By Caleb Adebayo

At 57, any individual is considered as aging, approaching the sexagenarian years, an elder of sorts, with a mature outlook on life. Pragmatically speaking, 57 is 7 years into the second half of the century of anyone’s existence, and should be taken seriously.
Nigeria has marked another year, adding up to 57 years since the British granted us independence. The obvious question becomes, what we have done with it since it was given to us? I am unapologetic then in saying that this nation today, at 57 is what we have made of it–all of us.
Perhaps, due to our long history of a nation that incessantly slaps us in the face, we have developed a culture of casting blames all over, except on ourselves, a lack of introspectiveness, an absurd dissociation of our existence from the nation, what it is and whatever it will be. There is an uncanny inclination to blame what Nigeria is, on the colonial regime, the delayed independence or for some, rushed independence that we were not ready for, the diverse ethnicity, the excessive population, the amalgamation, the corruption in State coffers, everything but the individual casting the blames.
There is no doubt that Nigeria is at the crossroads of a major leadership crisis, one we have not solved since independence, one that is indubitably hinged on us, citizens. It is appalling that at 57, playing big brother of Africa, and proud black nation to the world, we do not count among the top developed African nations or even among the countries with top or medium level Human Development Index (HDI) and that instead when the roll call for corruption is called, we stand at the head of the table with our name sculpted into the seat, uncontested. Fantastically corrupt, it reads. An Emeritus of venality.
I do not believe our problem is our multi-ethnicity, a topic I must broach in the discussion of our nationhood. I also do not believe that breaking up into tiny bits of quasi-Nigerian, is the solution to our problems.
Perhaps, a look at the governance structures of the states seeking emancipation will make a poignant argument that we have not learned governance or leadership, just an immature and self-indulgent sense of entitlement to power and an illusory national cake and that is the crux of our problem. I believe that our problem is one of sheer apathy and head-spinning confusion engendered by circular stagnancy like a game of musical chairs that leaves you dancing confused without a seat. And frankly, is hard to blame the average Nigerian for how much they have lost faith in the country because for a country immersed in abundant resources, and 64 percent of its population living in poverty, anyone would lose faith . A country that has so knitted its identity into the fabric of endemic corruption, organized crime, and fraud that the green passport travelling Nigerian is whisked like a criminal at the airports and suspected at the boarding gates, Undoubtedly, it takes a little more than patriotism to be a Nigerian, it takes faith.
What I am asking of Nigerians at this 57th birthday is to make the 58th birthday a big step forward, and do it by hanging in there, believing and acting. I ask that we take this country in our hands and make it what we want it to be. I ask that you understand that our leadership has failed us because the religious institutions, the nonprofits, the businesses have focused on religion, on securing grants and on making money, because the institutions of society meant to checkmate the government and governance have played right into the hands of corrupt leaders and supped at their table. I want you to understand that the country has failed because we all have failed her, because we have decided to accept that corruption is not our business to solve, because we have taught our children that Nigeria is a place of hustle and survival by any means; hook or crook, because we have told our girls that all they were good for was to cook and clean and make themselves good for a rich politician who will marry them off and funnel money into the family to lift them from poverty, because we have decided to add our dirt to the dirt pile in the gutter, since we were not the first to throw dirt there.
This is a personal and an institutional failure. Maybe I should point out that the ‘government’ we blame is only a handful of people; a minute demographic compared to the millions that are not ‘the government.’ We should give it some thought that we actually put this people in power every four years, passively or actively, by participating in the election process or by refusing to.
We need a new crop of Nigerians for there to be a new crop of leaders. We need to have conversations with those in businesses, non-profits and other individuals. Talk to each other, act and force the hand of the government, set up leadership programmes for young people and support ongoing leadership initiatives. I have no iota of doubt that Nigerians are a rare breed of creative, innovative and persevering people.
Yet, we need to turn these solutions towards fighting for our nation, fighting for her peace and security, fighting for her unity, fighting for her leadership, and this means taking the reins, intentionally and strategically preparing for the next election with credible candidates, tested and trusted, supported by well-meaning individuals and businesses to turn the course of the nation around. And all of this I say too, to the 15 million Nigerians in diaspora.
Understand that it starts with you, with the family, with the child. Understand that families make communities, which make cities, states and the nation. So, let the religious institutions preach morals and values and stop making wealth the attraction for piety and religious service.
Let the academic institutions include leadership, civic responsibility and anti-corruption as core subjects, taught by passionate individuals who live what they teach. Let each individual with the crack of dawn of each day, mutter sincere words of prayer for the country and commit to do something good for her. Let us determine to change Nigeria for good, one person at a time. I am not just asking you to make the revolution happen, I am asking you to be the revolution.

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Adebayo, a lawyer and leadership enthusiast, writes from Lagos