Better Nigeria: My Little Corner

BY IPHIE MANUELZ AND EHINOME



I sat at my little corner of the world thinking, thinking about everything, from music to food, to fashion to family, to friends that were still around, to friends that were now a memory, to Nigeria and to the sun which had blessed me with its presence that morning. I sat at my little corner of the world, thinking about everything, I sat at my little corner of the world, thinking about Nigeria.

Most of my thoughts lately have been about Nigeria. I think of the greatness Nigeria can achieve, I think of the changes that are coming to Nigeria, I think of this change that I am going to be a big part of. I think of a new Nigeria, I think of a better Nigeria. Each day my thoughts are filled with hope of 'the Nigerian Dream'.
How is this change going to come to Nigeria, how do we achieve this 'Nigerian dream', you ask. My answer is simple, it is a nine letter word, the key to all our problems, EDUCATION. I can see you going 'errmm, what is she on about again'. But yes the key to solving our numerous problems is that simple.
You are wondering how a room, tables and chairs, a blackboard and a teacher can solve our problem right? Well i am not referring to that type of education. What I mean by education is information.It holds the key to solving all of our problems.
Nigerians especially Nigerian youths are not well-informed and now this is no fault of the government. 

Nigerian youths have lost so much faith in their country that they do not care what goes on in it. But alas! We suffer most from our ignorance.

A typical Nigerian youth hardly watches News on TV,if at all we do  we would rather watch CNN..how can we truly grasp what goes on in other countries if we neglect our own? charity begins at home. We won't listen to radio programs..and even when we do, we won't listen to the educative programs on radio...its our parents who call in to contribute to these programs..which is what youths should be doing. 

Nigerian youths teach in classrooms...Do I hear you say tufiakwa! Exactly! How would the future leaders of Nigeria be well educated? We youths are better educated than the older generation..we can impart more knowledge. We have simply refused to rise to the challenge. Let me rephrase Ayei Kwei Armah's "the beautiful ones are not yet born"...for me "the beautiful ones have been born, they have simply refused to live".

How did Nigeria come about?
Who composed our anthem?
Whose picture is on our five naira note? 
Who was the 1st military head of Lagos?

As simple as these questions are, 99% of Nigerian youths do not know. 

Now, technology has come. It was supposed to be for our advancement, but I think not. Phones and laptops have become more of tools that aid evil,idleness,unintelligent rumours!  On facebook, mostly mindless chats and talk go on. On twitter, if we cannot watch news, atleast we can follow news channels and papers, but nooo we won't.  Should I continue? I watch the way videos and  indecent links spread across the country these days,  how I wish productive discourse amongst young people can spread that way too.

Yet, we would bewail our country everytime and everywhere! Yet we are pathetically ignorant. 
Let's stop talking to the government..what we are speaks so loudly they can't hear what we are saying. The youth should be informed about the true position of things. They should know effects of their actions or lack of it, the effect of their words or lack of it. They should know that they can get the Nigeria they dream of, they just have to work for it.

Let's strive to be informed. Let's go back to our history books, let's arm ourselves with the truth. How do you intend to be the 'FUTURE' when you know nothing about your past. Let's be Nigerians! Let's stop looking outside, we have seen enough,let the much we have seen spur positivity in us towards our country.  When we do this, our wailings would be better buttered with facts. And if the government won't listen, we would have moved far ahead of them!. 

Dear Nigerian youths, our ancestors and  parents have fought enough. We have been wanting change. Information is where we should start.

I sat at my little corner of the world, not just thinking or dreaming of a better Nigeria. I sat in my little corner of the world, plotting my return to my motherland. I sat at my little corner of the world perfecting my little plan of educating my people back in my village. 

I sat at my little corner of the world, perfecting my plans for a better Nigeria...