As Nigeria marked its 66th Independence anniversary on October 1, 2026, Nigerians have reflected on the state of the country since independence, expressing mixed reactions over the economic hardship, insecurity and other challenges confronting citizens.
Many who spoke with DAILY POST expressed deep frustration over the current situation, while calling for collective resilience and improved leadership.
Mr James Adamu, a retired civil servant, noted that those who took over power from the British initially made significant efforts to develop the country.
He said that during the era of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and others, there was fairness in leadership and relative peace across the country.
He lamented that, over the years, tribalism, favouritism and other negative practices emerged, leading to challenges affecting security, agriculture and other social amenities.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Suleiman Buhari, lamented the current state of leadership in the country.
“It appears we are living in a society where there is no leadership. We are all living where no one cares for the welfare of the other. The leadership from the federal, state and local government areas appears not to be in existence.
“No wonder insecurity, hardship and all manners of challenges have become the order of the day.
“Today in Nigeria, attacks and killings of people are no longer news, something that was not known before in any part of the country. Shedding of blood has also become the order of the day, and that is why calamity is seen everywhere in Nigeria.
“Those who do not fear God employ any means to survive. No wonder some people who are highly placed in the society have resorted to kidnapping as their means of making quick money in millions every day.”
According to a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Adamu Maiyaki, the situation in every part of the country is so challenging that people may be tempted to conclude that most citizens are involved in all manners of atrocities irrespective of religion, tribe or region.
“We need to talk to ourselves individually on the way forward for the country. People are blaming one another for the woes in the country.
“We need to be sincere with one another on how best to pilot the affairs of the land so that everybody will feel a sense of belonging in the country,” he suggested.
Many other Nigerians have also expressed frustration over the high cost of living, rising transportation fares and expensive food items.
Some said 66 years of independence had not produced sufficient improvements for citizens to confidently point to sectors that had recorded tremendous progress in terms of their overall welfare.
Timothy Saleh, a lecturer at Kaduna State University, said recent economic reforms, including the removal of the fuel subsidy, had not brought meaningful relief to many Nigerians.
He noted that promises by the government that increased revenues would translate into improved welfare had not been fully reflected in the lives of many households.
He lamented that some government officials were becoming wealthier while ordinary Nigerians continued to struggle.
According to him, “Please let us be realistic in a country like Nigeria where bandits give orders and even take charge of some communities in remote areas of the Nigerian Federation, where farmers are banned from farming their ancestral lands in some cases.
“Conditions are even given to farmers to pay certain amounts or else they will not be allowed to farm or harvest their farmlands.
“That is Nigeria at 66. Is that what we have to celebrate? These are serious tragedies that need serious attention to be rectified. If at all the 66 years of independence needs considerable celebration, if not, there is no justification for it.”
He said the ongoing security challenges, including localised abductions and safety risks outside major urban centres, remained a primary source of anxiety for families and business owners.
He called for stronger and more effective intervention to address the security situation and restore confidence among Nigerians.
Frustration, despair trail Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary amid economic hardship