Nigeria is a culturally diverse country that is blessed with abundant resources, both human and natural. It is located in West Africa, and is one of the most densely populated nations on the African continent and the globe, with over 200 million people.
Even though the country is rich in terms of its resources, it is still home to many great challenges that have bedeviled it since the period it attained freedom from colonial domination. Currently, the country is a nation-state in disarray. It is being plagued by corruption, poverty, violence, ethnoreligious conflicts, and political instability, which have superseded nation-building.
Nigeria seems to be one of the most disorganized countries in the world. Little wonder, why some of its citizens wish they were never born and raised in the country. When you critically analyze the situation in the country, you would get to understand that there are certain anomalies the country comes with, which differentiates it from other countries, which also face their challenges.
Everything is in a state of topsy-turvy. Talk about the persisting fuel scarcity, the threats of an aviation sector shutdown, the crisis in the power sector, the existing political turmoil and instability, the industrial actions by academic institutions, the high level of religious extremism and intolerance, the rapid increase in fraudulent, violent activities & lawlessness and the continuous hike in the price of (virtually) every product and service in the country. In a good and sane society, we shouldn’t be experiencing this sort of disastrous and abominable act.
This article brings to the fore a plethora of factors that have contributed to Nigeria being in disarray. They include:
1. Corruption
Nigeria’s disarray is attributable, in some measure, to corruption. It has contributed greatly to the high poverty rate in the country and a lack of economic growth and infrastructural development. Corruption is a way of life and is exhaustively prevalent and rampant at all levels of Nigerian society. Public officeholders, business owners, and individuals are all guilty of engaging in corrupt practices. This has resulted in much skepticism and suspicion towards the government as well as a lack of investment in the country. The inability of some Nigerians within the country and those in the diaspora to be pellucid and accountable in their activities has led to mistrust towards them. How then would Nigeria not be in disarray when the institutions which are meant to fight against corruption are as corrupt as the people they are supposed to fight against literally walk scot-free.
2. Poverty
The rapidly increasing poverty rate in Nigeria has left the nation in disarray. This is due, in part to the chasm between the rich and poor, which continues to expand, and the growing unemployment in the country. It has made criminal activities grow and flourish on our soil and has also contributed to an egregious state of health and inadequate nourishment of a fraction of the populace. There is still much work that needs to be done by the Nigerian government to improve the standard of living of a majority of the Nigerian population. Resources have to be provided to help people live healthy and productive life, to salvage them from the snare of poverty.
3. Violence
A Nation cannot be built on violence and would certainly be left in disarray if it experiences such. Nigeria is being faced with many security challenges that have destabilized it. Guerilla warfare by insurgents, violent protests, agitations by separatist groups, and persistent ethnic and religious tensions have led to a significant loss of lives and properties, internal displacement of individuals, and social unrest and has also contributed to the frangibility of the Nigerian state. The pervading and incessant violence and bloodshed seem to worsen with time, and important stakeholders have not done much to curb the situation.
If Nigeria is to ever witness any positive social change, all these factors that have led to the country being in a state of disrepair and despair must be looked into and solutions provided with alacrity to pull the nation out of its state of misery.
