There are some who believe that there is not much to celebrate on Nigeria's 60th anniversary. But Nigerian activist Maryam Laushi pins her hope for a better future on the resilience of the country's youth.
Nigeria gained independence from colonial rule on October 1, 1960. It was a time of great excitement for Nigerians, who were bursting with ideas for what they could accomplish as an independent nation. In 1963, Nigeria adopted a new constitution and became a republic, with Nnamdi Azikiwe as president and Tafawa Balewa as prime minister. At this point, the country still had a semblance of democracy.
Nigerian activist Maryam Laushi
In 1966, army officers made a move to overthrow the government. Several other coups followed. A civil war led to unimaginable loss of life and harsh dictatorial regimes. Nigeria returned to civilian rule in May of 1999, when Olusegun Obasanjo was elected and sworn in as president. Since the return to democracy, Nigeria has had regular elections every four years. Some have argued that they were not free and fair, but others believe they were democratic.
Over the decades, Nigerian citizens have lived through tumultuous times due to high unemployment rates, insecurity in more than one region of the country and ethnic as well as religious bigotry. When considering Nigeria's achievements since independence, there's not much to celebrate. The country is still struggling to meet the needs of its citizens and become a front runner in developing infrastructure, the economy and the society.
Problems galore
The question of why this is so needs to be asked. One reason is that disunity caused by ethnic and religious bigotry conditioned the choices available for elective positions within major parties. They have also affected public opinion in selecting who to vote for. Another reason is corruption, which has plagued almost every administration since independence. It is proving to be deeply rooted, a harsh reality that has yet to be changed.
Despite all the problems faced by a country still struggling to define its identity, Nigeria's has a valuable asset: its young people and their resilience. Young Nigerians have chosen to fight injustice in new ways and the results are clear for all to see.
Take Kiki Mordi, who was instrumental in exposing the "Sex for Grades" scandal, where female university students were pressed by lecturers in their schools to exchange sex for passing grades. After the documentary was aired, the Nigerian Senate passed a sexual harassment bill to fight the abuse; there is still a long way to go, but the impact is already evident.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Muhammadu Buhari
Many Nigerians are pinning their hopes on Nigeria's new president, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, who won a landslide victory on March 28 defeating President Goodluck Jonathan.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was elected chief minister of a coalition government in 1957, retaining the post as prime minister after independence in 1960. His government was troubled by regional factionalism. Nigeria has three dominant ethnic groups Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. His work in furthering an indigenous African identity earned respect. He was killed in a military coup in January 1966.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Nnamdi Azikiwe
A key figure in modern Nigerian nationalism, Nnamdi Azikiwe was the country's second and last governor general from 1960 to 1963. He became the first president of a federal republic of Nigeria, which was established in 1963. Azikiwe was ousted in 1966, leaving politics after another military coup some 17 years later. He died in May 1996.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi seized power in a military coup in January 1966 which led to the downfall of the First Republic. He suspended much of the constitution and sought to turn federal Nigeria into a single state. He was assassinated in yet another coup on July 29, 1966 after being office for just six months.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
General Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu Gowon came to power in the military coup that toppled Aguiyi-Ironsi and ruled Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. In 1967, Biafra ceded from Nigeria triggering a civll war. The blockade imposed by Nigeria led to famine. Over a million civilians died from hunger and fighting. Biafran forces surrendered in January 1970. General Yakubu Gowon was himself ousted in a coup. He turned 80 in 2014.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
General Murtala Ramat Mohammed
General Murtala Ramat Muhammed ruled Nigeria from July 1975 to February 1976. He commanded the 2nd Division of the Nigerian Army during the Biafran War. After spending less than a year in power, he was killed in February 1976 when his car was ambushed in Lagos.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Major General Olusegun Obasanjo
Major General Olusegun Obasanjo was the second-in-command to his predecessor Murtala Ramat Muhammed. Obasanjo governed Nigeria from 1976 until 1979 when he became the country's first military ruler to hand over power to a democratically elected civilian president, Shehu Shagari. Obasanjo was later a civilian president himself.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Alhaji Shehu Shagari
Alhaji Shehu Shagari (first from the left ) was the first and only president of Nigeria's Second Republic. Democratically elected in 1979, he campaigned under the banner 'One Nation, One Destiny." He faced allegations of corruption and electoral fraud and was succeeded by Major General Muhammadu Buhari after a coup. Shagari turned 90 in February 2015.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Major General Muhammadu Buhari
Major General Muhammadu Buhari was Nigeria's military ruler from December 1983 to August 1985. He is credited with fighting corruption and is remembered for his War Against Indiscipline. Critics accuse him of rights abuses. Buhari is the second military ruler after Olusegun Obasanjo to regain power in a civilian apacity. Like his predecessor, Buhari also lost power in a coup.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, or IBB, toppled Buhari in a bloodless coup and governed Nigeria from 1985 to 1993. Under his rule, a constitution for a Third Republic was drafted, but never enacted and presidential elections were held in June '93. MKO Abiola was the unofficial winner in a surprisingly free and fair poll. Banangida annulled the elections. He turned 73 in 2014.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Ernest Shonekan
Ernest Shonekan (center) was appointed interim president of Nigeria on August 26, 1993 by General Ibrahim Babangida who was under pressure to cede control of the country to a civilian government. Shonekan was in power for less than three months before he was toppled by his defense secretary, Sani Abacha.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
General Sani Abacha
Under General Sani Abacha (1993 to 1998) Nigeria saw strong economic growth, but also widespread rights abuses. Criticism grew more vocal after the hanging of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995. After Abacha's death, Swiss authorities said almost all of the $500 million (457 million euros) linked to him in frozen bank accounts was 'obviously of criminal origin.'
