Is Nigeria a safe country? If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you will be surprised to read the title of this blog post. Well, don’t be surprised, this is one of my primary responsibility to the country of my birth.
In addition to this, the Visionary Business Project, a platform God is using to raise problem-solving business people and work-place professionals has a deep interest in seeing the most populous black nation achieve her massive potentials. So it’s not out of place if we decide to carry out divine researches to answer some questions or solve some problems like the one we have in our post title above, Is Nigeria a safe country?
Related: Watch videos on the role of the church in Nigeria
Is Nigeria a safe country?: Is there a direct answer?
I believe there should be a direct answer and I’m giving that to you very soon but it’s not going to be the way you want it or desire it or expected it to be delivered. I have decided to use the answer to this question to solve a basic problem that I believe will help to answer this question.
So, my simple answer to that question is this: Nigeria, my beautiful will be a safe country if saviors can arise out of her to help her out of her ‘sickbed’ and to stop her from ‘dying.’
I believe that must have shocked you. Don’t worry, I want you to read this post out and see the wisdom in what I just declared above.
Africa and Nigeria problem areas
The continent of Africa once again allowed lack of organization, dishonesty, lack of a true success system, lack of true leadership, negative and corrupt attitude of individuals to stop her from having a great result at the last world cup in the year 2018. The result of this high-level irresponsibility is the absence of a world cup winning prize for many years now and it may continue this way at this level for many years to come!
We could do well at the lower age-grade competitions because not much is at stake in terms of the need for organization, a proper system set up, individual responsibility and we could rely on the individual talents of our players to get results at this level. We have seen that we have not really been able to replicate this same age-grade competition successes at the highest level where a lot more is required in terms of all the factors I mentioned above.
What I have described above perfectly describes the major reason why African countries have not joined the top leagues of the world’s top economies. Poverty, injustice, corruption, political instability, and so on are the order of the day. The continent has cringed for so long under the weight of these problems for many years now and they have confined her to a ‘sickbed’ ready for the ‘grave’ any moment from now!
Nigeria’s Pathetic Case
Nigeria’s case is more pathetic. She prides herself as the most populous black nation in the world and I believe she also comes top as the nation who has performed well in most of the negative vices that I listed above.
These problems which appear to remain glued to Nigeria for years now have contributed to her ‘illness’ for many years and have put her on the sick bed for a long time now. Nigeria is ‘dying’ and she needs saviors and helpers who will prevent her from ‘dying’!
The big question is: ‘Can Nigeria have the opportunity to get a good system in place, good organizational setup, honest and responsible leadership, honest individuals who will prevent her from dying’? The rest of this article will try to answer this and more.
Look at These Common Scenarios
- How many present-day graduates in Nigeria can boast of personally writing and passing their Ordinary Level School Certificate Examinations? Parents have joined the evil crusade of hiring ‘mercenaries’ (those corrupt teachers who go into a contract with a parent or student or school to sit and write examinations for students) to write examinations for their children. They even put pressure on schools to join in this malpractice that has the potential to destroy the future of their children and have a crushing effect on Nigeria. Some schools and educational centers are set up primarily to write examinations for students.
- Nigeria’s higher institutions are filled with corrupt lecturers who are shamefully in the business of collecting bribes from students before they can be allowed to get good grades in their courses.
- You will need to avail yourself of the opportunity of having a business to transact in any government office in Nigeria and see the level of corruption that is in place in the various offices.
- The Nigerian people are ready to sell their souls and conscience with just 5 cups of rice or a 5 – yard Ankara cloth to vote for a wrong candidate during elections.
- The government has encouraged touts in our motor parks today because they are ready tools to fulfill their selfish, political ambitions.
Let Us Look Further More
Nigerians have turned to spiritual institutions for solutions but I want you to read these scenarios:
- The immorality and mediocrity in all forms have played their ways even into these main spiritual institutions (Islam, indigenous beliefs, Christianity). The terrorists have destroyed themselves and other innocent lives claiming they are following the injunction of the Holy Quran. Some important Islamic leaders kept mum for a long time until things began to get out of hands.
