By Tapping the endless possibilities of a potentially great nation
Africa is a continent of wealth and a continent of poverty, Africa is blessed with a rich bounty of natural resources, the continent holds around 30% of the world’s known mineral reserves. These include cobalt, uranium, diamonds, and gold as well as significant oil and gas reserves. However, despite being so richly endowed and despite the mining boom of the past decade, Africa has drawn little benefit from mineral wealth and remains one of the poorest continents on the globe.
Talking about the giant of Africa, Nigeria, Nigeria is a country that has a large population and economy with 186 million inhabitants and it is the most populous country in Africa. It is one of those countries in Africa that has a wide variety of natural resources. Nigeria is richly endowed with a variety of natural resources that include precious metals like barites, gold, limestone, lead/zinc, oil and gas, salt, clay, marble, kaolin, magnesium and uranium.
Despite all these resources, Nigeria relies so much on crude oil and Nigerians as a whole instead of using their natural resources for the betterment of their country, are too pre occupied with adapting other people’s culture and considering themselves inferior to the whites and they feel they are less intelligent, talented and endowed compared to others. Rather than studying their country to see what can really favor them they prefer comparing themselves with other countries and some earn living through corrupt systems. The country therefore has become a country where the rich get richer and the poor remains poor.
Our numerous natural resources can be used for the betterment of the country before exporting them to different countries as a source of making wealth. It is sad that after 58 years of independence, Nigeria is still trying to survive with lots of debt, but let us really consider it if we were still under colonial rule don’t we think that Nigeria although not free would have been better? Because what is the use of freedom when we are not using it to improve our fortunes but relying on jaded leaders for the growth of the country. Every time we vote a new representative, we all expects magic to happen but it remains the same and we end up being disappointed.
It is known that all states have their own resources. As such, with even only trade by barter among states, lives will be much better. Indeed, life in Nigeria is so easy that we can plant crops in any of our lands and they will grow well for us to feed and even sell to others.
It is even much easier because of the education we are exposed to. So with our knowledge we can make the country better. Funny enough, many Nigerians leave their countries to acquire more knowledge abroad. Instead of using this knowledge for the growth of the country, some never come back, while some come back with the aim of making a difference but they end up being lost in the system. Indeed, our future is really full of uncertainities.
But the earlier we know that the stars also shine in our land the better it will be for everyone. Let us all work together to make Nigeria better.
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