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
General Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Abubakar ruled Nigeria from June 1998 to May 1999. On taking office, he promised to hold elections within a year and transfer power to an elected president. To the surprise of some of his critics, he kept his word. Under his regime, Nigeria adopted a new constitution. This was the start of the Fourth Republic and military rule came to an end. In 2014, he turned 72.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Olusegun Obasanjo
Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military ruler, was elected president in a democratic poll in 1999. He was the candidate for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and garnered almost 63 percent of the vote. He was reelected for a second term in 2003. He is credited with promoting Nigeria's prosperity and development. In 2015, he turned 78.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua
As the candidate for People's Democratic Party, Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua was elected president in 2007 in disputed polls which his rivals, Muhammadu Buhari (All Nigeria Peoples Party) and Atiku Abubakar (Action Congress) sought to have annulled. 'Yar Adua left Nigeria in November 2009, reportedly for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. He returned in 2010 and died in May of that year.
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Nigeria's post-independence leaders
Goodluck Jonathan
Vice President Jonathan became acting president when 'Yar Adua left the country in 2009 and was sworn in as president on his death. Jonathan triumphed over Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 election. He redeemed his uneven record as president by gracefully conceding defeat to Buhari in the 2015 poll, easing the way for an unprecedented peaceful transition of power from government to opposition.
Author: Pinado Abdu waba and Ahmed Salisu
Another young Nigerian making a difference is Hauwa Ojeifo, who recently launched virtual groups online for mental health support. Victor Ugo is also fighting to provide mental health support through his foundation, Mentally Aware.
Eyes on the future
In the world of business, many young Nigerians are giving their best not only to survive, but also to provide a livelihood for others working for their companies.
While the debate over Nigeria's past achievements is interesting, a more pressing question is: What can Nigeria do to help ensure that its young people can compete on the world stage and what is the best way to create an environment where they don't just survive, but can also thrive?
If the government of Nigeria wants its young people to have a better future than is currently possible, it has to ensure the safety of its population. The country is plagued by insecurity. The permanent feeling of not being safe is crippling, and the situation is not helped by the high number of deaths caused by banditry and violent extremists.
Nigeria's youth is resilient but needs to be supported to thrive
Democracy needs to be inclusive
Another important step is instituting consultative governance. This would incorporate the needs and opinions of the country's young people, women and all Nigerians down to grassroots level. Until the democratic rights of Nigerians are taken seriously, Nigeria's democracy will not get ahead. And in order for progress to be achieved, a more inclusive government or governance system needs to be established.
Entrepreneurs need an environment conducive to business growth. Taxes shouldn't be exorbitant and neither should bureaucratic fees. The government should provide essential services like functioning electric power, access to the internet, easier access to national and international markets, stronger institutions to support all business processes and even a reform of the civil service.
Nigeria should be working towards building a sustainable future, remedying its ills rather than doctoring symptoms. Young Nigerians, as well as older ones, hope for a future where inequality gaps can be closed, society in general can be more inclusive, so they will live in a country that cares for them.
Maryam Laushi is a Nigerian activist who is behind the Not Too Young To Run lead campaign. She has been awarded several prizes for her efforts to raise awareness on gender equality, social justice and youth inclusion in politics.
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