By Bola Abimbola
Nigeria celebrates its 65th Independence Anniversary today, October 1, 2025. After 65 years of prayers, promises, and proclamations, we must face a harsh truth: we have achieved far less than we should have, and prayer alone won’t bring us change. The Prayer Excuse Has Fallen Short. For 65 years, Nigerians have prayed more than almost any other people on earth. We have more churches and mosques per person than hospitals and schools. Every street corner hosts a prayer house. Yet after 65 years of fervent prayer:
Our road infrastructure is 80% in poor condition
Our national electricity grid collapsed 12 times in 2024 alone
Our currency has been devalued repeatedly
Millions of our best minds have fled abroad
Youth unemployment has reached crisis levels
Insecurity has made entire regions ungovernable
This isn’t a spiritual issue. It’s a leadership, accountability, and systems issue.
Yes, “with God all things are possible.” But God does not award contracts, prosecute corrupt officials, maintain power grids, or build roads. People do. And for 65 years, we have preferred prayer over action, excuses over accountability.
The Dangote Refinery: A Private Success Story Amid Public Failure
After 65 years of independence, Nigeria has finally built a functional refinery, but it was constructed by a private individual, not the government. The Dangote Refinery began producing diesel and aviation fuel in January 2024, with gasoline sales starting in September.
This $19 billion private investment succeeded where the Nigerian government had failed for decades. When fully operational, the refinery can process about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest single-train refinery in the world.
Even this achievement is bittersweet. The refinery has struggled to secure steady crude oil supplies from Nigerian sources and has had to import oil from the United States, a clear reminder of its failure to manage its own resources after 65 years.
What Is Happening to Our National Institutions?
Let’s document the demise of our national dreams:
Nigeria Airways (1958-2003): Established in 1958, Nigeria Airways was liquidated in 2003 after accumulating debts of $528 million. The airline struggled with mismanagement, corruption, and overstaffing; at the time of its closure, it operated only one aircraft on domestic routes. What once symbolized Nigerian independence ultimately became a symbol of failure, representing billions of wasted resources and causing significant harm to the nation’s morale.
Nigerian National Shipping Line (1959-1995): The NNSL was liquidated in September 1995 after several of the company’s vessels were seized in different parts of the world for alleged breach of contract and unpaid bills. By 1979, the company operated 24 oceangoing ships. However, a 1987 World Bank study found that the investment had not significantly contributed to GDP, employment, the balance of payments, or national security; the gains were less than the opportunity costs of the resources used.
At independence in 1960, Nigeria inherited a fleet of ships ready to support its growing economy. However, 64 years later, no Nigerian shipping company owns a single vessel among the more than 5,000 ships that visit Nigerian ports each year. These foreign-owned ships benefit their nations, while we export oil and gas without participating in the transportation process.
Ajaokuta Steel Company (1979-Present): Established in 1979 on a 24,000-hectare site, the Ajaokuta Steel Company is Nigeria’s largest steel mill. However, the project was poorly managed and remains unfinished after 40 years, having never produced a single sheet of steel by December 2017.
Between 2016 and 2024, Ajaokuta Steel received a budget allocation of ₦42.03 billion, despite its dilapidated condition, with 80.87% of the funds spent on personnel costs. We have been paying salaries for over 40 years to workers at a plant that has never produced anything.
Even Aliko Dangote has stated that the long-delayed Ajaokuta Steel Complex might never become operational.
NITEL – Nigerian Telecommunications (1985-2009): NITEL was established in 1985 as a result of the merger of telecommunications services to improve coordination within the country. Starting in 2001, the company experienced a series of failed sales and divestments.
Between April 2003 and March 2004, under Pentascope management, NITEL incurred a loss of ₦15 billion and recorded a further loss of ₦19.15 billion, while the number of working lines decreased from 553,471 to 291,000. The sale to Transcorp was revoked in 2009 after years of mismanagement and fraud.
