Excerpted story from Generation1.ca’s AfroRise2050 Fellowship’s inaugural publication Our Dreams for Africa, envisioning diverse pathways to a stronger Africa by 2050 and beyond. Be on the lookout for the entire anthology!
By Tobiloba Owoade
I want to talk about some top needs in Nigeria to address insecurity and its impact on present and future governance in Nigeria.
Insecurity in Nigeria
There are many challenges facing Nigeria and Africa as a whole, which need urgent attention for a brighter future. One of the most pressing issues is insecurity. In Nigeria, and across many African countries, rising cases of violence, insurgency, and kidnappings create an atmosphere of fear and instability that hinders growth and development. Without peace and safety, it becomes difficult for communities to thrive or for businesses to operate effectively.
It all started when unknown gunmen started to destroy the lives and properties of people in the northern part of Nigeria and that has happened in a lot of places like churches, mosques, houses at night, airports etc. These occurrences have also caused many people in the northern part of Nigeria to relocate to other parts of Nigeria like the east, west and southern parts of Nigeria, while some people believe that this is a religious war, I personally believe it is not and it is a political war as it is seen that the northern part of Nigeria has a lot of natural resources for the whole world to tap from, that we haven’t. Some of the natural resources include:
Gemstones: States like Plateau, Kaduna, and Bauchi are known for their gemstone deposits, which include valuable stones like sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, and emerald.
Gold: Gold is found in several northern states, including Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Sokoto.
Talc: Significant deposits of talc have been identified in states such as Niger, Kogi, and Kaduna.
Iron Ore: Northern states like Kogi, Niger, and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) have substantial iron ore deposits.
Coal: Coal is present in states like Benue, Bauchi, and Zamfara.
Bentonite and Baryte: These minerals, used in drilling for oil, are found in states like Taraba and Bauchi.
Limestone: Limestone is widely available across many northern states, including Sokoto, Borno, and Kogi, and is a key input for cement production.
Gypsum: This is another resource used in cement production, and it’s found in states like Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto.
Kaolin: Found in many northern states, kaolin is a type of clay used in various industrial applications.
Lead/Zinc: Deposits of lead and zinc are spread across several northern states, including Kano, Plateau, and Taraba.
Salt: Rock salt deposits are found in Benue State, while salt springs are present in Plateau State.
So, while the attack still goes on year in year out, I believe some set of people are trying to own some of these lands that are very rich so they can own these natural resources in years to come.
Infrastructure in Nigeria
Another major problem is the lack of reliable infrastructure. Essential services like electricity, transportation networks, and internet connectivity remain inconsistent or inaccessible for many people. This limits economic activities and slows down progress in critical sectors like education, healthcare, and commerce. For Africa to advance, governments and private sectors must invest heavily in building and maintaining strong infrastructure.
I think the problem of infrastructure is really broad and didn’t start because of one particular thing. In my opinion, the government of Nigeria as a whole is in a whole debt and they find it so hard to invest in education, infrastructure & transportation networks. However, the education system is not that bad because a lot of individuals tend to work on themselves and stand out amongst the crowd globally. So for parents who can afford to take their kids to private schools (which are not many in the grand scheme of things) have their kids do well globally because they are used to the rigorous way of learning things in Africa.
However, kids that went to the public schools have it the other way round where the teachers and schools don’t really care much about whether the kids are learning or not. For other parts of infrastructure like internet connectivity, I don’t still have any explanation on why we don’t have good and strong internet like the other developed countries do because it is so expensive to have unlimited internet subscription in Nigeria and Africa, it is not affordable for the common man, but i think it is because these infrastructure companies are heavily taxed by the government. The government doesn’t have proper data about each individual in the country so it is difficult for them to get taxes from a lot of citizens; so businesses suffer for it.
Good Governance in Nigeria:
Good governance is also a significant challenge. Corruption, weak institutions, and lack of transparency undermine trust between citizens and their leaders. This gap often leads to poor policy implementation and unfair distribution of resources. Additionally, the widening gap between the rich and the poor further deepens social inequality, creating frustration and limiting opportunities for many.
I believe that the lack of consequences is the problem of Nigeria and Africa at large, many people in public offices in Nigeria behave anyhow they behave because there is no accountability and no consequences for the actions they take.
Healthcare in Nigeria:
Healthcare remains another huge concern across Nigeria and Africa. Many people lack access to quality medical services, resulting in high mortality rates from preventable diseases. The health systems are often underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped, which reduces the ability to respond effectively to health crises. Healthcare is very expensive, very very expensive in developed countries. Now let’s look at it. How can an underdeveloped country that has the majority of the population in poverty pay for healthcare?
The government has refused to invest in the medical facilities for YEARS. That’s why we have a lot of our politicians go abroad for medical services. Even our ex-president before the present one just died in a hospital in England. I think all these problems we face in Africa are interwoven honestly, because if the government invests in education, many people will be able to find a way to understand how the world works better, if the government also made the country safe for a lot of citizens, a lot of us won’t be congested in the western part of Nigeria. (Let me give context, Nigeria has 36 states, and the most populated state is Lagos state, it is a state in the western part of Nigeria, and it has about 25 million people living in it, whereas the land area is about 1,171 sq kilometer. Lagos covers nearly double the land area of Toronto, yet its population is over six times greater! As a result, Lagos is much more densely populated—reflecting rapid urbanization and ongoing population growth pressures that far outpace those seen in Toronto.
This is so because there is an uneven spread of opportunities in the country, So Lagos may have a lot of amenities and infrastructure because the government can make a lot of taxes from the residents of Lagos but it is not so in the other states of the country.
Credibility in Nigeria and Africa
Lastly, there is the issue of credibility—both for Nigerians and Africans on the global stage. Negative stereotypes and mistrust sometimes affect opportunities in business, diplomacy, and international cooperation. Addressing these challenges holistically with commitment and collaboration is essential to building a prosperous and respected future for the continent.
The Nigerian passport is one of the weakest passports in the world because of all these problems I have listed earlier. The insecurities, the bad economy, bad infrastructure and healthcare, uneven distribution of wealth etc. All these have affected the credibility of Nigerians worldwide.
For example, I came to school in Canada to access global opportunities because I believe I am qualified to get into the bigger rooms of opportunities. I have been a UX Designer for 4 years now and it was quite difficult to get gigs and jobs from developed countries because I was living in Nigeria. So I believe credibility is among the biggest issues we have back home in Nigeria.
I hope this write up is rich enough to explain some of the issues we face back home in Nigeria and my call to action. Thank you for what you do for immigrants in North America, we really appreciate Generation1.ca, and its AfroRise2050 Fellowship for Movers and Arrivers.
