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Whither Nigeria @ 61?

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After 61 years of Independence, the deplorable state of Nigeria has remained ubiquitous; insecurity, hatred, suspicion, dread of implosion, collapsing economy, disunity, authoritarianism, and deprivation, among others, are the talking points. So far, the optimistic followers of the tradition of “unity in diversity” are striving with the majority to encourage the country to revert to proper federal practice. In rural dwellings dominated by insurgents, bandits and militiamen, the facts on the ground have surpassed the debates. 
Nigeria’s history is a narrative of a volatile union. Just as countries with disparate cultures, linguistic groups and nations are compelled to remain together, so is Nigeria confronted with survival challenges. Building a state is a long way off; the country has failed and has been taken by all kinds of criminals, and Nigerian society is in extraordinary unease. The harmful mixture of tribe, religion and corruption governs public sector affairs. 
A political science professor, Femi Mimiko, once said: “Ours is the textbook definition of state capture, where a tiny governing elite runs the system in its interest and for its good. It is a system of political and economic exclusion, which fuels anger, and a feeling of marginalisation.” We agree no less with the submission of the erudite scholar. His thought simply reflects our true state. 
The goals of a state — the protection of lives and property, the well-being of citizens, the realisation of individual and collective potential — are few and far between, and the situation is deteriorating daily. Erected on a foundation of oppression, fraud and a rigged administrative system, unity and inclusion have consistently been elusive. Never since before and after the Nigerian Civil War have the ethnic nationalities and major faiths been so mutually inimical. 
Built on a tripod, the country had three active regions that competed successfully in terms of socio-economic development and the emancipation of their citizens. These regions were North, East and West. The North covered all parts of the 19 present-day Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Eastern Region had all the five states of the South-East geo-political zone including Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom. The Western Region comprised the six present-day states of the South-West zone, some parts of which were Lagos, Edo and Delta States. In 1963, through a referendum, a fourth region — Mid-West (covering present-day Edo and Delta) was carved out of the Western Region. Then, the nascent Nigerian nation was the envy of the world as the regions, embedded in fiscal federalism, struggled to out-do one another in terms of the provision of world-class infrastructure and facilities, and the welfare of their peoples. 
However, political apathy set in and undermined virtually everything: crime has become massive, spotlighting a 12-year-old terrorist insurgency, heavily armed and organised bandits, Fulani herdsmen-militants converging in the country from all over West, North and Central Africa, kidnappers, cult gangs, growing separatist agitations and brutal gangsters. The Governors of Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, and Sokoto States previously conceded that bandits were controlling swathes of territory like the terrorists who once controlled 28 local government areas in the North-East. 
The economy has for decades defied solutions, kept alive only by oil revenues obtained from the Niger Delta region and inequitably distributed by the 36 states, the FCT and the central government. This culture of sharing makes states indolent, ineffective and parasitical. At 61, Nigeria cannot claim to be pursuing its political integration or social commitment. In key areas of life, the miseries of missed targets are notable. Elections are a war, usually a farce. Courts repeatedly decide “winners” mostly on technicalities. 
Many states and the Federal Government are in debt. The exchange rate, which was 71 kobo per dollar in 1960, 89 kobo in 1985, N22 in 1993, and N92 at the start of the Fourth Republic in 1999, has shot through the roof. Now, the dollar is officially traded for, at least, N410, and N560 on the parallel market. For a country heavily dependent on external sources for almost every need, including what it can produce, such as petroleum products, this is an economic disaster. 
Domestic manufacturing has declined badly, causing terrible unemployment. At the time of Independence, the unemployment rate was 6.6%; however, due to the hovering population with no clinical plan to manage it, the country is faced with an exceptional unemployment time bomb. Today, our combined unemployment and underemployment rate is 55.7%. The textile industry hired 60,000 people in 1970; 165,000 in 1980; and peaked at 250,000 in 1985. But in 2015, it had just 5,000 employees. Today, that number is estimated to have further dropped by half. 
Corruption is a monster that cannot be ignored. The Human Environment Development Agency has stated that Nigeria lost $600billion to corruption between 1960 and 2019. The efforts of successive regimes in the fight against corruption have failed miserably. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) concluded that corruption has the potential to cost Nigeria up to 37 per cent of GDP by 2030. The result has been mass poverty. 
In 2018, Nigeria surpassed India to become the world’s extreme poverty capital. The living standards of 80million of its citizens were below the threshold of $1.90 per day. The World Poverty Clock had projected that by mid-2020, this number would rise to 105million. This makes life expectancy as low as 55 years, ranking fifth in the world. In 1960, Nigeria’s peers; Cuba, Singapore and Malaysia were 78, 83 and 76 years, respectively. UNICEF reports that our country is now the world’s capital of under-five deaths, taking over from India. 
