The Convener of the Rebuild Nigeria Initiative (RNI), Ituah Ighodalo, has proclaimed that Nigeria is at a crossroads and regrets that the country’s fortunes have continued to deteriorate to the disadvantage of its population. Last Thursday, Ighodalo said decades of bad governance and pervasive corruption had deteriorated Nigerians’ level of living. He was speaking at the second Rebuild Nigeria Initiative (RNI) event, which was hosted at the Metropolitan Club in Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He bemoaned the fact that protests were spreading throughout the nation as economic and human development indicators continued to deteriorate, adding that this was endangering previous efforts to foster national cohesion, maintain political stability, create a middle class, and sustain economic growth. Ighodalo, Lead Pastor of Trinity House Church, issued a dire warning that Nigeria’s future was in jeopardy if the current downward spiral wasn’t stopped. He said, that if the demise of our magnificent nation is to be avoided, we must recognize that there is a sense of urgency to act.
Promoting peace dialogues both national and worldwide signifies peace.
Ighodalo explained in detail his proposal for a national peace discussion, saying that they think that promoting peace dialogues at the sub-national, national, and worldwide levels highlights the significance of peace as a foundation for societal well-being, security, politics, and socioeconomic prosperity. In order to overcome differences and advance the sovereignty of one Nigeria with values like diversity, fairness, equity, justice, and inclusion respected by all, they also intend to encourage this among armed groups.
They think that encouraging and securing national reconciliation in all spheres will aid in preventing fresh conflicts and defusing existing ones. They would encourage their entrenchment into the national discourse through their actions and programs since national restructuring and reconciliation are essential components of rebuilding Nigeria. Additionally, they think that promoting accountability and good governance is a crucial step in Nigeria’s reconstruction. As an element of boosting public confidence in leadership performance, accountability plays a crucial role in fostering effective governance.
RNI plans to actively contribute to the advent of a new Nigeria.
Due to the fact that they firmly believe that dialogue is about listening, sharing, and questioning, RNI plans to actively contribute to the emergence of a new Nigeria by investing in understanding the fundamental issues causing socio-political conflicts in and around Nigeria; catalyzing grassroots-led trust-building; facilitating problem-solving peace dialogues; and establishing a peace treaty. Regarding what differentiates RNI’s strategy, he said they are organizing differently as an advocacy group of non-State actors along four major clusters of organizations and individuals that are not linked with, directed by, or funded by the Nigerian government.
Speaking at the panel discussion, Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi, a former presidential candidate running on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform, said: Nigeria has a trust deficit, and if we are not prepared to repair it, it will be impossible to build the nation. Nigeria must also develop norms that are acceptable, make contributions, and participate in politics. There will be another rebellion like the #EndSARS if we keep going in this direction over the coming decades.
Nigerian citizens and leaders need a mindset shift.
Dr. Nichola Okoye, President and Founder of the African Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., stated: “Both the Nigerian people and the Nigerian leadership require a paradigm shift.” We don’t take ourselves seriously enough in Nigeria. And we must take ourselves seriously if we want the outside world to take us seriously. Power is one of the main issues in Nigeria. There are thousands of mechanical engineers, but in Nigeria, no power producing device has ever been designed. It is clear that there is a problem with the people, not simply the leaders, because all of the generating sets utilized in Nigeria are imports. All of our engineers attend school, but after they graduate, no one is designing. Nobody truly creates anything. Not even a water pump has been created yet. Therefore, that indicates that the problem is mostly a Nigerian one.
Related Link
RNI: Website
