Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • $400,000 WhatsApp Trail: Court To Rule On EFCC’s Electronic Evidence Against Emefiele Today
    • 139 Million Nigerians Living In Poverty Despite Reforms – World Bank
    • Mikel Obi Reveals Winning Formula For Super Eagles’ World Cup Qualification
    • Ronaldo Becomes Football’s First Billionaire, Eyes 2026 World Cup
    • WHO Details Harrowing Scenes Of Gaza Horrific Trauma Patients
    • Former FBI Chief, James Comey To Make First US Court Appearance On Trump’s Charges
    • Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea Of Preparing For War As Red Sea Tensions Rise
    • Burkina Faso Junta Detains Eight International NGO Workers Over ‘Spying Allegations’
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    • HOME
    • NEWS

      $400,000 WhatsApp Trail: Court To Rule On EFCC’s Electronic Evidence Against Emefiele Today

      October 9, 2025

      139 Million Nigerians Living In Poverty Despite Reforms – World Bank

      October 9, 2025

      Why Atiku, Jonathan, Others Can’t Defeat Tinubu In 2027 – Orji Kalu

      October 8, 2025

      ‘How Lagos Businessman Collected N2.1bn From Ex-NSA Without Any Contract’, Witness Tells Court

      October 8, 2025

      Nigeria, UAE Explore New Frontiers In Tourism, Culture

      October 8, 2025
    • COLUMN

      I, Too, Must Get American In-Laws, The Efficacy Of Prayers And Other Matters (2) – By Dr Hassan Gimba

      October 6, 2025

      Saving Democracy: The Urgency Of Electoral Reforms – By Dr Dakuku Peterside

      October 6, 2025

      Nigeria’s 2025 Science Prize: When Integrity Matters – By Kazeem Akintunde

      October 6, 2025

      Message From Cry, The Beloved Country – By Martins Oloja

      October 6, 2025

      The Arewa Awakening: How Northern Women Are Building, Thriving, Leading Change In Businesses – By Hafsat Salisu Kabara

      October 6, 2025
    • EDUCATION

      FG Names Prof. Adamu Acting Vice-Chancellor To Steer UniAbuja For Three Months

      August 9, 2025

      13 Countries Offering Free Or Low-Cost PhD Programmes For Non-Citizens

      January 25, 2025

      NECO: Abia, Imo Top Performing States In Two Years, Katsina, Zamfara Come Last

      October 3, 2024

      NBTE Accredits 17 Programmes At Federal Polytechnic Kabo

      August 20, 2024

      15 Most Expensive Universities In Nigeria

      May 19, 2024
    • INTERNATIONAL

      WHO Details Harrowing Scenes Of Gaza Horrific Trauma Patients

      October 9, 2025

      Former FBI Chief, James Comey To Make First US Court Appearance On Trump’s Charges

      October 9, 2025

      Hamas Seeks ‘Guarantees’ That Israel Will End Gaza War As Talks Continue

      October 8, 2025

      Briton, French, American Trio Wins Physics Nobel For Quantum Mechanical Tunnelling

      October 8, 2025

      Israel Kills 10 Palestinians In Gaza As Ceasefire Talks Begin In Egypt

      October 7, 2025
    • JUDICIARY

      FULL LIST: Judicial Council Recommends Appointment Of 11 Supreme Court Justices

      December 6, 2023

      Supreme Court: Judicial Council Screens 22 Nominees, Candidates Face DSS, Others

      November 29, 2023

      FULL LIST: Judicial Commission Nominates 22 Justices For Elevation To Supreme Court

      November 16, 2023

      Seven Key Issues Resolved By Seven Supreme Court Judges

      October 26, 2023

      FULL LIST: CJN To Swear In Falana’s Wife, 57 Others As SANs November 27

      October 12, 2023
    • POLITICS

      What Peter Obi May Lose If He Joins Coalition As VP Candidate

      May 25, 2025

      Atiku Moves To Unseat Wike’s Damagum As PDP Chairman, Backs Suswam As Replacement

