NIGERIA @66: LESSONS FROM OUR INDEPENDENCE By Comrade Abdul-Jeleel Samakin
Nigeria's journey since independence on 1 October 1960 offers deep lessons in nation-building, leadership and resilience; not least in the endurance of her people.
In 1914, the colonial authorities merged the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, creating one of Britain's most populous possessions. Independence followed in 1960. In 1967, civil war broke out; after 30 months of fighting, Biafra surrendered and the conflict formally ended on 15 January 1970. A succession of increasingly repressive military governments then held power until the restoration of democracy in 1999; a defining moment that began the longest unbroken period of civilian rule in our history.
Along the way, Nigeria has given the world much to admire. Wole Soyinka became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. In 1996, the Dream Team took Olympic football gold while Chioma Ajunwa won gold in the long jump. Agbani Darego became the first Black African woman to win Miss World in 2001. By 2014, Nigeria had emerged as Africa's largest economy. In 2018, Nigeria became the first African nation to qualify for Olympic bobsleigh.
WHAT, THEN, SHOULD WE LEARN?
Unity in diversity. More than 250 ethnic groups share this space. Embracing our differences, rather than allowing them to divide us, remains the surest route to collective progress.
Vision demands execution. Freedom from colonial rule was a powerful vision, but long-term national success requires disciplined execution, hard work and accountability.
Resilience is a national asset. Nigerians are known globally for withstanding economic and social hardship while still pushing forward with hope and creativity.
People are the real wealth. Oil and other natural resources matter, but it is investment in youth, education and human capacity that drives sustainable growth.
Institutions must outlast politics. Political bitterness and ethnic fractionalisation stall development. Building fair, strong and inclusive institutions is the only path to lasting stability; and that choice is still ours to make.
As Nigeria marks 66 years of independence, every citizen should look back honestly, weigh the present against it, and ask what the years ahead demand of us.
Nigeria my country,your country,our country.Let us build our nation together with unity and progress.
1st October 2026.
