“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”- George Santayana.

This saying is true of the Nigerian state as we have repeated history time and again particularly bad history. As a nation, one of our backward syndrome is forgetfulness of events that sharp our history as a people.

Both the leaders and the led forget too soon errors of the past with grave consequences, only to remember same will similar erratic occurrences stare us again. In other words, no plan to forestall re-occurrence of bad history in our existence as a nation.

It is a known fact that Nigeria is a developing state that ought to have advanced to be a developed state given her potentials. However, her vision at realizing a developed state is be deviled if not lost to the seemless canker-worm of repeated history by all citizens and most especially her leadership. This largely has ground her the status of a failed state. As a failed state is “a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control” Oxford.

Feasibly, Nigeria has a history of political and economic drain piling it on the lane of failed state. This largely is a leadership then irresponsibility. Lakhdar Brahimi posited thus.

“I think a failed state is the responsibility of the people who have made that state and those are generally the people of that country”

The outbreak of the novel Corona Virus in China in December 2019 and it spread world over with the Nigerian first case recorded on February 2020 in Lagos has revealed salient lesson that must be learnt by Nigerians in all sphere of life. The simple but apt nineteen (19) plus one (+1) below, connote the year the novel pandemic was dissolved (2019) and the plus one totaling twenty (20) denote the year Nigeria recorded her first case (2020) viz; 19+1.

The lesson have been segmented in various sector defining the short comings in these sectors in the Nigerian state.

LEADERSHIP

Lesson 1(L1)- Failed Leadership

“Leadership is not about titles, position or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another” John C. Maxwell.

Time and again, bad leadership has been revealed as Nigerian’s greatest problem. Poor leadership skills have underscore decayed development. Under the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, its been revealed again as leadership failed to take swift and responsive actions that led to the spread of the novel pandemic.

L2-Selfishness.

As opined by the scholar (Maxwell) above, it is crystal clear that from the minute to the highly revered leadership position in Nigeria, holders of such stool only seek their personal interest. This is shown in high living standard above their statutory means leaving their followers and entire society improvished.

L3-Lack of Foresight

Foresight is a core attribute of leadership that is showcase in impactful policies of great developmental strides from grassroot to all levels. In Nigeria, the opposite is true as insightful followers are led by political boys( of little or no foresight) of some few godfathers. The end result is poor development.

L4-Class Syndrome.

The “class syndrome” is the phenomenon of leadership within a particular class of the society or people. Leadership in Nigeria have revolved around a particular ethnicity or group. The rich and influential always operate a continuity policy in governance and leadership in favour of their relatives and/or friends regardless of whether such a relative has the wherewithal for such leadership. The end result is failed leadership with monumental deficit in infrastructure across board.

ECONOMY

L5-One Stream Economy

The discovery of petroleum and its products in Nigeria saw the burial of other sources of economical development viz; our rich agricultural products, mines and steel, even other natural mineral resources like coal, limestone and gypsum etc lie waste across the nation. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a terrific slash in oil price the lowest since 1991.

Unfortunately however, the attitude of nonchalance by our leaders at all levels remains as financial foreign aids always beclouds the foresight for a reliable economy for Nigeria.

L6: The Diversification Mirage

The common song by various administration of Nigerian government is the diversification of her economy. Indeed, it is a mirage since 1999 till date various policies and budgetary allocation has sunk in the grave of diversification of the economy. The Ajaokuta steel mill in of the drain of economic diversification in Nigeria as unending attempt at reviving same has gone underway without conclusive positive result since 1991 with the must recent of Federal Government of Nigeria budgeting #3.99bn for same company in the 2020 budget. Many of such companies, project etc lie waste across the nation.

EDUCATION

L7-Privatization.

No doubt, the education sector remain an under developed sector in Nigerian economy. In recent time, the privatization of this sector has crippled the needed development in the sector as only the rich are literally having the stage without requisite commitment to study. The poor are technically shutout and this under poor development in the country’s industry and vision of becoming a developed country.

L8-Poor Facilities

It is regrettable to observe that the few public educational institution in Nigeria are poorly funded thereby leaving great technocrats in embryo frustrated by no facilities to harness rich human and technological development need for the country’s overall good.

L9-Innovation

“ Ideas Rule the World”- Sam Adeyemi

The above quote is true that developed countries are ruling by innovative ideas. They create ideas of business, technological and economical advantage through viable vocational training etc and sell same to the world. It is no gain saying that the Nigerian state has failed in this regard grounding its developing state status among comity of nations.

L10- Research

A viable educational system is research based. Research centers in Nigerian institutions are a mirage of the ideal, no wonder little/nothing comes out of from same. Monies meant for research are misappropriated or other factors like nepotism truncate the desired results. The giant of Africa lie waste and helpless in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and even after because of no research centre for her productive and rich mind to engage.

L11-Undeveloped mind

The minds of young Nigerians in my Nigeria seem underdeveloped when compared to the counter parts in other nation of the earth. Chiefly, poor education system is responsible for same and where the young minds which the leaders of a country remain underdeveloped, the country indeed is in gradual death to becoming a failed state. The outbreak of coronavirus revealed how deficient the Nigerian young minds are as no singular responsive innovation is recorded among her young minds.

