By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUHA (PRECISE POST) – Presidential candidate of Nigeria Demicratic Congress (NDC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, has called for sober reflection on Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, saying the country must urgently examine its current condition and chart a new direction for national development.
Obi made the call in an Independence Day message to Nigerians on Thursday, in which he said the anniversary should go beyond celebration to include an honest assessment of the country’s progress and challenges.
According to him, every serious nation must continually answer three fundamental questions: “Where are we today? Where do we want to be? How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?”
He said the questions had become particularly important given the challenges confronting Nigeria despite the promises made by the APC-led Federal Government in 2023.
Obi listed widespread poverty and hardship, the large number of out-of-school children, insecurity, hunger and food insecurity, high infant and maternal mortality, youth unemployment, drug abuse and low life expectancy among the major challenges facing the country.
He cited estimates of more than 140 million Nigerians living in poverty and severe hardship, over 18 million out-of-school children and more than 35 million unemployed or underemployed youths.
He also claimed that more than 40 million Nigerians could face extreme hunger by the end of 2026, while drug abuse had risen to 14 per cent, compared with a global average of six per cent.
On life expectancy, Obi said Nigeria’s average stood at about 54 years, compared with a global average of 74 years.
He also drew attention to insecurity, recalling the recent death of 37 young Nigerians, which he said demonstrated the continuing threat posed by terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Obi said the situation required “serious, sober and honest reflection,” arguing that Nigeria’s difficulties could not be blamed on a lack of natural or human resources.
He said the country was “immensely endowed and blessed,” but had failed to adequately convert its resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.
Quoting the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, Obi said: “The unexamined life is not worth living,” adding that by the same principle, “an unexamined nation cannot successfully chart its future.”
He therefore challenged Nigerians to examine whether the country was genuinely moving towards the vision of its founding fathers.
“Are we cursed, or have we become the curse through the choices we have made and the failures we have tolerated?” he asked.
Obi said the answer should not be that Nigeria was cursed, maintaining that the country’s greatest problem was not a lack of resources but the failure to transform its enormous endowments into improved living conditions for citizens.
He also recounted his recent two-day visit to Sokoto State with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, where he said they held consultations with residents on insecurity, out-of-school children, poverty, youth unemployment and drug abuse.
According to Obi, the delegation also visited an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis, where he said they encountered thousands of women and children living in difficult conditions after being displaced from their communities.
He said many of the children lacked access to education, while mothers and children had limited access to basic healthcare.
“These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country,” he said.
Obi urged Nigerians to use the 66th anniversary not only to celebrate independence but also to reflect on the country’s journey, honour those who sacrificed for its survival and growth, and renew efforts towards building a more productive and prosperous nation.
