Nigeria: A peaceful nation in the eyes of the storm

Nigeria has been ranked 144th in the 2023 Global Peace Index of the most peaceful countries in the world.

The 2023 Institute for Economics and Peace study measures a country’s level of negative peace using three domains, namely ongoing domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security and militarisation.

Looking at all these domains, what should we do to maintain our peaceful stance in the eyes of the world?

Nigeria as we know it, has a lot of problems and so do many other countries.

The peculiar nature of Nigeria’s problems lies in the fact that nobody cares; the government is not concerned and the masses aren’t interested. We just get by because that is the norm. The abnormal is the new norm.

On the part of the citizens, we have a “few things” to do and also to change about ourselves, and these things are listed and explained below:

On the aspect of leadership, most Nigerians blame our leaders for putting us in hardship, but we forget the fact that a leader is as powerful as his followers want him to be. We need to put more pressure on our leaders so that they can make positive things happen, and make them understand that the people are united against bad governance.

As Nigerians we  have lost the  sense of patriotism, no one is ready to sacrifice anything tangible in the name of  the Country. Nigerians need to understand this so that we can put more effort into nation building. If only Nigeria can come first before any other thing in our daily dealings, be it politics, tribe or religion, things will certainly be better for the country.

Not  all  problems can be solved spiritually. We can’t pray away our problems not while we fold our hands and look up hoping a miracle will happen. We must take responsibility and try to fix our problems.  Some followers have been brainwashed by many spiritual  leaders to believe that all problems can be spiritually solved.

This is wrong, our prayers will not boost electricity if we don’t act, our prayers will not build good roads while we sleep and many other things. We should not let religious leaders use us to propagate hate, or turn us against ourselves. Unity is the only way forward.

Even though most of us are still alive, so many have lost their lives to our danger ridden Nigeria.

Insurgency and militancy are all threats to human peaceful existence

Boko-Haram ranks behind ISIS as the deadliest terrorist group in the world. Even though their activities are restricted to northern Nigeria, it is still Nigeria, and we all share the security threat collectively.

Since 2015, Fulani herdsmen have become militants killing farmers and burning their farms.

Militancy and kidnapping is still common in the Niger-Delta.The recent killing of military personnel is a signal of an unstable society.

While a long-running Islamist insurgency and ongoing militia activity, often labeled as ‘banditry,’ continue to impact the northern regions, the Biafra separatist rebellion has been a cause of unrest in the south east. During 2021, ACLED recorded a 22 percent increase in the number of organised political violence in Nigeria.

The issue of cultism is still rampant. There is no higher institution in Nigeria without cultists or cult groups. The manner with which young boys are killing one another in the name of cult rivalry is alarming. These miscreants are always terrorising and harassing innocent students.

Lack of basic amenities is also germane to a nation’s peaceful co-existence. The state house clinic that has billions of Naira in the budget does not have the facility to treat our president, forcing our past leaders to travel abroad. What about the regular government hospitals? Do they have the facilities to attend to the needs of ordinary citizens?

People die on a daily  basis because of ailments that are easily treatable if hospitals are properly equipped and in good shape.

So many of these factors compound and create individuals who are always angry and react aggressively to the slightest provocation, and who can dupe others with the slightest chance they get. This is the average Nigerian, who poses a  serious security challenge to the nation’s peaceful environment.

In the wake of all the tumultuous situations in Nigeria, the citizens still have a lot to smile about. In the last African Cup of Nations held in  Ivory Coast, the host, Cote D’Ivoire came from a goal down to defeat Nigeria 2-1 in a pulsating final that Sunday in Abidjan, to lift the AFCON trophy for the third time. Before the final game the Super Eagles defeated South Africa in a penalty shoot out to clinch the final ticket.

Despite the hardship hitting Nigerians they still threw their weight behind the Super Eagles. There was peace and tranquility everywhere.

In the just concluded African Games in Ghana, Nigeria came second in the medal table. Nigeria raked in 47 gold, 33 silver and 40 bronze medals across 25 sports at the competition. That was remarkable and commendable.

In the entertainment industry, movies like The Tribe call Judah, Jagun jagun, Orisa, Anikulapo, just to mention a few rake in millions despite the hardship in the land, Nollywood industry still fairs well, providing succour and joy to the populace.

Still in the eyes of the storm, the country called Nigeria is undergoing rehabilitation. The government of the day is putting everything in place to create a better society for us all. The only way we can be peaceful is to embrace peace with one another and be hopeful all the time.

Nigeria can get better. And we strongly hope Nigeria gets better soon because it is the only country we have.