When the Nigerian civil war ended in January 1970, the federal government articulated the five main national development goals of building a free and democratic society; a just and egalitarian society; a united, strong and self-reliant nation; a great and dynamic economy; and a land full of bright opportunities for all citizens, as contained in the Second National Development Plan (1970-1974) and endorsed in 1973 as the necessary foundation for the Nigerian National Policy on Education, which was first published in 1977. Thirty-seven years later, where stands Nigeria regarding the accomplishment of these national development goals? The country has been more of militarised than democratised. There is injustice and insecurity, with lots of human right abuses and extra judicial killings, high crime rates, grave menace of cultism, ritual murder, child abuse, religious riots and ethnic militia activities. The country appears to be little united, with tribal and religious ties – not patriotism – underlying its brand of federalism. Although politically independent since 1960 and republic since 1963, the nation remains economically self-unreliant, with prolonged era of import-dependency, brain drain and weak economy. It is far from being a land with bright opportunities for all citizens, but a land of failed people, with corruption, looting of public treasury and unemployment characterising the Nigerian society. The way to begin for Nigeria is total rejection and resistance of military regime, zero tolerance for corruption and total commitment to absolute rule of law.
