There are many indeed who make music to a great country, who sing an ode to its audacity in adversity, who compose paens to the staying power of its citizens.
There are many who write about the Giant of Africa; they are many who regale a country that is royalty with tales. Many are the flutists and praise singers who fete the Giant of Africa. It does not really matter that every once in a while, their exertions touch on the elegiac.
These days, to speak or write about Nigeria is to forcefully wrestle with negativity, and contend with forces that brook no contention, only submission. Wherever one turns in Nigeria, there is the news of yet another attack and yet more deaths as if life has lost everything to death in a country that appears to be closing in on death itself.
Life rewards positive living, and to live positively is to see the light that burns at the end of the tunnel; it is to see that the cup is half-full when others see that it is half-empty. Somehow, it is to rise above current challenges, uncertainties and inconveniences.
Fake news and disinformation thrive in Nigeria today because somehow, people expect the worse and even subconsciously attune their senses to be receptive to the worst that there is. So those who sow chaos by spreading fake news and disinformation do so with the goal of causing the most damage. In a country where so many people are only a careless word away from getting killed or killing others, it is easy to start fires that do not stop until they have burnt down everything within sight.
The Nigerian media has continued to weather storms in living up to its constitutional responsibility of providing Nigerians with access to information, as well as holding the government accountable. For the media, it has not been easy to keep its work from the dangerous disruptions of mischief makers who seek to distort the truth both from within and outside.
As Nigeria continues to fight off its many enemies, the citizens, all of who are affected by the many challenges confronting the country have been finding their voices too, demanding accountability from those who govern them, and taking action in ways both big and small to mold the country of their dreams.
It has been a difficult journey but the priceless gains made along the way are reflected in the increased awareness of the average Nigerian about what is happening around them.
With the 2023 elections gradually coming into sight, it is predicted that that increased awareness of Nigerians, which has been borne out of journey that has been productive particularly because it has been difficult would serve Nigerians better in choosing leaders who can lead the country in the right direction, and out of the present doldrums.
Nigerians must remain upbeat about the chances of the country to recover from the depredations that ran unchecked for many years. There is still a long what to go and rebuilding what was torn down in the course of many years will require a lot of effort. But at the end of the day, the commitment will be well worth it.
But until then, and to hasten the coming of that day when Nigeria will become a country capable of adopting new and better ways of doing things, Nigerians will have to learn to lift up their heads and remain just a little more upbeat.
Kene Obiezu,
keneobiezu@gmail.com
