Sixty six years ago, Nigeria became an independent nation with a promise that was much bigger than a flag, a national anthem or the lowering of the Union Jack. On October 1, 1960, independence represented the beginning of a national journey in which Nigerians would determine their own destiny and build a country capable of providing dignity, opportunity and security for its people.

Today, we mark 66 years of that journey.

But perhaps this Independence Day, instead of simply asking Nigerians to say Happy Independence Day, we should pause and ask a more difficult question: what exactly are we celebrating, and how close are we to the Nigeria that independence promised?

The Federal Government has described this year’s anniversary as a low key celebration, with the theme centred on moving from reforms towards stability and shared prosperity. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, acknowledged that Nigeria’s journey has been difficult and that the country has experienced war, military rule, economic crises, insecurity and political upheaval. He also argued that the current reforms are laying the foundation for a more prosperous future.

There is certainly much to celebrate.

🇳🇬 THE HOPES AND PROMISES OF OCTOBER 1, 1960 A young Nigerian boy proudly raises his national flag as he joins in the celebrations of Independence Day. Date: October 1, 1972 Source: Spear Magazine, Pa

Nigeria has survived.

That alone is not a small achievement.

We have remained one country despite a civil war, years of military rule, political instability, economic crises, religious and ethnic tensions and several periods of deep national uncertainty. We have produced globally recognised writers, scientists, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, musicians, athletes and professionals. Nigerians continue to excel wherever opportunity allows them to compete. From Lagos to London, Abuja to Atlanta, Kano to Canada, Nigerian talent continues to demonstrate that there is nothing inherently small about the Nigerian dream.

But survival cannot be the final ambition of a nation.

At 66, Nigeria should be asking what kind of country it wants to become.

The promise of independence was never simply that Nigerians would govern themselves. It was that self government would create a better life for the people. Independence was supposed to give citizens greater control over their destiny, create opportunities for development and establish a nation in which people could look towards the future with confidence.

President Tinubu, in his address, referred to this as the larger promise of independence: the freedom to shape our own destiny and build a nation capable of providing opportunity, dignity and a better life.

That is precisely where the difficult conversation begins.

Because for millions of Nigerians, dignity remains a daily struggle.

A parent who cannot comfortably afford school fees does not experience national prosperity through GDP figures. A young graduate searching endlessly for employment does not experience economic reform through government statistics alone. A farmer who cannot safely access his farm does not measure development by the number of policies announced in Abuja. A family struggling to afford food, rent, transportation or healthcare may find it difficult to understand what prosperity means when basic living costs continue to consume most of its income.

This is why Independence Day should be more than celebration. It should also be a national audit.

Where are we today?

What have we achieved?

Where have we failed?

What mistakes have we repeated?

And what must we change?

Recent assessments of Nigeria’s 66 years tell a complicated story. Economists have acknowledged improvements in some macroeconomic indicators while also pointing to persistent challenges including poverty, unemployment, insecurity and weak productivity. Other commentators have highlighted the gap between Nigeria’s enormous natural and human resources and the quality of life experienced by many citizens.

The truth is that Nigeria has never lacked potential.

That may actually be our greatest frustration.

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We have oil and gas. We have fertile agricultural land. We have solid minerals. We have a huge youthful population. We have entrepreneurs who build businesses with very little support. We have creative industries that have become global brands. We have doctors and engineers working in some of the world’s most respected institutions. We have technology entrepreneurs building solutions for global markets.

Our problem has never simply been the absence of resources.

It has been the difficulty of converting those resources into broad based prosperity.

For decades, we have spoken about diversification but remained heavily dependent on oil. We have spoken about electricity while businesses continue to spend enormous amounts generating their own power. We have spoken about education while millions of children remain vulnerable to being excluded from quality learning. We have spoken about security while communities continue to experience fear and displacement.

We have talked about corruption for generations, yet corruption remains one of the issues that continues to weaken public institutions and public trust.

This is where Independence Day must become uncomfortable.

Because it is easy to blame every failure on the government of the day. It is harder to acknowledge that the Nigerian story has been shaped by successive governments, institutions and citizens over several decades. No single administration created every problem Nigeria faces, just as no single administration can solve all of them.

