Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee: Leveraging The Brand To Greater Lofty Heights With Hope, Unity And Progress [Part 1]

Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee has, auspiciously, coincided and by Divine arrangement with the year that the first two digits match the second two digits; a special and unique year – 2020. The next year that will follow this magical pattern is 2121 which will take another 100 years for it to evolve.

Nigeria, endowed with world-class human capital, natural resources, tropical forests, scenic savannah, varieties of landscapes, perfect climate, not freeze cold or oven hot, beaches, mangrove forest in the delta is once again the cynosure of the continent and the world for attaining the milestone.

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Abuja, the nation’s pride and capital, boasts of intriguing landmarks of world-class and a few of our cities and capitals such as Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Jos, Kano, Asaba, Kastina, Owerri, Enugu among others which have quite a number of cultural offerings and landscapes of scenic splendor for travellers, tourists, visitors and businessmen and women.

As a result of the uniqueness and peculiarity of the triple score, the government and people of Nigeria should burst with excitement and commemorate the occasion of a life time as the majority of the current generation may not be around to celebrate the nationhood in 2121. The 60th anniversary presents a double-barrel or multi-barrel celebration; first, for a united nation in spite of vicissitudes, challenges, civil war and other potent threats including centrifugal forces. Some nations, naysayers, doomsday prophets, cynics and captious critics had predicted the disintegration and balkanization of the Nigerian state before now but our diversities have become our strength.

The lyrics of the National Anthem are instructive and apposite about the indissolubility of the country — “ Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey. To serve our fatherland, With love and strength and faith. The labour of our heroes past, shall never be in vain. To serve with heart and might, One nation bound in freedom, peace, and unity’’.

Second, as a nation for surviving economic recessions and mobilizing effectively toward flattening the COVID-19 curve in the anniversary year with minimal casualties.

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Leading Nigeria with its chequered history at this time on a year-long activities commemorating this millennium event is the man on whom history and destiny beckons who was part of the military intervention(s) in the politics of the country and now a champion and defender of democratic Nigeria.

Muhammadu Buhari is the man whom the cap fits, the sixth democratically elected President of Nigeria and the chief celebrator. In our national trajectory of triumphs, achievements, failings and tragedies, definitely we have cause to celebrate. Just as President Buhari joined world leaders in congratulating the United Nations at 75 for remaining committed to founders’ aspirations of fostering global peace and security among others, Nigeria has not done badly in following the path of national growth and development and therefore, the “labour of our heroes and founding fathers past has not been in vain.’’

On October 1, 2015 in Abuja in his first independence day address to commemorate the nation’s 56th  anniversary after his inauguration on May 29, 2015, Buhari assured Nigerians that he would engender a systemic change in all facets of life but threw a gauntlet: “We must change our lawless habits, our attitude to public office and public trust. We must change our unruly behavior in schools, hospitals, market places, motor parks, on the roads, in homes and offices.’’ His clarion call was to rally the citizenry to make the necessary sacrifices, allow peace to reign and join the forces to salvage and transform our nation.

President Buhari has since at the outset unleashed on the nation his far-reaching policies and programmes to accomplish the task of rebuilding the country through concerted effort, soliciting peace, unity and national cohesion for national progress. Truly, he has touched every facet of national life, building modern rail system, roads and other infrastructure and fighting head-on and headlong the national scourge – corruption and graft as well as insecurity.

The 60th anniversary celebration is a remarkable milestone in the annals of our nation as it affords us as a people the opportunity to review our progress and challenges as well as chart the course for our future. A celebration in the service of our fatherland: from vision to actualization and reality, from commitment to continual nation building, from progress to progress.

Having walked the tight-rope of political instability and military interregna with national values corrupted and eroded, citizens denied political freedoms, individual protection amid ethnic discrimination, Nigeria re-launched itself into democracy and is fast regaining its position as a role model in Africa, restoring democracy in countries that had suffered military junta’s adventurism.