As the foundation of social development, education is a mess. Although Nigeria today has 161 (82 public, no less than 79 private) universities, and only the University of Ibadan and the University of Nigeria at the time of Independence, the country has about the most negative distinction of having the most out-of-school children in the world. By 2018, the illiteracy rate was 62percent, which is a huge problem. Also, with a population of over 200million, and a central police force of about 370,000 (representing approximately 1 policeman to 541 citizens), most Nigerians are virtually unpoliced. 
The rating of the Fragile States Index (previously the Failing Countries Index) published by the United States think tank, Fund For Peace (FFP), reflects the country’s horrible performance. Because of factors such as a weak or ineffective central government losing control of parts of its territory, lack of public services, widespread corruption, crime, refugees, and continued economic adversity, Nigeria was ranked the 14th most vulnerable country globally. All the social, economic and political considerations mentioned by the FFP are present in their entirety. Politically, the country no longer has any legitimacy. 
Nigeria stands proud as a federation. But in all honesty, it cannot say it is practising anything close to true federalism. Besides Lagos and Rivers, other states are wholly dependent on statutory allocations. We have a centralised police and correctional (prisons) system, creating an anomalous situation where, for instance, a person commits a state offence; he is arrested by federal police, tried by a state court, and sentenced to a federal correctional facility. Our federalism is abnormal. Its content suggests a unitary system. 
During an interdenominational church service in commemoration of the 61st Independence Anniversary at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, which was held in Port Harcourt, last Sunday, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, succinctly captured the mood of the nation when he declared that Nigeria was at such point of extinction that only God, not man, could reverse the impending disintegration. He said it was unfortunate that at the age of 61, Nigeria had continued to struggle with leadership failure. 
Hear him: “This is the time Nigeria needs God more. The country is gone. Insecurity everywhere. Everyone needs to say, God, we need you because man’s leadership has failed this country. At 61 years, Nigeria is full of enmity, full of divisions, hatred, ethnicity, a country that cannot put itself together. Everybody has responsibility, so ask yourself questions, have I played my own part?” Absolutely! Bad leadership and followership account for plenty of our misfortunes. To achieve the Nigeria of our dream, our leaders at all levels must act right while the followers must hold them accountable. 
Time has come to undertake the reforms needed to return to the pre-1966 era of autonomy, with the 36 states as autonomous and efficient sub-national units. Nobel Prize laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the country was falling apart and needed to be fixed urgently to avert implosion, though Obasanjo missed the opportunity to reform Nigeria. Some, like Cardinal John Onaiyekan, and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, believe the main national issue should be restructuring and not the 2023 elections. Of course, they are right! 
There is an urgent need for the National Assembly to review and amend the 1999 Constitution to reflect the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians today, as the present Constitution does not address the fundamental issues of justice, equity and fairness. There is no question that the Constitution, produced by the military, contains several defects that must be corrected. What Nigerians desire is a people’s Constitution that complies with democratic norms and principles. The proposed Constitution must enshrine the cardinal principles of true federalism, the devolution of powers and the rule of law. 
It is either the country reforms or breaks up. To avoid disintegration, the union must be intrinsically reworked into competitive federalism in which all units become productive, manage and take their destiny in their hands. But is there a will?  Somehow, the critical mass is galvanising in many parts of the country to save it from collapsing. But the groups that are imperiously standing against restructuring, especially the Northern elite, should not push other nationalities to a position where negotiation becomes impossible and secession inevitable. 
Therefore, at 61 years, Nigeria must take proactive actions to resolve the many vexatious issues waiting to tear the nation apart. First, it must resolve the current Value Added Tax (VAT) collection imbroglio in favour of states. The judiciary, through the matter instituted by Rivers State Government, has already shown that it is the right direction to go. The Federal Government should therefore stop fighting the will of the people and constitutional provisions on the collection of VAT and other taxes. 
The constitutional amendment process at the National Assembly must also accommodate e-transmission of election results and put stringent measures in place to check fraudulent activities before, during and after elections. The Federal Government must implement reforms in the oil and gas sector that underpin fairness and justice for the people that bear the brunt of exploration and production operations. The Presidency must ensure political inclusion of minority groups in key public offices and strategic military and para-military command leadership positions. Stakeholders at all tiers of government must jettison corruption, nepotism and tribalism, and entrench rule of law in public life to drive good governance and ensure that the governments are accountable to the people. Above all, the security forces must exterminate acts of terrorism, banditry, gangsterism, and kidnapping in Nigeria.

