1) The document discusses Nigeria at 50 years after independence, examining its past, present and future. 2) It notes some improvements over the past like in banking, transportation and communication, but says true progress depends on positive changes in individual Nigerians' attitudes and mindsets. 3) For Nigeria to continue advancing, each Nigerian must believe in themselves, pursue education, think critically, and be the change they wish to see through small everyday actions rather than just following trends. Loving others and having a sense of purpose are also emphasized.

1. NIGERIA AT FIFTY, PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
I was sitting one night, at a bus-stop cave and I suddenly became so attached to what good has
been accomplished by that location, ‘the bus-stop cave’. I highlighted as many merits as I could
and a major baseline came to be in my midst. ‘The key to positive change lies upon each small
detail’.
Nigeria! If you were put to sleep throughout in a tour and were awakened at your destination on
the first day of October and on enquire, you are informed that there is an ongoing celebration of
Africa’s giant at fifty. Then your destination is Nigeria!
I have lived a major part of my life in Nigeria. Thus, twenty years of my experience covers amply
much.
Inevitable, is the pertinence of what Nigeria is, ‘now’. This is, so that the future can change as
‘past is past’. It is evident, ‘Nigeria’s vast population’. More evident thought obliviously, is the
notion that, ‘each person makes up Nigeria. It is also a comely fact, that there has been
advancement in Nigeria from the past. Nigeria was marred by so much underdevelopment thus,
this change came measurably hard.
Banking, transportation, communication have recorded tremendous escalation. Day by day living
has been made easier, since independence. This is by no means, ‘news’. With the passage of
time, it is inevitable that advancement will be reached. Alas! Even in a colony of ants, there is
development. Our hallmark in this regard, as Nigerians, is as to whether we have been superior.
Did our change come with countless detrimental payment?
The major achievement we have had from the past, is the lesson that came from the ambition
and self-belief that was seated in some Nigerian hearts. I have my parent as a typical example.
He started out, as a novice to an easy life, faced too much rigor with Nigeria as a whole, forming
a major setback. However, he was ruled by his self-belief and ambition and eventually, be
effected fragmental but pragmatic change to Nigeria, by not ending up as a delinquent, reducing
the number of illiterates present in Nigeria by one, increasing the number of University graduates
in Nigeria by one, and instilling this virtue in four Nigerian children. This is endless progressive
change. Self-belief really do cover a lot!
I prefer to write about my sole perception of Nigeria, totally according to my experience and void
of any taint, from a research on Nigeria. Let us agree that, I am a novice on historical issues but
what I, as one Nigerian perceives and eventually pens down, would go a long way, if each
Nigerian does likewise. It will be fun but accomplishing fun!
Where are we at now? Nigeria evaluates, influences, instills in us. It wants to change its very
subjects. It sings its song and you are like in a discotheque, so carried away. You are deadened.