NNPC – Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation: The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, once Nigeria’s prized asset and self-proclaimed largest national oil company in Africa, has been plagued by inefficiency, corruption, and declining investments, and has been unable to fulfill its obligations.
In 2014, then-Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi made headlines worldwide when he told parliamentarians that $20 billion in oil sales earnings had gone “missing” in just 19 months, and he was dismissed shortly afterward. In August 2015, an independent analysis uncovered that over $32 billion in oil revenue was lost due to NNPC’s mismanagement of Domestic Crude Allocation, opaque revenue retention practices, and corruption-ridden oil-for-product swap deals.
As of July 2025, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts revealed allegations of ₦3.3 trillion in unremitted revenue and contract racketeering involving top NNPCL officials.
Sixty-five years after independence, the institution that manages our primary source of wealth remains a haven of corruption and mismanagement.
NEPA/Power Sector: The national electricity grid failed 12 times in 2024. Sixty-five years after gaining independence, Nigeria continues to struggle to provide reliable power. Nigeria produces around 12,000 MW of electricity but can only transmit about 4,000 to 5,000 MW due to grid inefficiencies.
Our Football Clubs – The Death of National Pride:
Even our sports, once a symbol of national joy and unity, have been ruined by the same pattern: mismanagement, corruption, and neglect.
IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan: Shooting Stars won the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976, becoming the first Nigerian club to secure an international trophy. They are one of Nigeria’s most decorated clubs, alongside Enyimba, Enugu Rangers, and the now-defunct Stationery Stores, although they haven’t won any major trophies since 1998.
After the Nigerian Football Association introduced a double-league format, Shooting Stars was relegated to the lower division in 2006 but earned promotion in 2009. A club that once brought pride to Nigeria in Africa now struggles to stay afloat domestically.
Enugu Rangers International FC: Rangers International, founded in 1970, is the only Nigerian club never to have been relegated from the top division. They won their sixth title in 1984 but did not reach another cup final in the 1990s, and their highest league finish was third place in 1998.
Like most clubs in Nigeria, Rangers is owned by the state government, and for the past three decades, the club’s management has had to operate on a shoestring budget that makes other organizations seem lavish. After a 32-year title drought, they finally won the 2016 Nigeria Premier League, their first championship since 1982, and repeated the feat in 2024.
But even this success occurred despite state government neglect, not because of support. During their 2016 title run, Rangers’ players were owed wages and match allowances.
Port Harcourt Sharks FC: Sharks were nearly relocated to Abeokuta in 1998 due to crowd issues. In protest, they missed the last six games of the 1998 Professional League, finished at the bottom with 32 points, and were suspended for two years. In 2016, Sharks FC merged with Dolphins FC to form Rivers United FC, a merger driven not by strength but by financial difficulties.
These clubs, which once made Nigeria proud by producing legends like Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami, and Christian Chukwu, have been reduced to shadows of their former glory. State governments that own them provide barely enough funding to survive, let alone compete internationally.
Our Universities: From “Africa’s Most Beautiful” to Decay
Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife):
Obafemi Awolowo University was founded in 1961, and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife, established by the regional government of Western Nigeria. Designed by Israeli architect Arieh Sharon, the campus includes buildings constructed between 1963 and 1980, recognized as part of the Bauhaus international heritage and as one of the most iconic examples of modernist campus architecture in Africa.
The campus was once celebrated as “Africa’s Most Beautiful Campus,” and it remains an architectural marvel. But beyond the beautiful facade lies a harsh reality of neglect.
Behind the respected image of Africa’s Most Beautiful Campus lies a troubling truth: students face daily struggles with unhygienic and poorly maintained restrooms across the campus, particularly in male hostels such as Adekunle Fajuyi Hall, Awolowo Hall, and Angola Hall. Students complain about foul odors, broken fixtures, poor lighting, and, most importantly, a lack of water supply to flush waste, which leads to discomfort and serious health hazards.
The Students’ Union Building, once praised as a modern facility after its 2022 renovation, has now fallen into disrepair, with both toilets closed due to neglect.