      April 15, 2024

      Edo’s Senator Matthew Uroghide, Others Defect To APC

      April 13, 2024

      Finally, Wike Opens Up On Rift With Peter Odili

      April 2, 2024

      El-Rufa’i’s Debt Burden: APC Suspends Women Leader For Criticising Kaduna Gov

      March 31, 2024
    • SPORTS

      Mikel Obi Reveals Winning Formula For Super Eagles’ World Cup Qualification

      October 9, 2025

      Ronaldo Becomes Football’s First Billionaire, Eyes 2026 World Cup

      October 9, 2025

      Osimhen, Lookman, 15 Others Arrive South Africa For Crucial World Cup Qualifier

      October 8, 2025

      ‘Why I Hated Playing For England…’, Gerrard Slams Golden Generation

      October 8, 2025

      FIFA U-20 World Cup: Nigeria Draw Colombia 1-1, Advance To Face Argentina Again After 20 Years

      October 7, 2025
    • MORE
      • AFRICA
      • ANALYSIS
      • BUSINESS
      • ENTERTAINMENT
      • FEATURED
      • LENS SPEAK
      • INFO – TECH
      • INTERVIEW
      • NIGERIA DECIDES
      • OPINION
      • Personality Profile
      • Picture of the month
      • Science
      • Special Project
      • Videos
      • Weekend Sports
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    Home - Nigeria At 65: A Nation At The Crossroads – By Abba Dukawa

    Nigeria At 65: A Nation At The Crossroads – By Abba Dukawa

    By Abba DukawaOctober 1, 2025
    65th

    AS the nation marks its 65th year of independence, we find ourselves in a state of disillusionment. While we celebrate our statehood, our leaders continue to take citizens for granted largely because the populace has failed to make concerted efforts to demand accountability and ensure that the right thing is done.

    We are truly at a crossroads: we can either celebrate blindly or reflect soberly on the major challenges that have plagued us as a people and as a nation. It is critical to examine the role of followership. Every Nigerian is a stakeholder and, therefore, has a duty to rescue the nation from the grip of poor leadership.

    The success or failure of leadership does not occur in isolation. Both leaders and followers share responsibility for the state’s failures. The uncritical support given to leaders allowing them to act with impunity reflects the complicity of the citizenry.

    UBA

    Our leaders have mastered the art of manipulation to the extent that even civil society groups, professional bodies, and religious organizations have fallen under their spell. These institutions, once considered beacons of rationality and advocacy, now appear subdued.

    The greater burden, however, lies on the followers the masses who have allowed themselves to be manipulated, deceived, used, and discarded by those elected to protect their interests.

    Independence Day

    Nigerians have endured immense disappointment over the past six decades. Almost every sector is in a state of decay a direct result of the lack of political will among leaders and the absence of proactive citizenship.

    As we commemorate another Independence Day, the reality on the ground is harsh. For the average Nigerian (the Talakawa), living standards continue to decline. Even a simple aspiration like eating three square meals daily has become unattainable. The anger and frustration evident across the country reflect the true state of the nation.

    Happy Birthday

    It would be unfair to deny that some progress has been made since Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule. However, while our contemporaries nations that gained independence around the same time have joined the league of developing nations, Nigeria, despite its immense wealth, remains stagnant.

    At 65, our country still grapples with deep-rooted poverty, and the average citizen lives in misery, forced to swallow bitter pills served by the very leaders they voted into power.

    Nigerian TAX Reform - Federal Goverment

    When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, following the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Nigerians were filled with hope. There was widespread belief that Tinubu would spearhead a turnaround and lay the groundwork for renewed prosperity.

    However, despite the initial optimism, those hopes have gradually given way to disillusionment. The eight years of Buhari’s misrule had already left the country in shambles, and Nigerians tolerated much in anticipation of better days under Tinubu.

