By Victor Odunayo
I live in Nigeria. I breath Nigeria. I feel Nigeria. I have dine and wine with Nigeria. I am a great soothsayer who is here to foretell of Nigeria at 2040. Reading the palms of the great Nigeria, engraved upon it are so much scribbling that do not make sense, looking into its eyes I can only but cry at how dark the heart of the nation is growing all thanks to those who think they are smart in using a long spoon to dine with the devil at the detriment of the nation, Nigeria. The country has always been bad, Nigerians have always complained about one thing or the other even before it became this worse. A child with a grade of one percent out of one hundred percent can never be remembered that he even scored one percent, the idea everyone will pass on is that; he failed, that is the state of Nigeria.
I could remember vividly that Niyi Oniororo, a veteran journalist and human rights Activist, who was also the Author of Revolution Not Reformist, Nigerians Are Enemies Of Nigerians, and Why The Nigerian Masses Are Poor, published his book “The Country Is Hard” in 1969. If the country could be hard in days when the currency spent is kobo, see how bad it’s now and imagine how bad it could be in the next 19 years. Of a truth, Nigeria was better than this, and can be better than it has become. As long as that child would not step up in grades, his failure will continue to define him, but a step up to better grades will translate the bitter hearted Nigerians into angels that never stops singing the praise of their nation.
Nigeria at 2040 –a future yet untold; full of doubts, curiosity, and hope, how the event would unfold, nobody knows. The achievement of Nigeria since she gained her independence from the United Kingdom on October 1st 1960 cannot be over emphasize, however predicting Nigeria at 2040 is another big task as Nigeria is unpredictable as one cannot say or guess right what would happen the next minute, let alone in the next 19years.Talking about the Educational sector, the system no longer work to deliver value to everyone. Unlike before when one’s parent do not have to be rich, educated or influential before one gets the best of education. Everyone gets equal learning irrespective of the class, status, creed and standard of living of their parent. However, that has become a thing of the past. Nowadays, students are paying in 100 folds of what their parents paid while in school yet the standard of the education they get cannot be compared to the ones their parents got. The educational sector will favour only the rich, as it is now, the Government owned schools will be for only the poor and the rich will get the best private education. The poor will consider the Government owned schools as the best because that’s what they can afford. Even the degrees will continue to devalue.
The Nigerian Government has weaponized poverty, bills are increasing daily yet the minimum wage is stagnant. Someone said ” We are not living in Nigeria, we are surviving” ; It’s that bad. The poor masses no longer have access to good health care system. The condition of the Government owned Healthcare centers have deteriorated. I presumed the government would improve the state of the Hospitals as COVID-19 came to remind us we are all the same irrespective of our class and status, albeit, nothing changed. Nigerians will find their way out of the country not only to get the best health care but also to seek for greener pasture. We do not want to have a deserted Nigeria just as Egypt became desolate when the Israelites moved out of it. The population has grown to 400 millions with close to 75% of the nations population expected to live in the urban areas and most of the state in the country has become prosperous with megacities like Lagos, Portharcourt, Ibadan, Cross-river e.t.c. Making these cities the populated ones especially Lagos, as nobody wants to be local. It has become Africa’s only global superpower. It already has the continent’s biggest economy, a huge military budget and a fair record of regional engagement.
By 2040 Nigeria will also by projection be the fourth largest country in the world after India, China and the United States.The Agricultural sector, however, I believe it would improve with time. Everyone has become a farmer though based on low scale. If the Government won’t stop to educate the masses, if they would give out loans and other farm implements to farmers, by 2040 not only would we have more than enough food in Nigeria, we would also have excess to export out of the county.In 2040, the youths would be more awake than they are now. They will call for revolution and they will stand a chance to participate in elections and win. The End Sars protest taught us all a lesson.
By 2040, Nigeria might get divided– the Odùduwà nation, Biafra and Arewa Nation. Because the Nigeria revolution is in the making. It’ll be ugly. Only the old guards is afraid. Only the corrupt elite and their families are scared. For everyone else the excitement to burn it down rises every other day. If we can get a nation of ordinary people where the once upon a time poor masses are now comfortable, provided adequate facilities like schools, health care centers, electricity etc, access to good road, quality food, well paying jobs, loans for businesses and every other things our money which have been accumulated over the years via taxes and the likes are meant to give us to make us comfortable. Then, every restless soul will haunt no more and revenge would be dropped. Let our labour no longer be in vain.
Though I am the greatest soothsayer ever lived, yet the destiny of everyone (even nation) lies in their hands. Change will continue to be a lasting constant that causes table to turn regardless of what has been said before. We are diligent, we are resilient, we are legal, we are real, so should our results be, for it is in the results we are able to be reminded of our efforts.
(c) Hon Victor Odunayo
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