My dream Nigeria; How I Want My Country To Be -By Bashir Abdulhayat

NIGERIA OF MY DREAM

Nigeria my beloved country, a great nation of great people would be a nation, full of peace and happiness. A Country where people can move about freely to do their activities, without being attacked by bandits, citizens can travel from all geographical zones without being kidnapped.

I dream that Nigeria would be a state where almost all of its citizens become educated, students can enroll into four years program and finish in due time.

In the Nigeria of my dream, I see it become scientifically and technologically powerful, economically developed so that people live simple life.

Furthermore, I have a dream that Nigeria would be a country where the rule of law is respected by all, in spite of one’s social or economic status.
People respect one another irrespective of ethno religious background and live in unity.

I dream to see Nigeria where offenders that commit crimes are caught and punished accordingly so that it can serve as a lesson to others.

However, I hold the view of the Nigeria of my dream through the following ways:

INSECURITIES

Nigeria stands on unity and faith, peace and progress. It is the country whose citizens live united despite the diversity of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Give societies rights and privileges according to their culture and population; this is one of the means of bringing unity.

Nigeria is now a country where almost everyone feels unsecured, on the road, robbery and kidnapping, in the market snatchers everywhere, at home bandits.

I dream that Nigeria has no more insecurities, social conflicts, ethnicity, banditry, kidnapping, robbery and terrorist attacks. In my dream I see those culprits being caught and punished.

This can be achieved by making appropriate laws on anybody found in one way or the other taking part in those bad societal habits.

Strengthening the security system by recruiting many security officers, giving them all necessary equipment and financial support can help to curb the menace of insecurity and social violence in the country.

EDUCATION

In the Nigeria of my dream, I see the educational system become one of the best in the entire world. Student can now be admitted easily and peacefully without bribing anybody or the use of godfathers. A system where four years course is being completed in three years, examination malpractice becomes a history of the past.

Furthermore, I dream that the archive of teachers strike have being completely wiped out. Institutions can no longer go on strikes, schools well equipped, staffed, technically and scientifically polished, producing skillful and intelligent students.

However, there is need for all to know the importance of quality education. It is the best method that focuses on physical, social, economic, emotional and behavioral, development of any society. So, education should be well supported and promoted by all means in the Nigeria of my dream.

I have ever dreamt that students from Nigeria never go overseas for their education and students from all over the world are coming to Nigeria for their studies.

Therefore to achieve this, government should put a good percentage of budgetary allocation to the education sector, enough to construct additional schools and ensure proper maintenance of the existing ones.

Teachers’ salaries shall be increased so that they can teach with fashionand determination to nurture the next coming generations. The government should put all it takes to avoid teachers strike.

Enough modern teaching and learning facilities shall be provided at all levels of education and ensure the appropriate use of the material.

EMPOWERMENT

Any society that abandons the youth shall be in the state of permanent backwardness. This is because the youth are the panacea to the problems of the society of any kind. They are like the ingredients for the sweetness and aroma of a dish.

In the Nigeria of my dream, I see the youth and women are being empowered and are given full attention in government and its institutions. The youth and women are the backbone of the society. I see them being empowered with skills, entrepreneurship trainings and seed funding for the sustainable and economic development of the country.

This would help in development of intellectuals, creative minds and innovations that will lead the country in to scientific and technological competitions with the rest of the nations of the world.

YOUTHS AND WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS

Moreover, I see in the Nigeria of my dream, the young men and women in the seats of local government chairmen, house of assemblies, senators, governors and sets of political office holders.

The youths shall be given a chance to design the roadmap that would define the future of the country, the map that will put the nation on to the road of social, physical, economic growth and development thus, making it a better place full of opportunities.

This can be achieved by giving special reserves, financial supports and proper guidance on politics and government procedures. It will give them a room to serve with patriotic mind and altruism.

Also, allowing the youth and women to lead means that a lot of ideas, talents and deliberations can be digested on the way to achieve ultimate development of the Nigeria of my dream.

CORRUPTION

This is a dishonest and illegal act, exhibited by people in power of a position to get some personal benefits, using the office or position they represent.

Corruption is the major killer of Nigeria’s economic growth and development. I dream of Nigeria where laws and orders are above everybody. Leaders are put into public offices in spite of religion, tribe or social status. Leaders that are well educated tested and trusted for integrity, honesty and dedication.

I have a dream that those leaders are peacefully elected by the citizens not selected by the privileged few, leaders with humility in their heart so that they can take all necessary actions to seeing to the wellbeing of the people, economic growth and capital development of the country.

Furthermore, I see in my dream that, officers on the roads, does not collect pay pass from the drivers. Job seekers do not give connectors; money to the interviewers in the name of bribe, security agents became the best friend to the people in the country of my dream.

Therefore this can be achieved by strictly exercising the rule of law. The country laws and orders should be no respecter of anybody. The country should implement rewards for the good deeds and punishments for the reverse case.
Let us join hands and say no to corruption in Nigeria.

POVERTY

The Nigeria of my dream shall be a nation free from poverty. This will ensure healthy and peaceful living, growth and sustainable development of the country. Poverty impedes a lot of potentials in Nigeria, bringing about malnutrition, death and fueled terrorism.