    Now, well into his administration, that optimism is fading. There is growing resentment among citizens over the government’s inability to quickly and effectively address the inherited crises.

    National Orientation Agency Page UP
    National Orientation Agency - Down

    It is high time the government became more sensitive in crafting policies that reflect the needs of the masses. Despite billions of naira being invested in infrastructure projects, the country still suffers from major deficits, stifling business growth and worsening living conditions.

    More than 100 million Nigerians now live in poverty, with a life expectancy of just 48.8 years. As we mark Independence Day, nearly half the population is trapped in extreme poverty. The World Bank has projected sluggish economic growth this year, compounded by high unemployment.

    The state of Nigeria’s education sector is disheartening. Major roads are in disrepair. Electricity remains unreliable. The health sector is a national embarrassment. Sadly, these are not new issues.

    Many analysts and social commentators have rightly identified the absence of true leadership as Nigeria’s greatest challenge. But leadership is only one side of the coin.

    The deeper reality is this: the persistent failure of followership. In societies that have evolved and developed successfully, reforms and transformation are often driven by the people not just their leaders. When citizens accept mediocrity, impunity thrives.

    In truth, many Nigerians now believe that the country’s past was better than its present and worry that the future may be even worse. There are no clear signs that things are improving. The nation seems to be drifting toward economic collapse.

    How then can citizens be expected to celebrate independence joyfully amidst the daily humiliation and suffering inflicted by those in power?

    The greatest disappointment over the past six decades is how successive leaders have failed to build on the foundations laid by our forebears. Instead, nearly every sector has decayed due to the lack of vision, political will, and competent leadership.

    At 65, Nigeria is still plagued by poor economic policies, nepotism, mismanagement, and a lack of direction. The country we inherited is not the Nigeria our founding fathers envisioned.

    The successors of our early leaders have failed to build a nation with a strong and resilient economy unlike many of our contemporaries, who are now thriving in the global south.

    Nigerians look back with regret, feeling that yesterday was better than today, and fearing that tomorrow may be worse. Our leaders are steering the country toward bankruptcy.

    We now celebrate independence amidst hardship, hunger, and desolation  battling to survive in a country where prices have skyrocketed due to unchecked profiteering. What the masses are enduring today is reminiscent of the suffering of the late 1980s.

    • Dukawa writes from Abuja and can be reached via abbahydukawa@gmail.com.

    65th Independence Abba Dukawa's Opinion Nigera
    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn Telegram Email

    Related Posts

    EXPLAINER: The Misconceptions Around Tinubu’s Income Tax Reforms – By Michael Chibuzo

    October 8, 2025

    Owerri: In The Heartland Of The South East, President Tinubu Strenghtens Bonds – By Sunday Dare

    October 7, 2025

    High Point Of Nigeria’s Participation At UNGA 80 – By Tunde Rahman

    October 6, 2025

    A Legacy Of Excellence: Prime College Celebrates 30 Years Of Academic Success – By Kabir S. Hanga

    October 4, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest Posts

    $400,000 WhatsApp Trail: Court To Rule On EFCC’s Electronic Evidence Against Emefiele Today

    October 9, 2025

    139 Million Nigerians Living In Poverty Despite Reforms – World Bank

    October 9, 2025

    Mikel Obi Reveals Winning Formula For Super Eagles’ World Cup Qualification

    October 9, 2025

    Ronaldo Becomes Football’s First Billionaire, Eyes 2026 World Cup

    October 9, 2025

    WHO Details Harrowing Scenes Of Gaza Horrific Trauma Patients

    October 9, 2025
    Advertisement
    WIDGET ADS
    News Point NG
    © 2025 NEWS POINT NIGERIA Developed by ENGRMKS & CO.
    • Home
    • About us
    • Disclaimer
    • Our Advert Rates
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Join Us On WhatsApp