October 1st always comes with some kind of mixed feelings for me, see on one hand, it is a day to remember that we got our freedom as a nation, and on the other hand, it is also a reminder that after all these years, we are still struggling in so many areas of our lives , but regardless of how I feel sometimes, I still believe Nigeria is a country worth talking about, and that is why I decided to hop on this prompt from the hive naija community, since we are celebrating Nigeria, let's just dive in.
SO when you talk about Nigeria, culture is the first thing that comes to my mind, Nigeria is a country with so much diversity, and yet it is this diversity that gives us the beauty, from the different languages to the food, dressing, and traditions, there is always something always unique about us.
See food, for instance, you know you can never go wrong with Nigerian food at all, We no dey carry last when it comes to that, our Jollof rice remains our king, whether at weddings, birthdays, or Christmas parties, now add fried plantain commonly known as dodo, to it and you will just see how faces light up, then there is pounded yam and egusi soup, suya at night by the roadside, akara and pap in the morning, or even our famous pepper soup that works like magic when you catch cold, so you see for me, food is more than what we eat, it is also how we connect, you can hardly see a Nigerian gathering without food, and that alone shows how important it is to our way of life.
Also , dressing is another thing that stands out as a Nigerian, Nigerians love to dress well, whether it is native attire or English wear, On Sundays especially first Sundays of the month, you will see families stepping out in their aso-ebi, and it is always very colorful, yoruba women tying gele, Igbo men with their red caps, Hausa men with their flowing babariga, and every tribe showing their identity proudly, and you know sometimes I just think, if dressing was the only measure of progress, Nigeria would have been among the top countries in the world because we sabi show up well.
Our traditions too, even though modernization has changed a lot of things , we still do hold on to some practices, In many villages, festivals are still celebrated every year , like the yam festivals, masquerade dances, and new year rituals, even weddings and burials are also carried out in very traditional ways, and you know , no matter how modern we become, respect for elders still holds strongly in our culture. Like it is still there, Good morning sir, good morning ma, or we kneeling and prostrating, see these things are still a part of us.
But you see beyond the food, dressing, and traditions, our Independence Day also makes me reflect on where we are as a nationz and see the truth is, Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be, Our leaders keep making promises every year, yet ordinary Nigerians are still hustling to survive, Light is not even steady, fuel price go up and down, food items has doubled, and jobs are not even enough, see sometimes it's just like only prayers is still holding this country together.
You see , I don’t want to only talk about the negatives, I still believe every system has a way forward, for example, our education sector, if government can really invest in it, provide good infrastructure and well paid teachers, students won't be running abroad every time to seek better schools Same with health, Instead of flying politicians abroad anytime they fall sick, why not we just build hospitals here to international standards? It will even create jobs for doctors that run outside the country.
Another big concern is unemployment, young people graduate every year, but there are no jobs, that is why many turn to online skills, business, or even migrating to other countries, If Nigeria can focus more on entrepreneurship and support small businesses with grants and loans, I am sure things will improve, nigerians are naturally hardworking people, we just need a system that works for us.
Music and arts are also areas that give me hope, nigerian musicians are taking the world stage, burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tems , their names are everywhere, and the writers too, from Chimamanda Adichie to other newer voices, are still making us proud, these things show that even in the middle of our struggles, Nigeria has talent that cannot be hidden.
In conclusion, I will say Nigeria is like a child that has so much potential but is still figuring out how to use it, Yes, we have had 65 years of independence, but we are still growing, sometimes slowly, sometimes frustrating, but still moving in a way, see ehn ...Life is not easy here, but we are pushing, and me just believe one day, with the right leadership and the right mindset, Nigeria will live up to its true greatness...... Oneday.....
So, happy Independence to us all Na our country, and no matter how hard e be, we go still call am home.
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