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Reforming Nigeria’s Prison Crises

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The news of the Koton Karfe prison break in Kogi State, were met with a degree of resignation, underscores a
deeply troubling and recurrent crisis within Nigeria’s correctional system. The escape of 12 inmates, despite the swift recapture of a few, serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities plaguing these facilities. This incident is not an isolated event, but rather the latest chapter in a well-documented history of prison breaches across the country.
From the Ikoyi riot in 2004 to the more recent, and devastating, escapes linked to the #EndSARS protests, the pattern is clear: Nigerian prisons are struggling to maintain security and prevent inmates from absconding. The chilling detail of an escaped inmate immediately murdering a witness further highlights the grave consequences and potential societal impact of these failures. The sheer scale of the problem, with over 5,238 inmates escaping during 15 jailbreaks in just two years, demands urgent and comprehensive attention.
Nigeria’s correctional system is in dire need of comprehensive and urgent reform, as evidenced by a confluence of deeply troubling issues. Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s observation regarding the increased frequency of jailbreaks since the transition from Nigeria Prisons Service to Nigeria Correctional Service highlights a systemic failure in maintaining secure facilities and rehabilitative programmes.
Furthermore, public trust is eroded by credibility crises, such as the alleged premature release of crossdresser Bobrisky in 2024, suggesting potential corruption or preferential treatment within the system. Adding to this already alarming situation is the overwhelming number of awaiting-trial inmates. Of the approximately 79,863 individuals currently incarcerated, a staggering 70 per cent (53,254) are yet to be convicted, pointing to severe inefficiencies and delays within the judicial process.
Perhaps, most damning is the revelation that children constitute a reported 30 per cent of the correctional population, a statistic that shames the nation and underscores the urgent need for age-appropriate justice and rehabilitation mechanisms, moving away from simply warehousing vulnerable youth within an overburdened and ineffective system.
The penal system, fundamentally toxic at its core, suffers from a crippling combination of systemic neglect and inherent flaws. Severely underfunded and perpetually overcrowded, prisons are often characterised by crumbling infrastructure, inadequate healthcare access, and absence of meaningful rehabilitation programmes. This confluence of detrimental factors cultivates an inhumane environment that actively undermines any potential for reform, instead fostering resentment and potentially hardening inmates into more serious criminals.
The strain on resources is painfully evident even in the most basic provisions, clearly illustrated by the inadequacy of feeding allowances. While the Federal Government’s recent increase of the daily allowance from N750 to N1,125 per inmate represents a step forward, it remains grossly insufficient to provide proper nutrition, showing the pervasive and deeply ingrained nature of the problem.
The justice system is plagued by systemic inefficiencies and ethical breaches, which creates a breeding ground for injustice and exacerbating societal problems. Unacceptable delays bog down the courts, compounded by archaic manual record-keeping systems that lead to lost files and impede the swift administration of justice. The integrity of evidence is further compromised by the alleged admission of forced confessions without proper verification, raising serious concerns about due process.
This flawed system allows for the regular arrest and detention of innocent individuals, who then suffer the indignity of prolonged incarceration. Compounding these issues are credible reports of dehumanising treatment of detainees, and allegations of collusion between security agents and magistrates to unlawfully prolong custody. These failures erode public trust and create a dangerous cycle, plausibly contributing to the rise in violent crime as prison escapees, potentially radicalised or hardened by their experiences, may resort to armed robbery, banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping.
The justice system’s deep-seated flaws cultivate a breeding ground for further crime and erode public safety. Crippled by systemic delays, reliance on antiquated manual processes, and the alarming acceptance of potentially coerced confessions, the system frequently fails to deliver justice and protect the innocent. The routine arrest of innocent individuals, followed by prolonged and unjust detention, points to a broken process ripe for exploitation. Dehumanising treatment within detention facilities, coupled with alleged collusion between security agents and magistrates to circumvent due process, fosters a climate of mistrust and fuels resentment.
This dysfunction extends beyond individual injustices, potentially contributing to broader societal problems. The escape of prisoners, some of whom may then engage in violent crimes demonstrates the tangible threat these failures pose to public safety. The tragic events at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, allegedly perpetrated by escaped ISWAP members, serve as an illustration of the devastating consequences stemming from a broken and permeable justice system.
The Nigerian prison system faces a multitude of challenges, but glimmers of hope shine through. The graduation of 1,229 inmates from the National Open University of Nigeria serves as powerful evidence of rehabilitation’s potential when individuals are afforded proper educational opportunities. To further bolster this potential and address systemic issues, a shift towards true federalism with devolved prison management is necessary.
If states and local government areas establish their own custodial centres, a decentralised system can be created where suspects are housed closer to their respective jurisdictions, potentially easing overcrowding at the federal level. Simultaneously, the Federal Government must deliver on its promise to construct new custodial centres and relocate existing ones from densely populated areas. This infrastructural improvement, coupled with a rigorous vetting process to prevent wrongful incarceration, will significantly reduce the burden on the system.
Nigeria should look beyond its borders, studying and adopting best practices in prison modernisation from countries with successful rehabilitation-focused correctional systems. By prioritising rehabilitation over mere punishment, and implementing strategic reforms, Nigeria can transform its correctional system into one that fosters positive change and contributes to a safer society.

