NIGERIA AT 62: THE TRAVAIL OF THE GIANT OF AFRICA - By Muideen Adebayo Ibrahim, ACIS

Cambridge English dictionary defined Travail as; “an unpleasant experience or situation” 
whilst the synonyms of travail is; “a state of great suffering of body or mind.”

It is a statement of fact that Nigerians are really passing through hard times at the 

moment. Infact the centre can no longer hold and things have completely fallen apart.

An average Nigeria is tired of the state of affairs of this great country and indeed the 

giant of Africa but alas the self acclaimed giant is crawling, Nigerians are helpless and 

hapless and the situation now calls for serious concern as it were. Most Nigerians are

now so depressed to the extent that suicide is now a common occurrence.

It should be noted that this was not the vision the founding fathers of Nigeria environed 

in 1960 when Nigeria came into being.

Things have been messed up completely and Nigerians are feeling the heat the more 

now whereas, our leaders are less concerned of the harrowing experiences their 

subjects are passing through. If not, they would have ameliorated the various concerns 

of Nigerians and fix them. After all, we voted for them to fix turn Nigeria into a better

country.

The standard of living of an average Nigerian is abysmally too low, hence Nigerians are 

jetting out of the country in droves for greener pasture elsewhere.

"Save Manufacturing Sector from collapse"

The above is the screaming headline of The Punch of Friday 30th September, 2022. The 

manufacturers cried out because of the untold hardship they are facing in the country

at the moment.

The Punch reported that “the manufacturing industries are generating about 14,000 

megawatts of electricity on their own due to poor supply from the power generation 

and distribution companies in Nigeria highlights the parlous situation in Africa’s most populous country. This sad reality vividly painted by the organized private sector is one of depressed and endangered productive sectors, impacted by an unfavourable operating environment. Beyond the confusion and inertia that characterizes his regime, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), needs to adopt a workable stimulus plan to save the economy.”

That “According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, its member companies 

spent N639 billion on alternative energy sources between 2014 and 2021. A breakdown shows that manufacturers spent N25 billion in 2014, N59 billion in 2015, and N129.95 billion in 2016 to self-generate electricity. The figure for 2017 was N117.38 billion; N93.11 billion in 2018; N61.38 billion in 2019; N81.91 billion in 2020, and N71.22 billion 

in 2021.”

The Punch posited further that

 “Though the power crisis is just one of the many problems confronting the sector, it is a very fracturing one. It is estimated that providing alternative power adds over 40 per cent to total production costs. This is further compounded by the over 200 per cent increase in the price of diesel since February, cost of funds and prohibitive exchange rates. Nigerian made products are therefore uncompetitive and cannot take advantage of the devalued naira to boost exports.”

“Another huge challenge is the difficulty in accessing foreign exchange to pay for imported machinery and raw materials. MAN said producers still find it extremely difficult to obtain forex even after the Central Bank of Nigeria resumed selling dollars to Bureaux de Change operators, and increased supply to banks in the fourth quarter of 

2021.”

When yours truly saw that screaming headline I posited as infra and circularized sameon some platforms on the WhatsApp.

Frankly speaking, “I salute the courage and sagacity of purpose of all the people who have Investments in Nigeria at the moment no matter how small because it is not easy to invest in this country at all. The parameters are no longer palatable, the interest rate is astronomically too high. Diesel is up and keeps going up and up. Forex is now over 722 per dollar.

Inflation is galloping, whilst PMS is also high at 186 to 200 per liter depending on your location in the country. APC has pushed us to the precipice completely so we need a life line and unfortunately PDP is in total disarray!

Really sad and disheartening. So we must rescue our country now! A credible alternative is needed!” Hope Labour Party is up to the task ahead?

The big question is that; has the vision of our founding fathers as envisioned by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sultan of Sokoto Sir Ahmadu Bello now realized after 62 years?

The answer is capital NO!

Unfortunately, things are going from bad to worse in Nigeria these days.

There is hunger in the land, no jobs again infact joblessness is the order of the day, insecurity is extremely high. ASUU has been on strike since February 2022 and our children are at home. Healthcare facilities are terribly bad and medical tourism is now the order of the day, kidnapping is also very high, child mortality rate is high as well, nepotism is the order of the day whilst life expectancy is equally very low and the government has not been able to ameliorate them.

Who will rescue Nigeria now? This is because the administration of APC is caught napping and completely mesmerized with the plethora of challenges confronting the

Nation.

It should be noted that this is not the “Change” APC promised Nigerians!

It is well.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Muideen Adebayo Ibrahim is an Entrepreneur: the Founder, BAMIB

RESOURCES (a Premium Pencil Company) based in Lagos and can be reached via

muideenibrahim2004@yahoo.com or 08037221517 (sms) only please!