If I had the chance to go back in time to stop somethings from happening, I wouldn’t think twice about it. Time travel has always been something we wish we could do—to fix mistakes or prevent tragedies. Even though it usually comes with risks and uncertainties, I’d still take that chance if it meant creating a better future.
The first thing I’d change would be the 2020 EndSARS protest in Nigeria. It started as a peaceful movement against police brutality, but it quickly turned into one of the most heartbreaking moments in our history. I wasn’t directly affected, but the videos and stories from that time were overwhelming. I remember watching clips of people crying, holding onto loved ones who had been shot, and a man soaked in blood, holding onto the Nigerian flag. That image broke me. Parents lost their children, and different lives were cut short simply because people were asking for basic rights.
I still believe that protest left scars that still haven’t healed. Today, many Nigerians are scared to speak up because they’ve seen what happens when you demand change. The right to freedom of speech feels almost non-existent now, and it’s heartbreaking. If I could, I’d go back to that moment and do something—anything—to stop the bloodshed. Maybe things would have turned out differently, and we’d still have hope that peaceful protests could bring real change.
The next thing I’d do is go back and erase the very first corrupt leader Nigeria ever had. Corruption has eaten so deeply into the system that it feels normal now, and that’s one of the biggest problems we face as a country. Imagine if that first leader who chose greed over the people never came to power. Maybe we’d be in a much better place today.
Right now, Nigeria is drowning in debt because of terrible leadership decisions. Our leaders keep borrowing money, but nobody ever sees where it’s going. The naira is practically worthless, and the cost of living is out of control. People are struggling just to survive, yet those in power continue to enrich themselves. If I could, I’d stop it all before it even began. Who knows? Maybe with the right leadership from the start, we’d have a more stable economy and a brighter future.
This is one of the major reasons I’d probably go back to the time of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. I wasn’t old enough to fully understand politics during his administration, but i heard so many good things about him. People say he genuinely cared about the country and was working to make things better. Sadly, his life was cut short, and we’ll never know how much more he could have done. If I had the power to change anything, I’d find a way to keep him alive, even if it meant rewinding his age or preventing whatever caused his death. I believe his leadership could’ve set Nigeria on a better path.
At the end of the day , I know time travel is risky—you never really know what effects your actions could have. But if it meant giving my country a real shot at progress, I’d take that chance. Even if it didn’t fix everything, I’d at least know I tried to make a difference. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? A chance to make things better, no matter how small.
Thanks for reading.
images are all from Meta Ai