By Ezenwoko Miracle
The cliche, ‘Nigeria will be great’ is one of the common and seemingly patriotic-sayings that appeal to a hope filled statesman. Hence, it is common to hear such phrase or its look alike used by political office holders to motivate their audience and instill a sense of nation building.
The phrase could be said to be as old as the nation’s sojourn for people-centered development and social reforms. In such, for a nation of 60 years and more, such fabled city, rich in treasures should be their dwelling Eldorado. Albeit, such cliches have over time come to assume the status of National myths than National realities amidst failed leadership and bad governance.
UNLOCKNAIJA, is a new conversation championed by the Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka. Though the mantra, “UNLOCK NAIJA” needs no definition owing to its simple diction, it gives a sense of a nation where opportunities are unaccessed, untapped, and locked. It also gives a sense of duty, a sense of a new challenge; to unlock that which is locked, and by that a sense of responsibility.
However, this new conversation like older cliches could be skepticized on leadership antecedents. Thus, you won’t be surprised to see a hasty dismissal of such new conversation, “UNLOCK NAIJA” on pattern of successive leadership which rather than unlock-ing, has gridlocked its enormous potentials and resources.
Consequently, national building now looks more illusory than real. It appears more appealing in seminar talks, conferences, articles than practicable. Today, we have leaders who can give 10-paged seminar talks on nation building than leaders who can practicalize all workings on field of governance. To make this clear, Nigeria is plagued by corruption, high spate of insecurity, nepotism, unemployment, poverty, poor infrastructures among other endemics.
To say the obvious, the youths, the leaders of tommorow or of today depending on the one that appeals to your disposition, is niched with the survival quest; the next table to get his next meal, the hope for a surviving job not a sustaining job, the debacle of a demeaning contract job or a peanut paying teaching job, the struggle of keeping his “we are open for business” alive, and many other struggling quests to survive.
For him, Nigeria does not provide its ‘youthing population’ equal opportunities to contribute to nation growth. For him, mediocre is valued over merit. For him, to become successful requires an escape to a country where potentials are valued and harnessed. And by his estimation, the key to unlock has never been with him, rather with the privileged few. This unfortunate mind-set has in some ways tranquil most youths and schemed them out of relevance, while also making them hesitant in participating and taking up roles and challenges that will foster national development.
As the underdevelopment of any country means passive participation of youths, conversly, its development will require active participation from the youths in all fields of endeavour; be it political, technological, sports or fashion. UNLOCKNAIJA has come to be that hashtag conversation that promotes social consciousness and active contribution to nationhood.
Against this backdrop of locked opportunities, UNLOCK NAIJA is a new movement that aims to adduce this skepticism. It has embarked on chains of successful conversation with youths in states like Enugu, Oyo, Anambra, and Osun, which its interactive sessions harped on youth participation in nation building. Worthy of note, is the intriguing fact that ‘UNLOCK NAIJA’ conversation is fast becoming the leading platform, virtually and physically for raising social awareness, enthusiasm and social participation amongst the youths.
Finally, according to Chidoka, UNLOCK NAIJA in its simple diction means harnessing the ‘naija spirit’ for people-centeric developments. It is a movement that believes in the Nigerian Spirit, where innovation, creativity, hard work, merit, integrity, equity, inclusiveness and intelligence thrives. UNLOCKNAIJA is the new mantra, it is the spirit of Naija.
Ezenwoko Miracle is the Convener for Good Governance Initiative