HEALTH

L12-Poor Health Facilities

It is no gain-saying that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus reveal how dilapidated the Nigeria Health sector lies. It is a failed sector with no meeting of the minimum requirement of the WHO standard. This is evident as Nigeria had to rely on international aid and kits to treat patients infected with the deadly disease regrettable, The chief of staff to the president of Nigerian was flown from Abuja to unknown destination in Lagos for treatment where he died. It goes without saying that the presidential Villa clinic, National Hospital and Uni-Abuja to mention but a few in the nation’s capital are sub standard. This is unheard of in any sane country.

L13-Poor Primary Health Care

The millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) feature good primary health

care for every member-state which Nigeria is a signatory by 2020. This vision is a mirage in Nigeria as her primary health centre and public health care centre are rather death traps with high mortality rate from very small illness that requisite facilities and drugs would cure. The few private hospital are too expensive for the average Nigeria. It is only food that prevent the spread of covid19 to remote Side of the Nigeria.

INFRASTRUCTURE

L14-ACUTE DEFICIT

Infrastructural deficit in African states is large. Basic amenities such as food roads, water, drainage system etc are inaccessible at the grassroots and this have great impact in slowing our development in all sectors as a nation. Funds for developmental projects are rather embezzled.

L15 -Grassroot Improvishment

Infrastructural deficit is predominant at the Grassroot i.e, village and towns the few facilities available like good roads etc are concentrated in a few cities or state capital few population have access to same. This also result in rural -urban drift with its attendant effectives. The covid-19 Pandemic has again drawn attention for a balanced infrastructural development in Nigeria.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY(ICT).

L16-Statistical Deficit.

The information and communication technology is a driving force of every viable 21st century economy with its enormous advantages e.g statistical data collection. Nigeria generally is backward in the I.C.T and as a country, there is no comprehensive data collection of all her citizens. As a result, one of the steps to curb COVID-19 which is victim-contacts tracing has been unsuccessful with only crude attempt. Nation like south Korea used the ICT to track and test suspect of coronavirus curbing it spread.

L17 – Lack of Investment

The I.C.T sector requires long term investment capital it is a sector that requires huge funds with no instant commiserate results but long lasting result of robust economy. The Nigeria governments have failed to see-the need develop her ICT to march modern -economical development leaving it for a few individuals to harness its potential for private gain.

PRIVATE SECTOR DOMINANCE AND LEGACY

L18-Selfish Capitalist Economy.

The privatisation policy of the Nigerian Economy in a failed one as greedy, selfishness and lack of adequate monitoring of the activities of organised private sector . The resultant effect is harsh economic realities and penury an her populace the telecommunications and electricity industry test to this. As since their partial to total privatization there are improved service but hike in the price and poor Service delivery more often tan not, privatization is rather the buying of government own establishment by sitting government Official.

L19 Individualism and Its Limitation

Individualiam is a social theory favouring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control. A little wonder why the middle east countries never bought into the idea of individualism coached or nickname as “privatization”, it improvish the state. Even the west that champion this concept have robust monitoring system of the private sector to checkmate exploitation of the masses.

In Nigeria, the opposite is true as government officials ( past and present) sell means of economic growth to themselves to perpetually improvish the masses. This limit the growth of the general public.

THE PLUS ONE (+1) LESSON

The hallmark of this write up is the ” +1 lesson. The covid 19 Pandemic broke out in December 2019 but spread across the world beginning from January 2020. THe addition of ’19 (year of outbreak) +1 ( the germane lessons) makes ’20 (year of spread). It is important to note that the world health organisation (WHO) in 2000 developed the millennium development goals ( MDGs) with the vision that by the year 2015 all the 191 UN member state would have realize these things goals. Prominent of these goals is world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environment degradation, and discrimination against woman.

Pursuant to the above, Nigeria base a member country to the declaration have come up with different developmental plans to realizing these set goals. The include the vision 20: 2020. Unfortunately, these vision all failed to be realized by the year 2020 that saw the novel COVID-19 spread round the world.

If is my humble submission that if Nigeria had realised her vision 20: 2020 we may never have witnessed the devastating effect of the pandemic as necessary leadership and infrastructural facilities o combat the spread of the pandemic would be in place.

Several policies and programmes of implementation of the vision over different government have failed. Although similar programmes in other states have aided the realisation of similar visions of the MDGs poor leadership and infrastructures etc underline the frustration of this in Nigeria .
From the foregoing, it is established that the Nigerian state is either a failed or failing state and the lessons highlighted above is core for a desired change against more devastating outbreaks etc. This is a call for review of both the MDGs, V-2010, V-20:2020 and SDGs etc and commit conscious efforts and funds for the realization of same at all levels devoid of corruption, nepotism, and embezzlement. I align myself with Paulo Coelho thus; “ you drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it”. Nigeria should Arise.

David Oheobe Ede, Esq, AICM