Nigeria in Recession, How we got Here

56 years gone, and Nigeria lands in recession. I mean seriously, change is inevitable. The giant of Africa who depends greatly on petroleum has been sent to a detriment, owing to the fact that the country at large depends greatly on petroleum.

If you look closely, after civilization with the prospects presented by our past leaders to the British it was assumed that we could do well on our own but with religious crises, crude oil vandalism, Niger delta avengers, Boko haram, Nigeria has gotten to a state of turmoil.

Everybody is trying to make ends meet daily. It was estimated that an average Nigerian family survives on a dollar daily …(that was before the rise in dollar). What would then be said about now. That the dollar has hiked up due to our economic meltdown.

Food prices are on the increase, I get that at first the inflation was surmised and legislation was passed out to decrease the importation of goods that could be produced in this country. Yet I know as Nigerians we have to survive.

How did we get here?
Let’s not blame our government, they are a body and we are all a part of it. I don’t think one person sitting on that sit changes the fact that we have corrupt people in the society.

The likes of the former Minister of Petroleum show the masses that corruption is the leading order of the day, although the current regime is trying to avert that thought. Though Buhari placing the fight against corruption a priority has left out a lot of necessities not worked on.

Most people are trying to get something free from the government in an ugly manner. Let’s not get started with the ghost workers, people like you and I did that and are collecting large chunks of money for themselves. Take a look at our educational sector, striking. I mean how is that even helping coupled with the fact that the lecturers find pleasure failing students. How are people going to aspire to go further, when most times their hard work is futile and mismanaged. Everybody is just mediocre because nobody is working to develop, we are just consumer minded.

Let’s talk about fake, look at our famous aba market. If Nigerians weren’t so corrupt a lot of good things would be produced from that place. We don’t care about quality, we abide with quantity and therefore are so into the make money quick assumptions.

Moving on to our agricultural sector, which has being abandoned for years, ‘no profit being a farmer’ ideology has grown in our minds. Everybody wants a white collared job, We are not even producing enough for our masses that we import food. I mean with all the giant of Africa we still import petty things like food?.

Our industries are not well established. A country with rich men like Dangote and yet we are deprived of a lot of opportunities. Money has been allocated to a lot of things before, but we still don’t see these things why?
The nigerian population is doubling with time. What are we teaching the youths and the general public and the world at large about this country. US citizens are scared of coming over here to invest because of our famous kidnappers.
These are just a few things lacking that the masses are pointing out.

Let’s look on the bright side, we are getting more aware daily, but the not so bright side is selfishness is still growing within us and people still want to go for that sit and take more money.

Let’s not be so quick to forget that the President is so keen on agricultural products. These could help our GDP massively if Nigerians can concentrate on these and stop complaining unnecessarily. Corruption is our major problem so far and buhari resigning doesn’t mean the next person would be different.

We should stop comparing ourselves to all these developed countries and work together to achieve a great nation.
Wealth can be generated in nigeria if we just try harder.

E go better for NIGERIA.

Ojo Odoh, a model and designer who has a knack for writing writes in from Jos on the state of the Nation.

Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only