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On October 1st, 1960, the world watched as the Green-White-Green flag rose to the sky, announcing the birth of a new sovereign nation. “Nigeria we hail thee” was sung with trembling voices, one filled with hope, pride, and the promise of a glorious future ahead. From the oil-rich Niger Delta creeks to the vast fields in Sokoto and down to the bustling streets of Lagos, the air was heavy with expectations.
Sixty-five years later, the same land stands battered with its dream fractured. The independence anniversary, which should be a moment of national celebration, has become an annual ritual of empty speeches and hollow parades. The truth has always been obvious, while Nigeria may have gained freedom from colonial masters, the country remains enslaved by corruption, insecurity, poor governance, and broken promises.
In faculties, departments, classes and dormitories at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, the reality has once again been wrapped in shining clothing. As against the expected flood of green and white on students’ WhatsApp statuses today, celebrating independence, what took charge of everyone’s status is the picture of a newly inducted Radiography graduate abducted by gunmen on her way home, carrying the success of a 6 years journey on her back.
Rad. Basheerah Ojedeyi, the third best graduating student of her class, having toiled the plains in Sokoto for years, formally admitted into the noble Radiography profession, and should be basking in the joy of her achievement with family and friends, is instead, in the hands of kidnappers. This unfortunate scenario tells the true story of Nigeria, a story not of freedom, but of fear. Not the tale of progress, but of paralysis and lamentation of brokenness.
What, then, does independence mean in a country where safety on the highway is a gamble, where kidnapping has become an industry, and the future of the youth is treated with casual neglect? What is freedom when the shackles of poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness remain tightly bound on the ankles of million Nigerians? For many, Nigeria’s independence has become a symbol of “make we sha dey survive” rather than the attainment of prosperity and dignity.
And yet, we must not pretend that this failure fell from the sky. It is the product of decades of squandered opportunities, leadership that often chooses self-preservation over service, and governance that prioritizes politics over people. While our heroes past may have negotiated so well for independence, successive governments have failed to give us the nationhood it represents.
Maybe the situation keeps getting worse because, in spite of all these, Nigerians still remain one of the most resilient people on earth. They adapt so easily, accept their fate and start negotiating with Basheerah's abductors who have demanded a ransom of 200 million Naira instead of keeping their mind at rest that the security operatives will bring back their dear daughter home safely.
As Nigeria turns 65 today, it is expected that the president’s speech will be decorated with achievements that have no effect on the lives of the common man, padded with statistics that mean little to the hungry man and seasoned with promises that have been repeated overtime and have lost their taste of sincerity. While our leaders sit in the comfort of their homes, Basheerah sits in captivity. Until Basheerah and every other Nigerians are safe, no speech, anniversary or any form of parade can be called a true celebration of independence.
Wednesday, 1st of October, 2025
Sebiotimo Abdullateef A.
Editor-in-chief
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