By Kayode Emola
The global community is enduring several challenges at this present time, from the Covid-19 pandemic, to the war in Ukraine. The majority of Europeans thought that Brexit was a big enough problem to try and deal with, not knowing that it was only just the beginning of a series of increasingly larger challenges.
For the multitudes in Nigeria who are trapped below the poverty line, there seems to be no way out of their present predicament. However, even for those who believe that they are starting to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel, it must be said that unfortunately, the worst is yet to come.
Many countries, including the ‘developed countries’, badly mishandled the Covid-19 pandemic. This mishandling is subsequently causing a catastrophic ripple effect that we are witnessing in the form of the cost-of-living crises. When the pandemic started, I made a number of videos advising people to ensure that, no matter what happened, they should try and ensure that the lockdown did not paralyse their source of income. It is relatively very easy to overcome this challenge in advanced countries, but for the underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asia, this was a mammoth task to undertake.
Shortly after the “ENDSARS” protest, large warehouses filled with stockpiled foodstuffs were discovered all around Nigeria. These stockpiles, intended to alleviate the suffering of the general populace, were hoarded selfishly, kept away from those who needed them the most. In some cases, they were even left unattended, causing the majority of the foodstuff to spoil and go to waste.
The war in Ukraine has further compounded the problems in supply of essential everyday commodities, including oil, gas, and wheat, amongst others. Many people may not feel the impact immediately, however when the furore of war is settled, the effect will be felt much more acutely.
One piece of advice widely circulated at the height of the pandemic, was that people should stock up in non-perishable items to shield them from the surge in prices. The same advice would be prudently heeded in the current global situation, too. These international crises continue to pile one on top of the other, from the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan to the near-collapse of the Sri Lankan economy, to the economic hardship in Nigeria, with no respite from the constant stream of calamities in sight.
In this week alone, Nigerians have witnessed several attacks from various quarters. Kaduna has been particularly viciously targeted, from the train bombing on the Abuja-Kaduna line to the attack on Kaduna International Airport, to the massacre of innocent villagers in the southern part of the state. The growing number of attacks demonstrates the emboldening of terrorist groups, due to a lack of effective response on the part of the Government. As these terrorists destroy infrastructure sites of foreign investment, both individual and national debts escalate, leading to gloomy days looming ahead for many Nigerians.
We also witnessed the ugly vandalism of the National stadium in Abuja, when the Nigerian national team was knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers. Although Nigeria did not lose the match on that day, aggregate points caused Nigeria to be knocked out of the football competition. This was not well received by the fans at the stadium. However, a critical assessment of the situation shows that the vandalism of the stadium was not purely due to the knockout of Nigeria from the World Cup. The loss of their place in the tournament merely served as the spark that ignited the powder keg of bottled-up anger in the hearts of the youth accumulated from decades of hardship and oppression.
As the inevitability of further recession becomes clear, the American government has had to resort, for the first time in five decades, to release some of their stockpile of oil and gases, in order to ease the pressure afflicting many nations. Whilst this will go a long way to help in some countries, with our politicians’ greed any international support will end in their hands, rather than the people truly in need of it.
As the world’s challenges ever increase before our very eyes, it is blindingly evident that the Nigerian state can no longer supply the needs of the indigenous peoples. This is the time that every Yoruba person must rise up in unison, to demand our sovereign nation. In our own independent Yoruba nation, it would be substantially easier to build a buffer that would ensure that everyone is well shielded from the fluctuations in the global market and any other disasters that may await.
Nigeria is now a failed state according to all indices, with the current level of depravation rendering it irredeemable. None of our politicians, from the north to the south, have any intention of making the revival of Nigeria’s economy or improvement of the standard of living a priority. Therefore let us not waste time in claiming back our destiny. This is the time to finally say goodbye to the country we once held dear in our hearts, but that has failed us and has _been_ failed by those elected to improve it. I strongly believe that once our independent Yoruba nation is actualised, we will be able to build a better civilisation where everyone, not just the few, are looked after.