Due to inadequate government funding and deteriorating infrastructure, OAU established a ₦1 billion Advancement Foundation in 2021 to explore alternative sources of funding, underscoring the decline of federal universities, which now rely on private donations to maintain basic facilities.
University of Ibadan and Teaching Hospitals:
The University of Ibadan and its teaching hospital, University College Hospital, were once the pride of West Africa. Established in 1952 to train medical personnel for Nigeria and the West African sub-region, the hospital originally had 500 beds. Today, it has expanded to 1,000 beds.
However, our universities and teaching hospitals fall far short of their potential. Talented Nigerian doctors and researchers leave in large numbers for the UK, US, and Canada because we lack basic research equipment, competitive salaries, and functional systems.
The irony? Nigerian leaders travel abroad for medical care in hospitals staffed by Nigerian doctors who left because we didn’t build world-class institutions at home.
The Education Crisis: We’ve Run Everything Down
In the 1970s and 1980s, almost everyone attended government schools. They were the pride of the nation, well-funded, adequately staffed, with quality infrastructure. Government schools produced Nigeria’s top talents. But 65 years after independence, we have systematically destroyed public education.
The Collapse of Government Schools:
The Nigerian government allocates only about 7% of the national budget to education, which is well below the UNESCO recommended minimum of 26%. Most public schools lack basic infrastructure, such as laboratories, libraries, electricity, and quality learning environments, with existing infrastructure in terrible condition or below acceptable standards.
In some public schools, there is a lack of proper sanitary facilities; therefore, the ‘bush’ is used as a substitute. It is common for government school classes to have over 60 students, well above the recommended number, with only one teacher assigned to them.
Many schools lack basic amenities such as classrooms, desks, libraries, and labs. In rural and conflict-affected areas, students learn under trees or in run-down classrooms without chairs, textbooks, or teachers.
The Flight to Private Schools:
Disappointed with government-funded education, even poor Nigerian families are increasingly turning to private schools, with many resourceful individuals transforming dilapidated or unfinished buildings into affordable private schools.
The decline of public institutions has created a market opportunity for private education. Private schools can cost as much as $3,000 per term. Today, most parents, except those without the means, choose private schools because of the higher quality and service they offer.
In many states, government officials send their children abroad or to expensive private schools while neglecting public education. The same politicians who dismantled government schools send their own children to private schools or abroad, and their actions are the ultimate hypocrisy.
Nigeria now has approximately 13 million out-of-school children, accounting for 20% of the global out-of-school children population.
Consider this: A generation ago, government schools were excellent and accessible to all. Today, Nigerians find it hard to afford private schools because we’ve ruined government schools through corruption, underfunding, and intentional neglect.
Roads and Infrastructure:
Currently, 80% of Nigeria’s road network is in poor shape, hindered by a lack of funding and the effects of climate change. Covering a land area of 923,768 square kilometers and a population of over 220 million, Nigeria has about 200,000 km of roads, with 63% unpaved and most in poor condition.
A report ranked Nigeria as having the sixth-worst road infrastructure in Africa. We performed better than only Rwanda, Guinea, Burundi, Madagascar, and The Gambia.
What Others Achieved in Less Time:
While we prayed and made excuses, others took action.
Singapore (Independent 1965 – 60 years ago):
GDP per capita: $72,000+ (Nigeria: ~$2,000)
Zero tolerance for corruption; leaders are prosecuted and jailed.
World-class infrastructure, education, and healthcare
Universal access to quality public education.
Built on discipline, planning, and strict accountability
South Korea (Post-war 1953 – 72 years ago):
Rose from ashes to emerge as a technological powerhouse.
Global leader in electronics, automobiles, and entertainment.
Leaders who stole were prosecuted, with several former presidents imprisoned.
Made significant investments in education, research, and development (R&D).
Free, top-tier public education system
Malaysia (Independent 1957 – 68 years ago):
A diversified economy beyond just natural resources
Robust public education system
Consistent governance and strategic long-term planning
United Arab Emirates (Formed 1971 – 54 years ago):
Converted the desert into a worldwide business center
Top-tier public and private schools
Economic diversification despite oil wealth
What did these nations possess that we do not?