 

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Easter: A Call For National Renewal

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Yesterday was Easter Sunday, a day when Christians around the world celebrate their belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being crucified and buried. The day is a moment for deep reflection and spiritual renewal. The Lenten season before Easter promotes self-examination, fasting, and prayers to help believers grow closer to God. This time of reflection leads to the joyful celebration of resurrection. The Risen Christ represents hope and the promise of life after death, highlighting themes of love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
For those who truly understand Easter as celebrating life’s victory over death, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth—unjustly executed by Roman authorities—represents justice overcoming injustice, love conquering hatred, and divine compassion transcending human malice. This Easter message challenges humanity broadly and Nigerians specifically. Amid politics often devoid of morality, Easter calls us to prioritise the power of love over the love of power.
This year, Nigerians marked Easter amid a climate of insecurity, with citizens facing abduction for ransom on streets and from homes, and murder on farms and in places of worship. For many years, Nigeria has been entombed in darkness of injustice, sealed with the heavy stone of oppression. This oppression weighs down millions of citizens, preventing them from realising their God-given potential. Our national history reflects disturbing uncertainty and unnecessary, avoidable hardship for many.
Many individuals who pursue or currently occupy positions of public office have unfortunately succumbed to a distinctive form of blindness that accompanies power—a perceptual impairment that renders them unable to recognise a fundamental truth: that no nation built upon the foundation of injustice can truly endure or thrive in the long term. This deliberate refusal to see reality clearly has, over generations, enabled and perpetuated destructive cycles of inadequate governance, institutional failure, and widespread suffering among the very populations these officials have sworn to serve.
Beyond Easter’s religious festivities, we must confront the reality that our population has often fallen prey to dubious religiosity, fake patriotism, and criminally deceitful politics. Nigeria stands as a land immensely blessed by the Creator yet mindlessly damaged by negative attitudes of both leaders and citizens. Despite abundant natural endowments, our country remains populated by impoverished people.
An alarming number of young Nigerians are succumbing to despair. They see no future in their homeland and actively seek opportunities to leave a country that offers little hope to its children. Yet, Nigeria can and should rise from this tomb of hopelessness—Easter’s celebration symbolises precisely this restoration of hope in seemingly impossible circumstances.
Our collective hope must be rekindled and nurtured back to full strength. All Nigerians—from those in the highest positions of leadership to everyday citizens in communities across the nation—need to work diligently and conscientiously toward rebuilding and restoring genuine hope for the younger generation who represent our future. This essential task requires tangible, meaningful actions that clearly demonstrate a sincere commitment to positive, sustainable change rather than continuing the pattern of empty rhetoric and unfulfilled promises that has too often characterised past efforts.
If we genuinely wish to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and apply its meaning to our national situation, we must resolve to operate differently. We must commit to building a nation where oppression has no place, where elections proceed without acrimony or ethnic profiling, where voter intimidation and vote buying are eliminated, and where results reflect the true will of the people.
Easter encapsulates the profound message of new beginnings and spiritual renewal, challenging us to apply these transformative principles to the rebirth of Nigeria by wholeheartedly embracing and actualising our lofty ideals. Indeed, the generations yet unborn, who will inherit the Nigeria we shape today through our actions and commitments, deserve nothing less than a thoroughly transformed country that lives up to its full potential as the giant of Africa.
For this new Nigeria to emerge, each citizen must commit to living with a completely renewed attitude. We must embrace transformation at both personal and collective levels. The journey toward national renewal begins with individual change—in our homes, workplaces, and communities. Easter should be understood not merely as a celebration but as a sacred obligation to our nation and one another. It represents a profound opportunity for rebirth and restoration. Just as the Easter story speaks of sacrifice leading to new life, our nation requires our collective sacrifice and dedication to experience true renewal.
This season imposes upon us the responsibility to rise from the dark tomb into which greed and selfishness have pushed us, embracing a new life dedicated to truth, goodness, and love. If Nigerians continue with business as usual—maintaining corrupt practices and self-serving attitudes—there would be no legitimate cause for celebration. Indeed, the true meaning of Easter for Nigeria lies not in festivities alone but in our collective determination to resurrect our nation from its current challenges toward a brighter, more hopeful future.

