African Leaders express hope for a better Nigeria
As Nigeria marks her 50th anniversary, leaders across the world have expressed their hope for a Nigeria with good governance and improved conditions for every citizen.
At a colloquium to mark the event, former secretary general of the commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyoku said that the occasion has provided the country an opportunity to reflect on its achievements and challenges and begin to forge a new future for itself.
Despite the challenges, he believes Nigeria has made significant contribution not only to the continent but globally.
Government officials and diplomats from various nations of the world gathered in the Federal Capital Territory for the colloquium to mark Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary.
Anyaoku said that Nigeria's condition would have to improve before we can claim to be the true pride of Africa.
Nigeria's Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili who opened the occasion reiterated Nigeria's commitment to fighting for peace in countries like Sierra Leone, and Liberia, noting that Nigeria played a key role in the establishment of Economic Community of west African States Monitoring Group[ECOMOG] and the countries full collaboration with other nations to end wars, noted that Nigerian troupes are still in Congo and Darfur assisting these countries in ensuring communal stability.
The focus of the gathering was to take an x-ray of the contribution of Nigeria to the global community as a part of events to mark its fifty years of independence.
Speakers at the event included the President of Liberia, Johnson Sirleaf, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and Namibia, Sam Nujoma.
These African leaders spoke on the regional, African and international perspective of Nigeria's leadership role in the world and also paid glowing tributes to Nigeria and its contribution to the development of Africa and the world in general.
For presidents Ruphia Banda of Zambia and Johnson Sir leaf of Liberia and former president, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Nigeria played a major role in the fight to end apartheid in South Africa and also fratricidal during the war in Liberia. They also praised the nation for its leadership role in the struggle to liberate some countries from colonialism and apartheid.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf noted that Nigeria has grown very large on the world statge, stressing that with a population of about 150 million people, Nigeria's presence has been felt globally in the establishment of the African Development Bank and other organisations that have been a positive force in the African continent.
Ruphia Banda of Zambia praised Nigeria for joining other African frontline countries in rallying round to liberate Africa.
Speaking on the future of Nigeria in another fifty years, the director of Smithsonian Museum of African Art in the United States of America, Dr. Johnetta Cole and former secretary-general of the commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyoku, painted a brighter picture for the development of the country and a leadership role for the nation in the African continent.
"Nigeria will be a model for the world, a model demonstrating that every man, woman, boy and girl have the right and the opportunity to sour to heights of possibilities". She said.
Speaking from the Nigerian point of view, a former minister of information, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi is of the opinion that Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be in since its independence, he argued that it has not utilized all of the potentials at its disposal and the time has come for it to do just that.
Akinyemi noted that other contries believe that we are the industrial giants of Africa but in his own word, "we cannot claim that we are the industrial giants of Africa until we work hard enough to earn it then we can, like South Africa and others claim to be industrial giants". He said.
Some of the participants shared their thoughts on the event; Marina Mohammed believes that the time has come for African countries to reciprocate the big brother gestures that Nigeria has played over time.
Mohammed seized the moment to solicit for more support for Nigeria by other African countries to enable Nigeria to continue assisting the continent.
Nigeria has no doubt contributed immensely to the development of Africa, Mohammed said there is still so much more to do especially in the area of socio-economic development to bring the country and the continent at large to par with other developed nations.
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