President Tinubu’s administration has made difficult economic choices, including reforms that have produced significant hardship alongside the government’s stated objective of correcting long standing economic distortions. The President himself acknowledged in his Independence Day address that the reforms have brought real side effects and difficult experiences, while maintaining that they are intended to place Nigeria on a stronger foundation.

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Whether those reforms ultimately deliver the promised prosperity is something Nigerians will judge through their lived experience and through measurable outcomes.

That distinction is important.

Governments should be allowed to pursue difficult reforms.

But citizens should also be allowed to ask difficult questions.

Are incomes rising?

Are jobs being created?

Is food becoming more affordable?

Is electricity becoming more reliable?

Are businesses becoming more productive?

Are schools improving?

Are hospitals becoming more accessible?

Is insecurity declining?

Are public institutions becoming more accountable?

These are the measurements that eventually matter.

A country cannot ask its citizens to celebrate statistics when their daily experience tells a different story. At the same time, citizens must also be willing to acknowledge genuine improvements when they occur rather than dismissing every positive development simply because it comes from a government they do not support.

That is part of what responsible citizenship should mean.

Independence anniversary: Tales of woe, missed opportunities, unmet expectations 63 years on | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News

At Ipledge2Nigeria, our patriotism cannot be blind celebration, just as it cannot be permanent condemnation. We believe love for Nigeria should give us the courage to celebrate what is working, question what is failing and demand better from those entrusted with public responsibility.

Our national pledge asks us to serve Nigeria with all our strength, defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory.

Those words are not only for politicians.

They are for all of us.

The civil servant who decides whether to do his job properly.

The police officer who decides whether to take a bribe.

The business owner who decides whether to pay workers fairly.

The citizen who decides whether to sell his vote.

The politician who decides whether public money belongs to the people or to his political network.

The young person who decides whether Nigeria’s problems are an excuse to give up or a reason to contribute to solutions.

Nation building is not something that happens only inside government offices.

It happens in classrooms, hospitals, markets, farms, businesses, homes and communities.

It happens every time someone chooses integrity over convenience.

It happens when a teacher takes responsibility for the children in her classroom.

It happens when a doctor stays committed to providing quality care despite difficult conditions.

It happens when an entrepreneur employs another Nigerian.

It happens when a citizen refuses to participate in corruption even when corruption appears easier.

It happens when people disagree politically without becoming enemies.

Perhaps this is what we should be celebrating at 66: not that Nigeria has arrived, but that Nigeria is still capable of becoming what its founders imagined.

The country is not without achievements. It is not without hope. It is not without extraordinary people.

But hope must not become an excuse for complacency.

We cannot keep telling the next generation to “be patient” indefinitely. A country cannot survive permanently on promises of a better tomorrow. At some point, tomorrow has to arrive.

The Nigeria of the future must be a country where a child born in a poor household can still receive excellent education; where a young person can find meaningful work without knowing someone in government; where a farmer can cultivate without fear; where a woman can travel safely; where businesses can grow without spending their profits on basic infrastructure; where public officials understand that power is a responsibility rather than personal entitlement.

It must also be a Nigeria where political disagreement does not automatically become ethnic hostility, where religion is not weaponised for political advantage and where citizens understand that no politician is more important than the country.

At 66, perhaps the most patriotic thing we can do is stop pretending that everything is fine.

But we must also stop pretending that everything is hopeless.

Nigeria is neither a perfect success story nor a hopeless failure.

It is a work in progress.

And the responsibility for what happens next belongs to all of us.

So, on this Independence Day, let us celebrate Nigeria, but let our celebration carry substance. Let us remember the sacrifices of those who fought for independence and the generations that kept the country together through difficult periods. Let us honour those serving today in our armed forces and security agencies, teachers, health workers, farmers, entrepreneurs and millions of ordinary Nigerians whose daily work keeps the country moving.

But let us also ask ourselves what kind of country we are leaving behind.

Because independence is not simply the freedom to govern ourselves.

It is the responsibility to govern ourselves well.

Sixty six years later, the Nigerian project is still unfinished.

Perhaps that is not a reason to lose hope.

Perhaps it is a reason for every one of us to ask what we can do to move it forward.

Nigeria is 66. The celebration is ours. The responsibility is ours too.

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria🇳🇬

By: Fatima Adamu

Nigeria at 66: What Exactly Are We Celebrating?

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