Nigeria is at a major junction that demands our personal and corporate convictions and preferred destination. Israel Emmanuel in his book, The Shift of a Lifetime: Moving a Generation from Survival to Significance, summons us, especially the most of the present ‘mid-life’ generation he called “Andrew and Duro” to make an ideological difference in our lifetime. According to him, Nigerians ‘are at the crossroads of Survival, Success and Significance.’ A new destiny is about to emerge in Nigeria but we must know where we are coming from, where we are and why, and where we are going to and how? The independence dividend and expectations of the Nigerian Post-Independence Generation born between 1935 and 1950 was very limited. This generation, as children towards the end of the Second World War were mere spectators under the British colonial masters who ‘were heavily involved around the world.’

Special thanks to some of the Pre-Independence Generation, parents of the Post-Independence Generation like the Governor General Chief Dr Nnamid Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Patriarch Professor Bolaji Idowu, Alhaji Tafa Balewa, Pa Enahoro, Okotie Eboh, Sir Oba Adesoji Aderemi and many others. With their exposure to the western education, politics, and major causes of the World War, they developed a political ideology for a prosperous and united Nigeria. Our Pre-Independence Generation used farming products like cocoa trading to build the Cocoa House in Ibadan, the Western House in London, now Nigeria House. They established farm settlement, universities and most especially the Nigerian Television Authority which began broadcasting on 31 October 1959 under the name Western Nigerian Government Broadcasting Corporation (WNTV) with Olapade Obisesan as its first Chairman. It was based in Ibadan and was the first television station in Tropical Africa. Our Pre-Independence Generation developed Nigeria’s Independence dividend and not disaster despite the first decade of challenges of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).

What was a dividend of Independence to Nigeria through our Pre-Independence Generation was followed with a disaster led by the Post-Independence Generation, home and abroad. The young Nigerians who travelled abroad were given ‘the best education in order to fill the gaps that the white man would leave …’ and they ‘did not require a visa to travel to the UK during the time,’ as a member of the British Commonwealth. What was to be a dividend of independence through the Post-Independence Generation emerged into a dichotomy of disaster, greed and corruption. The Post-Independence Generation who travelled abroad acquired double nationality and those at home remained single nationality with their children. This disparity and dichotomy continue to promote brain drain in every sector of Nigeria development. The oil boom that followed the Nigerian Civil War was to be another major dividend of our Independence but, became a major disaster we are yet to recover from because of the greed of our political elite. The intervention of the military regime again nearly eradicated the dividend of Nigerian Independence with continuous looting of Nigerian common-wealth and money stocked in the western nations.

Oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1957 but till date, there is no functional refinery in Nigeria. We still export our crude oil and import refined oil for our domestic usage. Under the leadership of our Post-Independence Generation with no ideology, ‘in the space of four years, Nigeria went from the glories of national prosperity to the ashes of national poverty.’ Using the words of Emmanuel, I was part of the ‘neglected the growing Andrew and Duro Generation,’ punishing us ‘almost every year for their critical stance by closing their University for months at a time,’ coupled with ‘lecturers who were protesting against low incomes and poor working conditions.’ Our Independence dividend of equality in our national currency and British pounds due to lack of national vision and ideology by the Post-Independence Generation is a disaster to the present exchanged rates. Most of the developments and social amenities provided by our Pre-Independence Generation are now in bad conditions. A major disaster now is when political positions, titles, and difference in our countries of birth becomes the main distinction that determines our fates. According to Emmanuel, ‘while Nigeria deteriorated, the Andrew and Duro Generation occupied itself with how to check out of the country.’ Those who are not able to check out are increasingly becoming idle hands, kidnapping, robbery and conflict instruments. A major developing disaster is the rising of the working age share of the population which could also become a window of opportunity as youth dependence increases with good political ideology.

According to a report, Nigeria, The Next Generation, ‘many of Nigeria’s young people are locked out of the labour market’ but they are open to political thuggery, kidnapping and robbery. The reflection is that ‘Countries can only collect their dividend if young workers are healthy, adequately educated, and able to find productive employment. Robust financial markets help too, allowing adults to save for their retirement while generating the capital that can provide a further boost to growth. All this requires an effective government, a strong society, and relatively high levels of peace and security. If these factors are not in place, a country will miss its opportunity. The damage may be subtle at first, with decades of under performance followed by crisis as the baby boom generation reaches retirement. The results may also be much more dramatic, as large cohorts of unemployed or underemployed young people destabilise their societies, fuelling crime and creating conditions where civil conflict becomes more likely. Instead of collecting a dividend,’ Nigeria, an increasingly urban country is experiencing disaster. We need a redirection that promoted Independence dividend especially in the twenty-first century when oil is no longer the most valuable resource in the global market. The campaign for change must first be personal before becoming corporate. How long shall we continue to sell our voting power to the seduction of the greedy and corrupt Post-Independence Generation’s cup of rice? How do we elect and refocus a government with human face policy and ideology on the need for a conducive environment for job creation especially for our restless young people, care for old people and vulnerable Nigerians? Arise and be part of the change in Nigeria. Say NO to governments wastage.