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Africa’s most populous nation of more than 200 people has evolved as a brand on the continent and internationally, thus becoming a regional power bloc and a respected voice in the comity of nations. Of a truth, 60 years is nothing compared to advanced democracies and nations with 100 or 200 years of nationhood but nonetheless it is significant to continue to leapfrog on the frontiers of nation building and development.

Virtually in every sector of national life, Nigeria has recorded some giant strides particularly in the Buhari administration worthy of celebration. But the government, in its wisdom, has opted for a low-key celebration.

According to Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed in a  programme of events lined up by the Federal Government for the anniversary, it will devoid of pomp, glitz, buzz and extravagance. At a joint news conference by the Ministers of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs who are members of the Branding Committee of Nigeria at 60, Muhammed blamed the low-key celebration on the COVID-19 pandemic which, he noted, had imposed some safety protocols on nations across the world.

He, however, indicated that Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated throughout a whole year from September 25, 2020 to  September 30, 2021 with different staggered events during the period apart from the activities announced for September 25 to October 1, 2020.

The week-long programme will kick off with a public lecture on Friday September 25, 2020 at National Mosque Conference Hall, Abuja at 10.00am; Special Jumat Prayers on Friday, September 25 at National Mosque, Abuja, at 1pm and an inter-denominational Church service on  Sunday, September 27, 2020 at National Christian Centre, Abuja at 3pm.

A landmark event of launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy as well as Integrity Award by President Buhari to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ICPC will hold on Monday, September 28 at State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja at 10.00am.

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Other activities are a Historical Exhibition also scheduled for Monday at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja, at 3pm while a Presidential Broadcast will be aired nationwide on Thursday, October 1st followed by a Guard of Honour/Anniversary Parade at the Eagles Square, Abuja, at 10am.

Attendance at the various events is strictly by invitation while attendees will mandatorily observed COVID-19 protocols.

Just as the nation had made tremendous progress so have the people in all human endeavours and walks of life here in Nigeria and ruling the world and more can be accomplished only in an atmosphere of peace.

The roll call: First Nigerian female commercial pilot and first woman to fly an aircraft in Nigeria, Chinyere Kalu, first ever female helicopter combat pilot, Tolulope Arotile, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, billionaire businesswoman, Folorunso Alakija, Tony Elumelu, among others.

Just as Julius Nyerere, an innovative thinker and revolutionary African leader, was raised to transform the entire political economy of Tanzania shortly after it got its independence precisely in December 1961 and took some unpopular decisions, all in national interest, so is Buhari, who symbolizes a commitment, a determination and hope, not only to Nigerians, Africa and Africans but to the people of African descent across the world; daring to move in the direction other past Nigerian leaders feared or dreaded.

Before entering the political stage on December 31, 1983, the second republic politicians had ruined the nation’s economy, almost prostrated by looting, massive corruption and poor governance and leadership, Buhari was brought in by his colleagues for his no-nonsense anti-corruption stance, discipline and capacity to rebuild the country but the mission was truncated in July 1985 by another set of soldiers and politicians who felt threatened by the policies of his administration particularly the War against Indiscipline.

Again in 2015 about 30 years after, by Providence, Buhari was brought in to rebuild Nigeria from decades of rot, endemic graft almost a state policy, infrastructure decadence and morass of underdevelopment. With massive launch of infrastructure development particularly the rail system, expressways and anti-corruption war, Buhari has established for himself a reputation as a leader and rebirther of a new Nigeria. President Buhari’s life has been of accomplishment in spectacular and extraordinary circumstances. His transformation from a soldier-dictator to a democrat is amazing as his credentials keep soaring and improving by the day piloting a stable democracy as Nigeria clocks 60. Nigeria and its strong leadership are important to Africa because it is now an exemplar in shift of narrative of the country and the continent as the `arc of instability’.

The last line of the second stanza of Nigeria’s Anthem harps on the need for national peace and concord as prerequisite to build the nation and to attain “great lofty heights’’ as a people. In the absence of it, all the national aspirations, hopes, objectives and goals will be dashed.

To be continued…

Akinsola writes in from Lagos

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.

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