Nigeria, not yet old enough @ 65 — Bishop Charles Ighele 

Independence for a nation can be proclaimed in a day. So,on the 1st of October 1960,Nigeria peacefully obtained her independence from Great Britain.

While it takes a day to declare independence,it takes years and decades to really become independent.
While it is not possible for nations to be completely independent, nations can be independent while symbiotically dependent on each other.

In the case of Nigeria,the only area where Nigeria can be said to have a semblance of independence is in the bold ability of her political leaders and other ruling elites is to say things and do things without being afraid of being held accountable or being scolded by other nations and international bodies.

At age 65,Nigeria is far from having a semblance of independence in providing food for her huge population. Africa has over 65% of the world’s land that is good for agriculture and Nigeria has a very high percentage of arable land in Africa.
People are dying of hunger because the people have not been polically led and socially and educationally parented to benefit from the huge agricultural resources in the country.We are therefore far from independence in being able to feed ourselves even though we can.

Nigerian governments at all levels should intentionally embark on the agricultural socialisation of the people.
There is more money in agriculture than in crude oil.

Other areas where we are far from independence is in world class education,health care,security etc.
In the area of education for example,a situation where all major construction projects are being executed by foreign owned companies is simply sending the message that Nigerian education has not provided the engineers and other construction workers who can independently run companies that can independently embark on massive projects.

As at now,our best brains are at best employed by the foreign owned companies.

Having had political independence,all other sections of our national life should be made to become independent.
A nation where about 70% of her people are very poor and are dependent on less than 5% of more successful family members for sustenance and look to governments and humanitarian groups for palliatives is far from independence.

We should reverse this trend immediately. If not,Nigeria will be like an old poor man who achieved nothing or a rich evil man who did evil but now about to die regretting how he lived his life.

It is a pity that Nigeria is not yet old to know what to do to reverse the process of being dependent on donor nations and international lenders to take care of her people.

The government in power right now has the intellectual capacity to reverse the trend.

Bishop Charles Ighele is the General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission (The Happy Family Nation).He is based in Lagos,Nigeria.