Lately, I’ve found myself locked in a rather uncomfortable conversation with myself. One question keeps coming up, and it’s a big one: What’s your greatest desire?
My answer, sadly, leaves me with a heavy heart. Why? Because it’s simple but impossibly idealistic: I wish that everyone gets what they desire. That no one has to beg for bread, and that no one depends on another to feed. If all you want is food, may you be able to afford it. If you dream of Ferraris, may it be within reach. Everyone, everywhere, satisfied.
Of course, I’m not delusional. I’m well aware that this is one of those dreams that can never come true. But still, I ask myself again: Will life ever get easier? Especially here in Nigeria?
The reality check stings: No, it won’t.
Things are not getting better. And next year? Brace yourself—it’ll likely be worse. People are already groaning under the weight of hardships, and the pain only seems to multiply. Yet, every now and then, I hear people reminiscing about “the good old days”—like the military era. “Back then, things were cheap, peaceful,” they say. Really?
I wonder if those people have selective amnesia, or perhaps they’ve forgotten the notorious Abacha stove we all had to use because kerosene was out of reach. Or how the Maruwa tricycles became the go-to mode of transport when affording a car for a taxi was a dream for many. And who remembers the Yaradua shoes—not for their style, but for their affordability?
The truth is, life has never been a walk in the park in this country, and things only seem rosier when viewed in the rearview mirror. Yes, there was peace for some, but for many, it was an era of muffled cries and economic despair.
Let’s face it, things will get harder. Unfortunately, many of us are ill-prepared for the harsh realities that are fast approaching. We are still stuck in an illusion, refusing to acknowledge that the world around us has changed—and not for the better.
The workplace is evolving faster than we are. The Nigerian economy is a minefield, and it’s getting harder to navigate. The tools we need to survive in this rapidly changing environment are lacking in so many of us. We’re still thinking in terms of yesterday’s problems, using yesterday’s solutions, in a world that has long moved on.
Then there’s governance. Oh, governance! How we define “good governance” is tragically out of sync with what we need. We chase after personalities instead of policies, emotions instead of rationality. We vote with our hearts, not our heads, and the result is the leadership vacuum we see today.
I ask again: Where exactly is this elusive “development” everyone talks about?
It’s hard to see any clear path to development when we’re not even on the same page about what that means. We think development is about more bridges, better roads, and foreign investments. But how about functional healthcare? How about quality education? How about a living wage? The things that really matter to everyday Nigerians remain painfully out of reach.
Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to rise. Inflation hit 24.08% in August 2023, with food inflation at a jaw-dropping 29.34%. Nigerians are paying more for less, yet wages remain stagnant. The naira continues its downward spiral, and experts predict it could get worse before it gets better.
But the most worrying part? Many of us are simply not ready. We live in a bubble, cocooned in the comforts of social media, oblivious to the harsh truths that will soon knock on our doors. The Nigerian dream is shrinking, and for most, survival has become the ultimate goal.
In a world that has already changed, many of us are still clinging to old beliefs, outdated systems, and a romanticized past that never really existed. And I worry—because when the bubble bursts, as it inevitably will, many of us will be left stranded.
So, what’s my greatest desire now? Honestly, I just wish we could wake up.
Wake up to the fact that we’re not prepared for what’s coming. Wake up to the fact that the Nigeria we thought we knew is gone. Wake up to the reality that unless we change how we think, how we work, and how we vote, there’s no clear path to development—only more pain.
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What’s your greatest desire? Ask yourself. Then, more importantly, ask yourself what you’re doing to survive in the Nigeria of tomorrow.