- We have discovered many shrines in some parts of the country where innocent individuals are been sacrificed for ritual purposes. These are individuals these spiritual institutions are supposed to protect and make better for the good of the society and Nigeria.
- Today, lots of crooked money mongers and devil – infested fellows are planting churches everywhere deceiving and ripping off the individuals they are supposed to shepherd to be great citizens of the country. This is fulfilling the end – time prophecy of Jesus that “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mathew 24: 24). In my opinion, these people kill more people today ‘legally’ than those throwing bombs all around. They have legal rights to the core of the being of the people and they do a bad job regularly until they turn these individuals into devil – infested crooks who will in turn unleash their evil on the society thereby prolonging Nigeria’s stay on the sick bed! Today, you have to get back home from every church service and put the sermon you have heard on the Bunsen burner or else you will just find out that you have allowed yourself to be taken down the ladder of spiritual and moral decency inside a church fellowship and during a sermon!
The summary: The spiritual institutions (with the exceptions of very few ones) have not really done enough to prevent the death of this country!
What is ‘Killing’ Nigeria?
When the content of a soft drink bottle is bad, it should be opened, spilled, replaced and the bottle cleaned. I want you to note that it may not be necessary to destroy the bottle itself but the content is replaced with the same liquid and then covered again.
The problem with Nigeria is not Nigeria but Nigerians! Nigeria is the soft drink bottle; the individuals (I and you if you are a Nigerian reading this) are the contents of the bottle which needs replacement!
Nigeria, as a country is not the one that has refused to set up a dependable system, work out proper organizational structure and put the right people in place that will manage her affairs effectively. She is not the one that is killing her citizens for rituals, encouraging corruption in all facet of her existence, setting up spiritual institutions to deceive and corrupt the people.
The individuals (you and I) are the ones carrying out these shameful activities and leading her to death. The Individuals are the ones suffocating the country and it appears they don’t want to let go until they take life out of her!
Is Nigeria a safe country?: Driving Force should be honesty
The driving force of an average Nigerian is money and not honesty, integrity and love for God. As a result of this, the society and the government of the day at all levels automatically have money and material acquisitions as their driving force (remember that those in government are products of the society).
An average Nigerian can do anything to make money! When money is the driving force of any individual or nation, then we should understand that sin and the devil are not far. Most times, illness and death are the results. I am not surprised Nigeria is on the sick bed!
How Church Leaders Have Contributed to This
I am glad we are witnessing tremendous increase in the number of churches in our country as many denominations are expanding by planting churches in every nooks and crannies of Nigeria. It is however sad that many of these denominations are not balancing expansion with quality.
Most of the churches are planting new churches and installing incompetent leaders in these new churches. It is very common today to see people who are not even born again at the helm of affairs in these new churches.
The main focus of some of these Christian leaders is on quantity and not quality. Yet, we saw how the early Christian leaders in the book of Acts diligently picked worthy, Spirit – filled leaders in the person of Stephen, Philip and the rest to carry out leadership duties (Acts 6).
This ugly situation has therefore reduced or destroyed the capacity of the church nowadays to help the country out of her sick bed. When incompetent leaders are placed at the helm of affairs in new churches, you can be sure they will not be able to raise good followers and this will eventually rub off negatively on the ‘health’ of the country.
Yes i agree it is a daunting task, yet I expect the church leaders to put more attention on the task of installing competent, Spirit -filled leaders in their new churches.
Can Today’s Government Prevent the ‘Death’ of Nigeria?
The answer is no! Today’s government can’t! TheyWThey mayhmay have a role to play but they can’t weave the magic wand all alone.
We will continued to miss a solution if we continue to expect a miracle or magic from the government of the day at all levels. Today’s’ government are products of the society which has been in a bad state for many years now as I have shown above.
Every society is a product of the actions and inaction of the individuals who make up the society. Men, woman, children, students on the street, students in schools at all levels, people in the market place, workers in government offices, lecturers in the higher institutions, pastors, imams, students of the bible or Koran or indigenous beliefs and any other in this country, over the years, have formed the makeup of the corrupt society that we have today and this same society has continued to produce leaders that have nothing to give the country except to add to her ‘ailment’ in order to ensure her death!
Nigeria is an individual that has been bedridden for many years now as a result of the individuals who occupy her territory and death is seriously staring her in the face. She needs help!
