Today, Nigeria marks her 65th Independence Anniversary – a milestone meant for celebration, reflection, and hope. But for many Nigerians, this birthday is bittersweet. We are a nation richly blessed with oil, minerals, fertile lands, and untapped human potential.
Yet, despite these abundant resources, we remain shackled by leadership failures and the sycophantic followership that perpetuates mediocrity.
Leadership chaos has long been the nation’s greatest undoing. Political offices, instead of being platforms for national service, have too often become playgrounds for personal enrichment, nepotism, and short-term gains.
Blind loyalty and fear-driven followership reward loyalty over competence, allowing mediocrity to thrive while ordinary Nigerians wait for the promises of good governance. This combination of poor leadership and compliant followership has kept the nation in a cycle of stagnation, corruption, and unfulfilled potential.
Our natural wealth, meant to uplift millions from poverty and insecurity, is often squandered in policies that divide rather than unite, and in institutions that fail to deliver. Every scandal, every mismanaged project, every missed opportunity is a reminder that Nigeria’s real challenges are not external – they are homegrown, a product of misrule and collective complacency.
Independence is not merely a date on the calendar; it is a daily struggle to realize the ideals upon which our nation was founded: unity, progress, accountability, and freedom. True independence demands leaders who govern with integrity, citizens who demand accountability, and a culture that values service over self-interest. Until these ideals are embraced, Nigeria will continue to stumble, even as the giant within her potential waits to rise.
On this 65th birthday, Nigerians must do more than wave flags. We must reflect, act, and demand change. We must reject blind loyalty, embrace courage, and insist that competence, integrity, and vision guide those who govern us. Nigeria can rise, but only if the chains of leadership disaster and sycophantic followership are broken.
Let this Independence Day be more than ceremony; let it be a clarion call for accountability, good governance, and a rebirth of the Nigerian dream. The time for excuses has passed – the time for bold action is now.
—Trill Times News Editorial Board
