Growth is an essential characteristic of a living ENTITY, which Nigeria is. Therefore, the question is, is Nigeria Growing or retarding?
Take a cursory look at all the sectors in the country and ascertain whether there is any element of growth in Nigeria, so far.
The problem about this issue of the country’s retardation is that every sector is faced with the same problem. All the sectors are intertwined and, as a result, once one sector is faced with a problem, the others plunge into the same circle of suffering.
Aside from the high level of corruption we see on the increase, there is excessive population growth due to poverty. What else is there to be said when it comes to growth?
The political sector is messed up. Aside from 1999, when the rule changed from Military to Democracy, history has it that it was only in 2015 that Nigeria has ever conducted a free and fair election since the 1993 election that was controversially annulled.
Instead of making it better the following election year, the reverse was the case. Should I tell you how our educational sector is in shambles?
Maybe I was young, or I read in books about how countries send in their students to study in Nigerian Universities, but is the story the same today?
You sure know the answer as much as I do. We pride ourselves in agriculture, but is that sector still what earned us accolades in the past?
At the wake of this administration, there were moves to stop importation of food commodities—mostly in the name of growing our agricultural sector, but that hasn’t ended well. How can you grow a sector that is constantly the focal point for terrorist attacks?
As far as the truth can be said, the only thing I see growing and not retarding is the Religious Sector in the country.
Churches are springing up every day, new mosques are being built for the Muslim Faithful, there are ultramodern shrines where Priests now use technological innovations.
As funny as this may sound to you, this is not what this country is in need of. So, I ask, again, is Nigeria Growing or Retarding?
Over to you, Winifred Òdúnóku
Winifred Òdúnóku
Basically, the structures by which national development is measured revolve around socio political and economic systems as well as educational institutions. The performance of these sectors is paramount to the overall outlook of a country.
According to USAID, “Nigeria’s economic potential is constrained by many structural issues, including inadequate infrastructure, tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, obstacles to investment, lack of confidence in currency valuation, and limited foreign exchange capacity.” In other words, there’s little to no room for national economic growth due to these factors. As one sector is being affected, every other sector is suffering the same fate because they are all interconnected.
Here’s another interesting submission: inadequate funding; lack of equipment facilities and material, lack of awareness, lack of implementation of research results, low rating in human capital indices, and brain-drain are few out of the many developmental issues that the country is currently facing.
Critically speaking, we have many youths defining their Nigerians by their ability ‘to japa out of sapa’. I bet you’d also welcome that idea when such an opportunity presents itself. Yes. I mean you who’s currently reading this.
We have many graduates who are as jobless and as clueless on the nitty-gritty of their supposed professions. Can our engineering graduates manufacture cars and sophisticated automobiles? At best, they assemble body parts and sell them.
Can our microbiology graduates study the pathology of a disease and find a drug/vaccine to cure/prevent it? At best, they test a sick person and prescribe antibiotics to be used.
Can our graduates in statistics create solutions to astronomical challenges we face which may directly affect our livelihood? At best, they calculate how the amount of data they spend monthly is directly proportional to the number of opportunities they come across online.
It’s no surprise that these feats are not yet achievable by young professionals in the country. Why because Nigeria has the highest number of children out of school in the world. It says there are 10.5 million children not being educated. And then even the ones being educated aren’t doing so in the greatest of conditions nor getting the access to high-tech equipment that would help them gain mastery at a particular subject matter.
If we’re to dissect every sector and establish whether it is growing or retrogressing, we might as well keep this conversation going until our 62nd anniversary.
So I’ll leave you to provide the most suitable answer you deem fit to the question: Is Nigeria growing or retarding?
®️ Winifred Òdúnóku
Joxzy OTOR
“To have a feel of your past; consider your present condition. To look into your future; Consider your present action”
Since one cannot really change what has happened in the past; the focus should be more on the actions you take than the condition you are in.
That being established; looking at the present state of things in Nigeria, mirroring the past occurrences, can you say Nigeria is GROWING or RETARDING?
By growth, I don’t mean numerical. I am asking about the economy and finances, the infrastructures, the welfare of the citizens, how is it better or worse than before, what progress or digress has been made? It is sad, that if you take a survey in the streets of Nigeria, to ask 10 random Nigerians if they prefer this present government to the previous, 8 or 9 of them will prefer the past.
This has always been the case; the past government is always better rated than the present. One can literally say it is a promotion (or demotion) from frying pan to fire.
So, the question “Is Nigeria growing or retarding?” Is thought-provoking rhetoric left for you to ponder! Don’t be political about answers to questions like this. It is when we come face to face with the truth that we can conquer the lies that faze us (as a Nation).
If we cannot speak positively about improvements in the social amenities, at least say ‘in the last 5 years’; if we cannot say the naira has appreciated against international currencies hence bolstering our purchasing power; if we cannot stop saying “In the time of XYZ head of state, things weren’t this worse” If…. if…if. Then are we growing or retarding?
Imagine how your parents told you about how things were easier for Nigerians in Nigeria in their youth, then imagine telling your children in the future how the present Government is better compared to the one in their time.
Big ‘IFs’ and imaginations. But if the tide keeps rolling in the same direction; are we growing or retarding?
®️ Joxzy OTOR