Is Nigeria a safe country: Who will Help Her?
We have sometimes mentioned the family as the smallest institutions that must be touched in order for us to have a change that will save Nigeria from death but I beg to disagree! Before the family comes the institution called the individual Institution. Individuals are the ones who come together as husbands and wives to bring up more individuals as children thereby forming a family.
When individuals thirst, hunger, vote and fight for change, it can rub off on the family and the family can go on to affect the society positively and then qualify leaders can be produced for Nigeria. This is quality leadership that can drive this “sick” or “bedridden” Nigeria out of her sick bed!
Can you imagine how our society can be transformed if a man can beat upon his chest and vote for good no matter what it will cost him and then transfer these values unto his wife and then the children? Can you think of the long – term positive effect on Nigeria if a youth (either male or female) in the higher institution can vote for and do good no matter the odds against him or her?
Can you think of how Nigeria can greatly benefit if our secondary schools have teachers and leaders who have voted for good and are imparting these values into their students in words and in practice? This will surely rub soothing balm on the body of Nigeria to ease her pains and cure her sickness.
The Need for Personal Evaluation and Consultation
The government of today just like as wrote earlier, cannot save Nigeria from “dying”. The society as we have it today cannot help either. The general family structure as we have it today may not have the moral standing to help this country.
The task lie on every individual at whatever age, level, position to find time for a personal consultation with themselves and come out with a resolution to contribute their own quota to save Nigeria our dear country from dying” a painful death!
I loved the story of this biblical personality called Zacchaeus, a sinner, a chief tax collector, and a rich man in Luke chapter 19. He was touched by the message of Jesus, he consulted privately with himself for few minutes, stood up and smote upon his breast declaring his readiness to start doing things the right way.
Luke 19: 8 captures it this way: “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if i have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold’ ”.
I want you to imagine if the Nigerian leadership (those in government) as we have it today can as individuals do this personal consultation and re-evaluation of themselves and come out to act like Zacchaeus. This will go a long way to rub off positively on their followers and this can bring a positive societal change that can bring strength to the “dying” bones and bodies of Nigeria on her sick bed.
The sick” “spirit” of bedridden Nigeria will have life rushed down through it and bring it alive. And because the spirit of a man sustains its infirmity (Proverbs 18: 14), the lively Nigerian spirit will bring health to her dying body.
How Can Individuals Be Influenced to Do Good?
The teaching of moral instructions as we have it today in our schools will not help. The planting of more spiritual institutions in every nook and crannies of the nation may not help either. The buck passing by the various political organizations will also not help. The question of, “Is Nigeria a safe country?”will still remain unanswered if we continue this way.
What then can help?
I am moving into the next section of this post. I started out to write a post that will be devoid of religious and political bias and I believe I have done a good job so far. I wanted every Nigerian to read this and embrace the message.
However, the next section will be sharing my own experience from my religious viewpoint on how I believe individuals can be touched or influenced to start doing good. If you want to read on no matter your religious views, you can do so by checking out for the part two of this post.
If however, you don’t want to read on, I believe the first section of this post has shown you very clearly the major factor putting Nigeria on the sick bed and which is threatening daily to take life out of her!
If you want to stop here, you should personally do a “Zacchaeus Re-evaluation” of yourself and find out the part you can begin to play so that Nigeria can become a better society, bubbling with life, excitement and Godliness. However, I advise you to read on and check out further my prescription on the best way to touch an individual to bring about a lasting change which will bring good to the society and thereby help our “sick” country out of her sick bed.
Nigeria can be a safe country for all if citizens of the nation become more responsible and begin to allow the change to start from them. I shouldn’t jump the gun yet, keep a date with me for the next post to learn more.
I will post the second section of this post in the next three days. If you want to be notified. When I do that, you should just subscribe free to our newsletter here. You will receive free ebooks and online courses when you do so.
Just as I mentioned earlier, this is a periodic research work undertaken by our team at the Visionary Business Project. We use this research to contribute our own quota to solve some salient and naughty issues of Nigeria and Africa. We solve those problems using principles from God’s Word.
Learn More about the Visionary Business Project here
