, the private sector must look beyond the barriers and do the hard job. Firstly, I demand a new Lagos latched on confidence, hope, and the imagination of great minds in the public sector. I demand a Lagos that is one of the international financial headquarters – a Lagos that will be a primary choice of destination for big dreamers of all races and creeds. A Lagos that will be a national pride of the black race. This will require robust partnership between the government and the private sector. In the next decade, there should be a World Trade Centre in Lagos, a global entertainment hub, a technology incubation centre, etc. The federal government should activate a plan in collaboration with the private sector to deliberately recognise, intervene, and invest in Lagos to project national pride. This should be above all chauvinistic and mundane considerations. It should be a national development plan targeting the following cities: Lagos, Kano, Aba, and Port Harcourt—with Lagos as a pilot scheme.
The private sector must scale up the power of imaginative thinking to move Nigeria to the realm of accomplished hard work. While it is not intentional to stir up a hornet’s nest by mentioning names, the Dangote Refinery stands tall as evidence of the possible future of a great Nigeria. Harvard students recently visited the Dangote Refinery complex and expressed delight at the impact of imagination and willpower. Their visit is spectacular in the fact that the students are from different countries of the world and visited Nigeria because the Dangote Refinery, the largest single-train refinery in the world, qualified for such a priceless study tour. That is the Lagos I see, a Lagos where the world’s best university students will japa to Nigeria to understudy great achievement. A Lagos with an entertainment hub, better by far than any entertainment hub anywhere in the world. A Lagos where a new horizon will emerge to do what can only be a wish to the average mind. This will require collaboration of people with the power of hope, faith, and imagination. This powerhouse must run on the wheels of uncommon passion for the generational advancement of our dear nation.
For instance, in the next 10 years, will Nigeria have another Elon Musk, Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Rema, Tems, Flavour, another Dangote, Adeleke, Otedola, Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Ahmed Musa, Ademola Lookman, Osimhen, another Okonjo-Iweala, Dora Akunyili, Akinwumi Adesina, and millions of others doing us well, at home and abroad?
The cry is for a rethinking of our individual and collective efforts to give the future generation a country they should be proud of. That is why Carl Schurz concluded: “Our country, right or wrong: when right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be set right.” The bane of Nigeria is class greed and selfishness. Unfortunately, these fallacies have never built any nation.
Nigeria’s national interest must be tailored toward strategic socio-economic advancement. This is so because political and economic development are the wings of a developed system. Several studies have shown that there is a direct and positive effect of political development on economic development and vice versa. According to Eddy Jolicoeur: “The relationship between politics and economics is best understood as a dynamic two-way street, where each influences and shapes the other in a complex web of interaction.” This view resonates nicely with the need for Nigerian leaders across the board to put Nigeria first in all decisions and at all times. This will require rethinking the paths and doing things differently with a clear vision to make Nigeria great. This solemn appeal to leaders across Africa, especially in Nigeria, finds expression in the view of Prof. Claude Ake: “That power dynamics shape economic policies, resource allocation, and ultimately the distribution of wealth and opportunities.”
Nigerian leaders must focus on doing the hard job that will provide the enabling environment for the actualisation of the dream of a truly great country. As Nigeria celebrates another anniversary, let us have the Nigerian flag on the moon. Yes, we can, if and only if we embrace the imperative of visionary leadership and productive and vigilant citizenship.
God bless Nigeria.