2. Every ‘body member’ that inclines you, to showing love and affection becomes heavy and all that
you endeavor in, is to compete, even if you have to kill. Again, this applies so subtly, in each
small detail.
It is easy to understand! My mother worked in a school, were the tuition for each pupil is the sum
of sixty thousand naira and she aided seven pupils into her class. Here, she had a total of thirty
pupils. Let us ponder a little! If only ten pupils paid complete tuition, there is a sum of six hundred
thousand naira. Yet, it never was deemed as affordable for her to be paid at least the value of
one pupil’s tuition. Her salary remained at twenty thousand naira, till she left the school.
Here, you are reminded of the value of self-belief as a virtue. It definitely, was a bold step for my
mother to have left that job. But what are you a university graduate for, if you do not believe
enough in yourself, to embark on a change? Just what, would you call that school’s proprietress
or a cybercafé owner, for whom, one is requires to work for fourteen hours a day, only for a
monthly salary of eight thousand naira? Fourteen hours of time! In this context, you can only call
it, ‘time’ and not, ‘your time’ because it is too valueless to be called yours.
On the other hand, what would you call one, who will circumvent a pot-hole to hit you because he
is in a car and you are a pedestrian? This, is Nigeria at present and just a tip of the iceberg.
In our Nigeria, there is an endless story! Various and countless religions are in every nook and
cranny and streaming therein are millions of us. On intimate study, this is more because of the
craving to find solution to problems, than its primary purpose, serving God. The motto of major
Nigerian churches has been lurking around financial security thus; many have lost the sense of
being practical. The need to work hard and be studious has been waived, as many have turned to
‘instant miracles’. A husband fights with his wife daily because his church told him that a vision
identified her as a culprit, for being against his financial prosperity or on the other hand, he
refuses to go to work or perhaps have an eye surgery, because his church had informed him, that
his problem is spiritual and beyond physical endeavors. Distress in households, an unrealistic
mentality, these translate into a rise in the number of sober Nigerians and thus, Nigeria is as it
is.
Moreover, the trend in the art of thinking is disheartening. Let us agree that we have many people
breaking through in education but undisputable is the simple fact that hardly anyone wants to
exert himself mentally. ‘Thinking’ is the word. Nigeria is not friendly towards this art and many
have adopted this same principle. Ideas are worthless hence, it is far easier to follow the trend;
schooling, working, pension. This has crept deep in our hearts and this, is true even in the
smallest details. Again, I am reminded of that time, when I watched traffic from a bus-stop cave
.Traffic only moved slowly and in one trail because of a large pot-hole. While the other side of the
road could also occupy a car, a trend was pretty much easier.
With the art of thinking, there would have been many more inventors, writers, bosses and the
change we crave from the Western world, would be posed at a more realistic verge.

3. Nigeria is blessed with a large population. By a large proportion, a good society of Nigerians
would create a blessed Nigeria. Many though, have passed through immense rigor and financial
instability. A sudden hit on material prowess and attached, is a natural inclination for competition.
‘Nobody climbs that ladder’. He wants to taunt others because they have taunted him. His further
ambition is turned into a mere material show-off. This he instills, in many of every person who is
around him. This is the painstaking state of Nigeria at present.
Infrastructural advancement is imminent but how effectively and how much less costly this is,
boils down to each Nigerian, who may be in control. Education, as is present in Nigeria is still void
of one bizarrely-looking fact. Attached is hardly any extra-curriculum or any forum for exposure. It
is not ever far-fetched, the fact that a that a university undergraduate probably has not ever
visited an event centre like perhaps, Silverbird galleria and on his very first visit, he is shaky, so
outwitted by his guts, that he is drilled by his senses into his inferiority. His once lively self-belief
is suddenly dampened. Exposure, especially that attached to recreation, keeps us hearty, at our
peak of potential, and definitely informed. In this regard, Nigeria is still lagging.
Moreover, money is valued at more than humans. It is so easy to take someone who is a
potential inventor, away from his very life course, strip him of every of life’s pleasure, good
clothes, education, friends, for eleven years of labor, only to afford him with a small shop.
For majority of Nigerians at present, life is not too much more, than living itself, along with the
day’s meal and defecating. They could go through with this routine endlessly, without a twitch for
something more; additional depth and meaning to life.
Our mentality has become really deadened. This is where the difference comes to play, in a
scenario consisting of two persons. Having started out in life in the same environment and equal
conditions, one of them kept on as a petty trader while the other sought to the rigor of schooling
and became eventually, a president. This sharp contrast lies solely in that difference in mentality.
It applies also in another way. For many, instead of pursuing a change, we become so
entrenched, in such trivial matters as pursuing the front seat in a commuter bus or spending a
total of forty minutes in the toilet and coming out with an ego tic feeling of accomplishment.
Sometimes, it is hard to blame many things on Nigerians. There are not particularly many
distractions from life’s anxiety; trivial matters thus, become invaluable. A diary is obsolete, as
there are no remarkable days.
In fact, Nigeria does a lot of influencing. You give an able bodied man, a shirt worth five hundred
naira and he is overly grateful. He doesn’t feel he is worthy of it or perhaps, he spends the sum of
five thousand naira on clothes and he feels guilty, based on his outrageous spending. Another
fact is that we hardly know ourselves deeply. Even from the rare gem we have inside, our
undisclosed and apparently menial talents, we are in oblivion.
We do not have depth. It is only imaginable here to get to know in entirety, an individual in just

