“There’s always light at the end of the tunnel” seems to be one quote that most Nigerians have decided to live by. This quote aptly defines the hallmark of the Nigerian spirit; Resilience. This resilience has long been the driving force behind our ability to rise above challenges and scale through tough times. This trait is something you would see almost every Nigerian exhibit.
Our nation’s history is trailed with tales of victory against all odds, and it has illustrated the unyielding spirit of Nigerians to succumb to defeat. Our Resilience has seen us through bad and even worse days, with hope as our compass sustaining us to a never sure destination that we believe holds better.
However, with the state of things in Nigeria, and how long we have continued to be resilient, it’s beginning to seem like a better Nigeria might just be a myth. This has stirred questions in me. I’m puzzled if being hopeful in every situation might actually be a good thing for us or more of a burden. This is because perseverance through certain times haven’t always brought us into a better situation.
To me, the resilience of Nigerians seems like two sides of a coin. One side which is a virtue, and it’s quite commendable, and the other side has increasingly shown how disadvantaged we are, as it seems to be holding us back from reaching our true potential.Â
Resilience has no doubt brought us this far, looking back in time, this spirit saw to our emancipation from the British colonial master. The struggle for our independence is no doubt the bedrock of our Resilient spirit. It also saw us through natural disasters, economic downturns, insecurity, incessant strikes and even during the various pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the lockdown that kept Nigerians at home for weeks, yet again showed how tough we are. The lockdown clamped down on our economic lives, and for most Nigerians that live from hand to mouth, did not find it easy. It was really a tough time, but yet again we adapted to the times and persevered.
For the most part, resilience seems more like a bane to us. It has made us more complacent that we settle for the status quo instead of wanting better or even fighting for a necessary change. Even when we try to focus on fixing things, we only focus on fixing it for a short time rather than addressing the root cause of a problem and implementing lasting reforms. So, it never happens again or we never have to deal with such a problem again.
Resilient spirit has made Nigerian politicians with a certain kind of disregard towards us; the citizens, from the policies they make, the empty promises and their reactions to situations. This is as a result of these politicians seeing Nigerians as passive and stoic due to this we see as being resilient.Â
The “man must survive” mentality stems from our Resilient spirit. Our perseverance has made us endure so much that makes us accept below standard, and settle for less. It has become a trend for Nigerians to leave the country whether legally or illegally by journeying through roads and the Mediterranean sea in search of greener pasture rather than seeking change in Nigeria. This has also led to the country’s brain drain.Â
While our Resilience has helped us weather through storms, it has also caused us lots of challenges that have hindered our progress as a nation. There is a need for us to transform and use our Resilience as a strategic asset. We as Nigerians must try to balance perseverance and constructive transformation. We need to know when to persevere and when to seek for change when necessary so as to avoid abuse. Let us rewrite the narrative of Nigerian resilience from a burden which it is to us and unleash its transformative power for the greater good of our nation.
Emmanuel Felix is a student of the department of mass communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. @[email protected]Â
Note: This article is (without any alteration to its original form) completely an opinion of the writer and does not convey or represent the thoughts of, or a shared belief with NIGERIAN TRIBUNE.
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