I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful, loyal and honest…
Very deep right? It’s sad that the very people who make this
pledge are the same ones who are unfaithful, disloyal and very dishonest. I
can’t say I understand Nigeria very much, but like everyone else I have an
opinion to give.
When I was younger, all I had to do was go to school, live
the baby girl life, pass my exams, collect prize (if possible). We were told
that if you study a professional course you will be very rich when you grow up.
I remember wanting to be a surgeon as at Primary 2 yet I was the newscaster for
my primary school.
My family was a typical Nigerian family, daddy always at
work and mummy shuffling work and children care. My mum was just learning to
drive when I was in primary school so it usually took us double the normal time
to get to school. She was so careful with her driving because her precious
babies were in the car. I read the news every Friday on the assembly ground
dressed up in Yoruba attire and it was surely one of my high points.
Fast forward to senior secondary school I was so sure I was
going to study law. Very active in press club, always talking, most punishments
I served then was because I was making noise during class. Definitely I would have
been a lawyer, until my school asked us to do 2 weeks internship in our dream
career. This particular law firm I spent my 2 weeks internship was the most
boring period of my life. It was so dry, I fought with my dad to change his
mind about law because the man had plans… petroleum law, working in shell and
things like that.
At the end of the day, I ended up studying something I loved
and more than a year after I have come to realize it was all a farce. Every
year, many graduates come out from the universities and colleges of education
in Nigeria with little or nothing to contribute to the society.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 200,000 alumnae graduate from Nigeria tertiary institutions yearly, but only very little number of them secure jobs after years of their graduation. The reason is because there are little facilities and ill-equipped lecturers/instructors who rendered poor services to the graduates when they were in their institutions.
And so, the graduates come out of school half-baked, without practical background to make good impact to the society, neither are they able to defend the certificates which they are holding. The result is that they add to the unemployment level of the country each year.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 200,000 alumnae graduate from Nigeria tertiary institutions yearly, but only very little number of them secure jobs after years of their graduation. The reason is because there are little facilities and ill-equipped lecturers/instructors who rendered poor services to the graduates when they were in their institutions.
And so, the graduates come out of school half-baked, without practical background to make good impact to the society, neither are they able to defend the certificates which they are holding. The result is that they add to the unemployment level of the country each year.
The failure of the government to perform their constitutional
duties has its own contribution to the high level of unemployment. How could I
not talk about the high level of corruption in Nigeria, they say it is
prominent among politicians but I beg to differ. Corruption is everywhere and
it has resulted in the mismanagement of the funds and resources supposed to be
used for the betterment of this country, which is just sad. Without going too
far, Nigeria is said to be the 8th most corrupt country in the world. In this
country with the right connections, money and power you can get away with
anything and everything.
I used to love Nigeria but I’m not so sure anymore how I feel about my country. Sometimes I find myself wishing I was born somewhere else and it makes me unhappy. I’m sure there are many people like me wishing things were better, easier, more organized. Somehow as Nigerians we also have to play our part in reducing the level of unemployment in the country. There has to be a repositioning in our minds, a change of attitude for the future of the country. We need to understand our responsibility. It’s time we vote for people with credibility, answers and readiness to work.
I used to love Nigeria but I’m not so sure anymore how I feel about my country. Sometimes I find myself wishing I was born somewhere else and it makes me unhappy. I’m sure there are many people like me wishing things were better, easier, more organized. Somehow as Nigerians we also have to play our part in reducing the level of unemployment in the country. There has to be a repositioning in our minds, a change of attitude for the future of the country. We need to understand our responsibility. It’s time we vote for people with credibility, answers and readiness to work.
I want a better Nigeria for me, for my family, for my friends and for my future.
The question now is How and When?
