The Nigeria We Want -By Abdulrasaq kamaldeen

It’s no longer a gain saying that Nigeria is a land of blessing. Despite the country suffering from political, economic and security epilepsy, the greatness of Nigeria is obvious even to the blind.

But it’s now a big illusion to even refer to Nigeria as the giant of Africa. From economic headache to political and security breakdowns, Nigeria is still far from becoming the country we all crave for.

Instead of a comfort zone our dear country is now a dead zone. Behind Afghanistan and Iraq, Nigeria was rated the 3rd worst country with insecurity in the world in 2020 by the GTI. And no fewer than 8372 people lost their lives to security challenges in Nigeria in 2021.

Right from the time immemorial, security has been one of the most indispensable necessities for mankind. Guarding privacy and ensuring the safety of dear ones has remained an ancient culture for a man.

Therefore, it is a famous obligation for any government to protect the lives and properties of its citizens. That’s the Nigeria we want in the security structure.

Our government needs to provide effective security and equip our forces with lethargic weapons to be able to eradicate the issue of terrorism that has put fear in the mind of Nigerians and the country at large.

Should we talk about the education sector ? The system is not smiling for the common man. Education in Nigeria must be a right not a privilege; the right to education must be free so that lower-class people will have the opportunity to learn and be educated to be among those who hold the pinnacle of leadership.

Several countries such as Brazil, Norway, Germany, Sweden among others are practicing and encouraging free education in their periphery and those countries have excelled with the policy. Thus, recognition of free education without class and gender

discrimination must be crucial in Nigeria.

Because free education is one of the factors that will improve other sectors in the country, which will help to eradicate illiteracy and improve the literacy level in the country. It also serves as a tool to reduce the poverty rate in the country in which university education will provide jobs and other opportunities for people.

Also, we want a Nigeria where primary health care of the citizens should be guaranteed. Some areas in Nigeria are suffering from health issues due to the lack of improperly equipped medical instruments or the shortage of staff in the hospitals that will attend to the patients. For prevention of disease and quick care of patients, we want a Nigerian government that would encourage and recognize free service for everyone to hinder contagious diseases and avoid untimely death in the country.

Furthermore, we want a corruption free Nigeria. Because the rate which corruption has eaten deep in governance of Nigeria has clicked a stratospheric proportion. We crave for a country based on meritocracy, not on ‘connectioncracy.’ It doesn’t look good for a first-class graduate to miss a job opportunity, just because of a lack of long legs.

We also want Nigeria where the government would recognize the myriad establishment of factories that will manufacture natural resources, for the creation of these factories will make many Nigerians to be employed and will even fasten development of the economy in Nigeria.