Nigeria at 65: We’ve Found Our Balance Despite Challenges — Olisa Ifeajika

Veteran journalist and Executive Assistant to the Governor of Delta State on Public Enlightenment, Projects and Policies, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, has said that in spite of its many trials, Nigeria has sustain national unity and steady progress over the past 65 years.

Speaking on “Nigeria at 65: Major Gains of Nationhood” during ADBN Television’s “Morning Express” programme, Ifeajika reflected on the nation’s journey since independence, describing it as a story of resilience, self-correction, and the undying will to survive.

According to him, Nigeria has come a long way in holding together as one entity in spite of ethnic, political, and economic upheavals that could have torn it apart.

“As a nation, for 65 years, fundamentally, we found our balance.

“In spite of all the challenges of the civil war, ethnic tensions, political instability, we overcame them and continued as one united country. That in itself is a major achievement,” he said.

Ifeajika noted that while the country’s economic growth and educational standards may not be where they should ideally be, Nigerians had shown remarkable determination to move forward.

He lamented the decline of scholarship opportunities that once existed in the early years of independence, when governments at all levels were eager to educate citizens, even sending students abroad for studies.

“Then, those who went to school often had scholarships, not just federal, but also state-level support. Those things are no longer common today,” he observed.

“We have grown in population to over 232 million people, but the same rate of educational investment and job creation has not followed that growth.” he added.

On the economy, Ifeajika said Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had grown over the decades, but stressed that the nation needed to do much more to achieve inclusive prosperity.

He identified youth empowerment as the most critical area demanding urgent and deliberate government attention, saying “the strength of this country lies in its youth. The bulk of our population is youthful. We must intentionally empower them through education, training, and entrepreneurship support.”

Drawing examples from Delta State, Ifeajika commended the state government’s youth development and empowerment initiatives, which, he said, provided training, grants, and tools for self-reliance.

“In Delta, there is a deliberate culture of developing young people, training them, encouraging self-employment, and giving them grants to start small businesses. That is the direction every government must go,” he stated..

He, however, cautioned that unemployment should not always be blamed on government, explaining that population growth and changing economic realities contributed significantly to the challenge.

“Unemployment isn’t just about government inefficiency. It’s also about population explosion; more people graduate from schools every year than the economy can immediately absorb,” he explained.

Ifeajika praised Nigerian youths who had excelled globally in entertainment, technology, and the creative industries, saying that they had demonstrated the nation’s true potential when given the right environment.

“Our youths are making us proud in Nollywood, Afrobeats, tech startups. These are young Nigerians succeeding without waiting for government jobs. That’s the spirit we must nurture,” he stated.

He further called for true federalism as a pathway to national progress, saying states should be allowed to grow and exploit their resources independently while contributing to national development.

“If states are allowed to grow at their own pace and harness their resources, Nigeria will thrive even more. True federalism will unleash the nation’s full potential,” he added.

Concluding, Ifeajika said Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary should be a moment of sober reflection and renewed commitment to nation-building.

“We have survived many storms as a people. But now, we must look inward, strengthen our institutions, empower our youth, and pursue true federalism. That’s the only way we can truly fulfill the promise of our nationhood,” he said.