In 1960, Nigeria donned the hood of independence — a symbolic garment woven with the threads of sovereignty, hope, and promise. The Union Jack was lowered, and the green-white-green rose with pride. We became a nation of our own, free to chart our destiny, free to build a republic that would reflect the dreams of our ancestors and the aspirations of our children.
But as the saying goes, “The hood does not make the monk.” And so, we must ask: ‘If we have seen the hood, where is the monk?’ Where are we as a nation? Or are we just a country or contraption of tribes, clans and languages?
As we use the hood as the symbol of our independence from Britain, the colonial masters, that freedom gave us the robe of nationhood. We built institutions, held elections, and created ministries. We wrote vision statements. We have seen the hood. But the monk — the disciplined, enlightened, purposeful nation — remains elusive.
The monk, what we were meant to become, is not defined by the robe but by the character beneath it. For Nigeria, that character was meant to be one of discipline, innovation, and inclusive growth. Yet, over 65 years after, we are still battling the same demons of power outages in a land of abundant sun; fuel queues in an oil-rich nation; youth unemployment in a country bursting with talent; ethnic tensions in a republic purportedly founded on unity; and corruption in institutions meant to serve.
We have built the temple, but the spirit of the monk is missing. And the spheres are many. On the economic front, numbers do not lie. Nigeria’s population is now over 220 million, growing at 2.4% annually. By 2050, we are projected to be the third most populous country in the world. Yet we have not made much use of our human resources to its maximum extent. In the area of Oil & Gas, crude oil production rose to 1.49 million barrels per day in late 2024, up from 1.33 mbpd, thanks to anti-theft measures and revitalised fields. Yet, oil revenue remains volatile and constrained by subsidy deductions and smuggling.
Our foreign loans and debt have surged, with public debt increasing by 34.9% year-on-year to ₦134.3 trillion in Q2 2024, driven by exchange rate depreciation and new borrowings. Meanwhile our external reserves stood at $40.38 billion in November 2024, covering 9.16 months of imports. However, net forex inflow declined due to reduced loan inflows.
While it is a positive that Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.46% in Q3 2024, driven by finance, telecommunications and oil, inflation, high interest rates, and low tax base continue to choke inclusive growth.
So how do we reclaim the monk within?
For the Government, there must be major invest in infrastructure, including prioritisation of power, roads, and broadband to unlock productivity. It must also reform oil revenue management to eliminate leakages, enforce transparency, and reinvest earnings into human capital. The new Tax Reform law should help expand the tax base and simplify compliance to reduce dependence on loans. There must also be major support for SMEs, by providing credit, training, and digital tools to scale local businesses, while the human capital development was be given a big boost with more investment and budget provisions for education, healthcare, and vocational training to prepare the youth for the future.
What about the role of citizens? They should not only be crying of the hard times. They must demand accountability, use their voices, vote, and platforms to hold leaders to their promises. There is also the need for them to embrace entrepreneurship by innovating, collaborating and building businesses that solve real problems, while paying taxes because civic responsibility begins with contribution. Financial literacy, digital skills, and civic awareness are tools of transformation of the citizenry and this they must do urgently.
Our leaders must lead by example by making their integrity visible, not just preached.
They must:
– Build Institutions, not empires: Strengthen systems that outlive individuals.
– Unify, not divide: Ethnic and religious manipulation must end.
– Think long-term: Legacy is built over decades, not election cycles.
As Nigeria continues its journey of nationhood, citizenship should not just be to wear the green and white. Let us always ask hard questions. Let us always demand more than fireworks and speeches. Let us always look beyond the hood and search for the monk.
Because Nigeria is not just a country. It is a calling. After 65 of independence, the time for robes without righteousness is over. The people deserve a better deal than they currently have.