However, it is heartbreaking that a large percentage of Nigerian citizens are still living in abject poverty despite the abundance of resources in the country. The system or pattern of leadership of the country makes it very hard for the poor to survive with two, one or nil square meal a day.

The mighty resources we have in the country become like an heir to the privileged ones. The masses neither see the goodness of the resources nor benefiting from it, they only hear the news about those resources and the money generated from it, over the radio.So, Nigeria shall be a place where poverty is buried, corruption, greediness, insecurity and unemployment being defeated. I want Nigeria of my dream to be a visiting place for people from other countries so as to see and emulate from us.

For that to happen, the government need to put a lot of efforts to address unemployment, ensure equity in the distribution of resources available in all regions and ensure the resources reach both the rural areas in particular.

UNEMPLOYMENT

In the kingdom of idle men, the devil becomes the royal king. There is no peaceful living in the country with high level of unemployment.

Moreover, population, bad leadership, corruption, state of our education and lack of industrialization, refuses to get out of my mind when we talk about unemployment in Nigeria. They are the causes of how we are today in terms of unemployment.

In the Nigeria of my dream, I see it became a seat of entrepreneurship, a country well industrialized and citizen full of useful skills marching the work of any company in any country.

Therefore, the government shall encourage investors in to the country, give loans and training to in house investors, encourage entrepreneurship by creating more skills acquisition centers and making industrialization one of its top priorities.

AGRICULTURE

Farming is one the first best source of fund in a state, besides being the ultimate source of food. A quite number of people especially rural areas depend on agriculture as the means of livelihood.

Yet there are a lot of problems of agricultural development in Nigeria. These include the inadequate land, flood, drought, poor financial status and illiteracy of the farmers. Most of the farmers have no idea about modern farming systems; they have little or no capital to buy enough seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and other farming tools.

They do the work manually; the processing and storage facilities are also unaffordable or inadequate.

However, in the Nigeria of my dream, I see farmers fed with knowledge of modern farming approaches. They no longer use their energy manually in farming operations.

I dreamt that Nigeria became one of the top exporters of quality agricultural produce, one of the major sources of revenue and rural farmers can raise shoulders that they are now in the class of the rich.

Therefore, this can be achieved by adequate provision of basic amenities such as water, electricity, healthcare to the rural area because, it is part of the problem farmers are facing in rural areas.

Government should provide modern facilities in subsidized rate to the farmers. They should be well educated on farming systems, giving interest free loans to actual farmers.

Improved and resistant variety seeds should be provided. Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers shall be given free or at a very low
price to the farmers. There should be a control in price and provision of insurance policies to farmers.

HEALTHCARE

Nigeria has a very good healthcare system plans but proper implementation of those plans have been a problem devilling the country’s development in public health.

Moreover, public health issues such as poor hygiene and sanitation, maternal and infant mortality, environmental pollution, spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases, drug abuse, doctors strike and poorly trained personal; are the matters of concern.

I dream of Nigeria where an essential healthcare based on scientifically and cultural acceptable ways were made accessible to individuals and families in the community at affordable cost that very body can maintain at every stage of their development and financial status.

I see the future Nigeria became one of the cleanest nations of the world. Hygiene and sanitation were assured. Communicable diseases where controlled to the best and lifestyle changes were in practical so as to avoid non communicable diseases.

It is disheartening to see that the rich and the leaders rushing to overseas for treatment and even medical checkup, while the poor is left either to survive or die.

Therefore, there is need to strengthen the healthcare system in Nigeria so as to achieve an essential care stated above. The government should ensure the provision of adequate healthcare facilities with well-equipped and trained personnel, drugs should be provided and at affordable cost to the people.

Attention should be given to the children, women and vulnerable as they are at very potential risks of diseases. Adequate hygiene and sanitation policies should be formed and maintained at all levels of government and
communities should be well engaged.

Government should reduce out of pocket health services payments to the citizens through financial risks protection schemes. Enough budgetary provision shall be made on health care; prevention is better than cure they say.

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Nigeria has being suffering from the poor infrastructures which are essential for the economic growth and development. Lack of constant electricity supply, brings a lot of setbacks in our daily businesses and works, bad roads make transports hard and expensive, poor drinking water spreads diseases to the population. Poor housing is also a big dilemma.
Therefore infrastructural development is the foremost driver for progress, productivity and sustainable economic growth. There would be no progress in a country with poor infrastructures.

I dream of Nigeria where there is uninterruptible power supply. A country with cross linkage of good quality tarred roads to even rural areas, so that no potholes, bumps and all sorts of road patches.

Water hygiene was ensured and housing unit system was introduced to all states, local governments, towns and villages in the Nigeria of my dream.

However, these can be achieved by provision of an ultimate source of electricity, such as uranium, creating more hydroelectric power stations and above all, the use of solar energy.

Public Private Partnership can be helpful in funding and provision of good infrastructures in Nigeria.

However, I see in my dream that deforestation and environmental calamities were prevented conservation of biodiversity and natural resources are being encouraged.

Finally, in the Nigeria of my dream, I see the citizens became patriotic, skilled and educated working tirelessly to seeing the economic and social development of the country. In the Nigeria of my dream, I see the leaders fulfilled the promises they have being doing to the citizens of the giant of Africa.

God bless Nigeria.

Bashir Abdulhayat
Student at Federal University dutse
bashirabdulhayat4@gmail.com