Every year, on the same day, the first of October, we gather to celebrate. We sing, we dance, we jubilate, adorned in green and white, the colours of our national pride.
And yet, I often wonder: What exactly are we celebrating?
The answer comes, year after year: The story of how she gained her independence, the painful tales of slavery and oppression, the struggles of our forefathers, and the dawn of a new beginning that came with freedom.
But then, I pause to ponder: What are we truly celebrating? Why do we jubilate?
We celebrate independence, but tell me, are we really independent?
Our nation is depreciating, while our hopes are slowly diminishing. Instead of progressing, we seem to be regressing, and day by day, we are becoming dependent on those we once proudly stood against.
Slowly, painfully, we are turning into independent dependants, free in name, but bound by circumstances.
There was a time I could proudly proclaim: “We are the giants of Africa!” A nation blessed with abundant resources, a people rich in strength and possibilities.
But now… Where has that glory gone? Where is the pride we once held? Where is the promise of a nation that once inspired hope across a continent?
Oh, Nigeria! Hear the cries of your nationalists. Hear the voices of your forgotten heroes. Hear the desperate cries of your innocent children, whose dreams are fading beneath the weight of a nation struggling to find its way.
Oh, Nigeria! You were born with so much promise. You were blessed with so much greatness. Must we continue to celebrate the past while mourning the present?
I pray you find your way again. I pray you rediscover your greatness. I pray that leadership will become a responsibility, and patriotism more than just a slogan.
May the day come when we will not merely celebrate independence, but truly experience freedom; when our green and white will represent more than national colours, and our Independence Day will be a celebration of genuine progress, unity, dignity and prosperity.
Until then, I will keep asking: What are we celebrating?
Oh, Nigeria, please give us a reason to celebrate you again.