4. one day.
Our rich men are not there to render any help. Those who got riches illegally, can
only buy you drinks or make you break the law.
Nigeria at fifty, has indubitably achieved a major advancement in infrastructure, communication,
transportation, media and so on. This is commendable but still questionable.
An enormous achievement in the positive change we crave, is the change that we bring upon
ourselves as Nigerians. Our attitude, mentality and virtues constitute how lovely we are and thus,
how lovely Nigeria becomes.
In effect, a major developmental change to Nigeria, is a change by each Nigerian. The
availability of electricity gives us funnily hearty feeling. It feels like goodness, like positivity. In our
homes, the presence of power supply adds to the tranquility. A power cut and there is tension and
rift. Alas! I just digressed a little. Here, is the reality of change.
There is imminence in the fact, that there can only be relative positive change in any country of
the world. The ruler of the world is undisputedly, Satan and to whomever he chooses to be its
ruler, he gives it. There is always the complaint that our leaders are at the root of our economic
hardship but these, are humans!
Thus, positive change in Nigeria starts, in each Nigerian knowing himself. This is very important
in the art of leadership. It is beneficial to know oneself in order to understand a fellow human. To
dispense love fully, we must love ourselves. Love impels us to regard our fellow Nigerians, it
dispels greed and hatred. Our Nigeria, has not totally encouraged this, as love is considered as a
weakness. In our families, there is hardly an atmosphere for kisses, fondling, petting, bedtime
stories, lullabies, thus, we grow up to bring stiff, unemotional and careless. Handshakes are just
meager touch, hugs only passes lustful thoughts, tears are no different from water.
Consequently, we must endeavor to develop this quality, ‘Love’. It is disparaging to see brutality
everywhere. A fellow Nigerian steals a hundred naira recharge card and clubs, cutlasses will
storm from everywhere and next, a tyre and gas. How much is a Nigerian’s worth? We must start
realizing, that just one life, is worth much more than all the money in the world.
Sometimes, it becomes worthwhile to be angry without being wrathful. With a little anger, the
need for a revolution is felt and action is spurred. This anger though, starts from boosting our
mentality. We must see ourselves as worthy of life and living. We must ask questions and provide
answers, if we were given none. ‘Breakdown in tears,’ when your resolution is weak and make a

5. firmer one, then journal your every thought and all that you are feeling. Your journal today could
inspire many tomorrow.
Should we be afraid of the change we crave? Far from it! It is a friendly notion to follow the trend.
The trends we have grown to meet, there is a natural inclination to follow, but a change is
beneficial.
Live more on reality, take the major and required steps, especially a good education and next,
take that bold step, become an inventor, a creator! Exploit possibilities, think hard and become a
leader in your world. Build a team and in this team, instill your virtues. Nigerians are humans, and
are more than any piece of material.
Time can’t be circumvented as an issue. To be pronounced a millionaire is in a matter of minutes
and the ecstatic feeling starts in a few seconds. We must not take an able bodied man; have him
spend more than half of each day in labor without cognizance of how valuable our time is. Let us
see time as ours and recall that if our time becomes solely designated or dictated by others it is
time to stand up and make changes. Some recreation is worthwhile. Time spent up-building
ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally by this means is indispensable. Again, I am reminded
of the bus-stop cave that I referred to at the onset. What good does a trivial-looking location as a
bus-stop cave do?
Well, depending on your personality, you could sit there and reflect or perhaps watch traffic, a
really beautiful sight! You view people’s reaction to stimuli and you attain a deeper appreciation
for variety and you are led to our God in awe and amazement.
Truly, the art of watching is thrilling. It is beautiful to watch hearty children cross the road and for
the adults, you just want to criticize their flaws and obliviously resolve to avoid their errors. You
are made into a sweeter creature by recreating. Sweet Nigerians, a sweet Nigeria!
A positive change for Nigeria lies in our hands and every seemingly trivial detail is involved. Thus,
for many a time, let us be practical, liberal, and generous. Let us work towards upholding our
mentality, our self- belief.
‘Nigeria now is fifty’. Let us grow older in our positivity, in the change that we crave and let us be
that change. Do not be Nigeria’s pot. But instead, it’s potter!