Dead On Arrival: The Case Of Nigeria, A Country That Never Existed

Dead On Arrival: The Case Of Nigeria, A Country That Never Existed We are here to mourn a feigned nation that never truly lived. A land asse...

Dead On Arrival: The Case Of Nigeria, A Country That Never Existed

We are here to mourn a feigned nation that never truly lived. A land assembled by colonial carpenters who neither measured the wood nor cared if the nails held. A land where justice is as rare as rain in the Sahara and where the powerful dine on the misfortunes of the weak. Nigeria, the country that was dead on arrival.

On January 1, 1914, a confused British midwife named Lord Frederick Lugard forced the Northern and Southern Protectorates into an unholy matrimony, declaring, "Let there be a nation!" But the bride and groom barely spoke the same language, but had different traditions and nursed centuries of distrust. Nobody asked for this wedding, but the guests arrived anyway, bearing gifts of corruption, ethnic division, and a constitution that meant nothing. So, Nigeria was born not in joy, but in confusion. It was not a nation; it was a business deal. And like every bad investment, the cracks showed almost immediately.

From the moment of amalgamation, the British treated Nigeria like a private farm, with the governors serving as chief plantation masters. They sucked out the resources, shipped them to England, and left behind a ticking time bomb. At independence in 1960, the colonial masters handed over a fragile nation to leaders who were more interested in tribal supremacy than nation-building.

Then came the coups. One soldier after another, dressed in khaki and deceit, seized power under the guise of "saving" Nigeria. Each government outdid the last in looting, oppression, and selling national assets for personal gain. The masses? Well, they were treated like goats—herded from one hardship to another, yet expected to remain loyal.

Ah, democracy! The system that should have revived the lifeless corpse of Nigeria. But the never existed nation's own version of democracy is a comedy show where votes never counts, politicians promise heaven and deliver hell, and the more you steal, the higher your chances of winning elections. The ballot box is now a relic of the past, replaced by "agbado and cassava" campaigns where the highest bidder takes all.

Nigeria’s democracy is like an elephant with three legs—it moves, but everyone knows it is not going far. The politicians are not leaders; they are landlords who charge citizens rent to live in their own supposed country. Elections are like staged wrestling matches—the winner was chosen before the fight began, and the referee is always on the side of the highest bidder.

Only in Nigeria can billions vanish into thin air and nobody goes to jail, snakes swallow billions of naira and rats keep a president out of office. Corruption cases appear like Nollywood movies entertaining at first, but you already know the ending: the thief walks free. EFCC arrests "small thieves" who stole sachets of water while the "big men" who looted pension funds are given chieftaincy titles.

If kidnapping were a subject in school, Nigeria would have produced PhD holders. Terrorists get VIP treatment, acclaimed repentant terrorists are rewarded, and armed robbers are now government contractors. Meanwhile, citizens live in fear, knowing that calling the police for help is like inviting a snake into your house.

Nigeria is the only country where roads are built on paper, power supply is measured by hope, and water supply is a myth. Our hospitals are mere consultation centers; doctors run away, and patients pray that Panadol can cure all diseases. The government promises good roads but delivers potholes; they promise electricity but deliver darkness. Each administration comes with "visions" Vision 2010, Vision 2020, Vision 2050 but the only vision Nigerians have is of hardship.

Nigeria’s economy is a magician that makes money disappear faster than it appears. The naira is in a wrestling match with the dollar, and inflation is the only thing that grows consistently. Workers earn salaries that cannot last a week while politicians earn allowances that can feed an entire state. The minimum wage is an insult, and the price of fuel is a national trauma.

Yet, when hardship increases, our leaders say, "Pray for Nigeria", as if prayers can stop corruption, build roads, or feed the hungry. But why not? In Nigeria, miracles are our last economic policy.

Nigeria did not die today; it died at creation because it was founded on a faulty foundation that is now far decayed. What citizens are witnessing is a country moving like a ghost, unsure whether to rest in peace or continue haunting its citizens. The politicians will keep looting, the masses will keep suffering, and the cycle will continue until someone gathers the courage to bury this corpse.

Until then, Nigeria, a country that was dead on arrival will still keep pretending to be alive.

Family Writers Press International