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NAFDAC’s Destruction Of Counterfeit Drugs

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Last Friday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed fake, counterfeit and substandard drugs worth over N1 trillion in Awka, the Anambra State capital. Recall that for one month, NAFDAC shut the Onitsha Drug Market, restricting shop owners from coming to the market, barricading it with military personnel, while officials broke into and ransacked shops in search of fake drugs.
NAFDAC’s Zonal Director for South-East, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, revealed some of the drugs destroyed to include Analgin, Tramadol, and various paediatric pharmaceuticals, which had been stored in prohibited areas or were banned by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Iluyomade said the closure and raids of the markets where the drugs were confiscated was in response to public complaints regarding the prevalence of fake, substandard and counterfeit drugs in the South-East.
He said: “Many of these drugs are banned, such as Analgin and certain paediatric medications, and they were stored in places that violate WHO regulations. It is our responsibility to ensure that these products are safe and fit for human consumption. These drugs were transported in a 140-foot truck, valued at over N1trillion, and were supposed to be stored at specific temperatures. However, they were kept in markets that do not meet the required standards.
“The volume of drugs found in these two markets could destabilise the country, and many of these are narcotic drugs associated with criminal activities. People who consume these drugs are not only harming themselves but also using them to commit crimes, which contributes to the growing insecurity in our country.”
Unfortunately, that is the chilling reality of counterfeit drugs, and it is a problem NAFDAC is relentlessly fighting. This dramatic action underscores the monumental scale of the problem and the unwavering commitment of NAFDAC to protect public health. The massive destruction highlights the pervasive nature of the counterfeit drug trade and the resources NAFDAC dedicates to combatting it.
Counterfeit drugs are dangerous, even deadly. They can contain the wrong dosage, the wrong active ingredients, or even harmful substances. Imagine taking a pill you believe will cure your illness, only to find it contains something entirely different – something that could worsen human condition or even kill. That is the terrifying reality of the counterfeit drug market.
The insidious world of counterfeit medications poses a grave threat, as these fake drugs often harbour toxic fillers or entirely different, untested chemicals. The consumption of such substances can trigger a cascade of adverse reactions, varying from minor allergic responses to catastrophic organ failure, leaving vulnerable individuals severely harmed. In this critical battle for public health, NAFDAC stands as our frontline defender.
Through tireless monitoring, rigorous inspections, and decisive action against those who peddle these dangerous fakes, NAFDAC acts as a vital gatekeeper, ensuring the safety and efficacy of the medications we depend on. Supporting NAFDAC’s mission is paramount, as it directly equates to safeguarding the lives and well-being of our Nigerians by preventing the proliferation of these harmful and potentially lethal counterfeit medications.
Given the breadth and criticality of NAFDAC’s mandate – regulating everything from food and drugs to cosmetics and medical devices – it is imperative that the Federal Government bolsters the agency’s resources and capabilities. This monumental task, encompassing the entire lifecycle of regulated products from importation to usage, demands substantial investment in infrastructure, advanced technological tools, and a highly skilled workforce.
Under-resourcing NAFDAC risks compromising its ability to effectively monitor and enforce regulations, potentially leading to substandard or counterfeit products entering the market, with devastating consequences for public health and safety. Therefore, increased funding, enhanced training programmes, and optimised operational systems are essential to fortify the agency’s effectiveness and ensure it can continue to protect the Nigerian populace.
No doubt, NAFDAC currently faces numerous hurdles in fulfilling its mandate. These challenges range from inadequate funding and outdated equipment to a lack of personnel and poor training. Insufficient funding directly translates to limited capacity for effective inspection, testing, and enforcement. Imagine trying to police a vast country with only a handful of officers – the task becomes virtually impossible. This lack of resources allows substandard and even dangerous products to enter the market, posing serious risks to public health.
The Federal Government must prioritise NAFDAC’s needs and take decisive action to support, equip, and empower this vital agency. NAFDAC is a cornerstone of public health in Nigeria and its health and economic well-being depend on its support. By providing financial, technological, and human resources, the government can strengthen the organisation’s capacity to protect Nigerians and contribute to national development. Tinubu’s administration must ensure that NAFDAC had the tools it needs to succeed. The lives of millions depend on it.

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