Not prayer houses. Not oil wealth (most had less than us). Not natural resources.
They had:
Accountability: Corrupt leaders truly faced consequences
Meritocracy: Competence outweighs tribe or religion
Investment in public services: Quality schools, hospitals, and roads for all citizens.
Long-term planning: 20-50 year development visions, carried out consistently.
Rule of law: Systems greater than individuals
Zero tolerance for mediocrity: Standards enforced strictly
The Bitter Truth About Our Choices:
For 65 years, we have:
Celebrated wealth without examining its origins
Voted based on tribe and religion rather than competence
Permitted corrupt politicians to steal and then gave them chieftaincy titles.
Undermined public institutions that served everyone and established a two-tier system where only the wealthy can afford quality services.
Refused to prosecute the powerful.
Accepting mediocrity for ethnic solidarity
Prayed instead of took action
We had over $400 billion in oil revenue over 65 years. Where is it? In Swiss bank accounts. In Dubai real estate. In London properties. Anywhere but in Nigerian infrastructure, education, or healthcare.
We Have No Other Country, So We Must Confront Reality
Yes, America, France, and China experienced corruption. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they prosecuted robber barons, broke up monopolies, reformed institutions, and advanced their progress.
Nigeria in 2025 isn’t competing with 19th-century Europe. We’re competing with 21st-century China, India, Vietnam, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, nations that are advancing while we debate whether our problems are spiritual.
What Nigeria Needs at 65:
Accountability, not prayer points: Prosecute corrupt officials, recover stolen funds, and set examples that scare future looters.
Meritocracy over tribe: Stop voting for incapable people just because they’re “one of us.” Prioritize competence first.
Rebuild public institutions: Properly fund government schools, universities, and hospitals. Restore their excellence so all Nigerians can access quality services.
Education revolution: Raise the education budget to at least 20% of the national budget. Renovate schools. Pay teachers adequately. Improve infrastructure.
Consequences for failure: Singapore sometimes executes corrupt officials, yet we give them national honors. Which approach works?
Economic diversification: We continue to depend on oil after 65 years. Our agricultural sector, once the backbone of our economy, has collapsed.
The Final Reflection:
At 65, Nigeria is not a young country discovering itself. We are a failed state making excuses.
Our parents and grandparents attended excellent government schools. Today, we resort to begging, borrowing, and stealing to send our children to private schools because we have destroyed what was built for us.
Obafemi Awolowo University was once Africa’s most beautiful campus with world-class facilities. Today, students cannot flush toilets.
NNPC was supposed to make us wealthy. Instead, $20 billion disappears and no one faces jail.
Prayer gave us hope. But hope without action is empty. God will not come down from heaven to fix NEPA, prosecute corrupt governors, rebuild schools, revive Ajaokuta Steel, start a new shipping line, restore our football clubs, or repair roads. We have to do it ourselves.
After 65 years of prayer resulting in corruption, poverty, and decay, perhaps it’s time to try:
Taking action instead of just praying
Accountability Instead of excuses
Merit rather than sentiment
Systems over strongmen
Prosecution versus protection
Investment in public services rather than private enrichment
Countries younger than us have surpassed us multiple times. Not because God favors them more, but because they prioritize accountability over prayer meetings, action over excuses, and nation-building over nation-looting.
Happy 65th Independence Day, Nigeria.
We deserve more than this. And change starts by facing the truth: Our problems are not spiritual. They’re structural, systemic, and self-inflicted. Only we can fix them, not through prayer, but through accountability, action, and the courage to demand better.
The choice is ours. Another 65 years of excuses and prayers? Or, finally, building the Nigeria we should have been all along, where government schools function effectively, universities thrive, hospitals provide quality care, and every citizen has access to quality services, regardless of their wealth.
Our parents built it. We tore it down. Will we rebuild it for our children? Or will we continue to pray as everything falls apart?
