By Nnamdi Ojiego
On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule with high hopes and boundless ambition. Blessed with vast natural resources and visionary young leaders, the new nation sought to rival the rising Asian economies. Six and a half decades later, that dream has dimmed. The country that once stood as a continental model now grapples with power shortages, industrial collapse, and a political class more focused on sharing public funds than building enduring institutions.
At independence, Nigeria’s founding leaders—Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, and Ahmadu Bello—governed with vision and discipline. Without oil revenue, they built schools, industries, farms, and financial institutions that laid the foundation for national progress. But decades of corruption, waste, and short-term politics have eroded those achievements, leaving the nation adrift and its people disillusioned.
Laboratories of Progress
Before and after independence, Nigeria’s three regions served as laboratories of development. Each pursued distinct yet complementary models of growth that made them regional powerhouses.
Western Region – Awolowo’s Model of Visionary Industrialisation
Under Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Western Region became an educational and industrial leader. Using cocoa proceeds, his government built enduring landmarks such as Cocoa House in Ibadan—then the tallest building in West Africa—and Liberty Stadium, the continent’s most modern sports arena at the time.
Awolowo also launched Africa’s first free primary education scheme, expanded healthcare across rural communities, and established the Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC) in 1958 to drive industrial growth.
Through the WNDC, the region birthed companies like WAPCO Cement (Ewekoro), Nigerite Ltd, Wema Bank, National Bank, Great Nigeria Insurance, Cocoa Processing Industry, Odua Textile Mills, and Union Beverages. Industrial estates sprang up in Ibadan, Ikeja, and Mushin, hosting over 120 factories that produced textiles, tyres, beverages, and plastics—all achieved between 1951 and 1959 without oil money.
Eastern Region – Okpara’s Economic Revolution
In the East, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and later Dr. Michael Okpara pioneered what became known as an “economic revolution.” Through the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC), the region established thriving industrial estates in Aba, Enugu, and Port Harcourt.
Notable enterprises included Golden Guinea Breweries (Umuahia), Premier Breweries (Onitsha), Nigercem (Nkalagu), Enugu Vegetable Oil Products (ENUVOP), Okatana Shoe Industry (Owerri), and Aba Glass Industry. These industries made the East one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies before the civil war disrupted progress.
Agricultural estates in palm oil, rice, and cashew transformed the region into a global exporter, while the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, established in 1960, became the first indigenous university in Nigeria and a cornerstone of human capital development.
Northern Region – Bello’s Blueprint for Balanced Growth
The Northern Region, led by Sir Ahmadu Bello, adopted a conservative yet inclusive development approach centered on education and agriculture.
Under his leadership, the region saw a massive expansion in schools and teacher training colleges, culminating in the establishment of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1962)—which soon became the largest university in sub-Saharan Africa.
Through the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC) and Bank of the North, the region financed industrial and commercial ventures, including textiles, hotels, and agriculture-based industries. Kano became West Africa’s textile hub, while groundnut pyramids in Kano and Sokoto symbolized agricultural prosperity.
Infrastructure also flourished, with road networks linking remote communities to trade centers and hospitality projects like Hamdala Hotel, Kaduna reflecting regional ambition.
Squandered Inheritance
These monumental achievements were made with far fewer resources than today’s leaders command. Oil wealth, rather than consolidating progress, became a curse. Military intervention dismantled the regional system that once promoted competition and innovation. The creation of 12, later 36 states, reduced once-powerful regions to “state midgets” dependent on federal allocations.
Factories that once employed thousands are now ruins. Nigercem lies silent; cocoa and palm plantations that funded schools and roads are overrun by weeds. The famous groundnut pyramids have disappeared, replaced by token empowerment schemes such as the distribution of motorcycles and pepper-grinding machines.
Corruption deepened as public funds were looted with impunity. Borrowed money vanished into private accounts, and public office became a pathway to personal enrichment.
From Builders to Poor Managers
At 65, Nigeria’s leadership crisis is glaring. The vision-driven governance of Awolowo, Okpara, and Bello has been replaced by mediocrity. Refineries remain comatose despite billions spent on maintenance. Universities are crippled by strikes, and agriculture has been abandoned amid insecurity.
The spirit of national ambition has evaporated, replaced by short-term politics and self-interest.
Lessons at 65
Nigeria’s decline is not destiny—it is a failure of leadership. The first-generation leaders built industries, universities, and financial institutions that endured. Today’s ruling class offers debt, decay, and deepening inequality.
Where the founding fathers thought in decades, modern politicians think only in election cycles. The contrast is stark: yesterday’s builders have given way to today’s managers of failure.
Regaining Paradise: Economists Speak
According to Mr. Dele Oye, former President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), and Dr. Muda Yusuf, former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigeria can regain its lost “paradise” by returning to the values that built it in the first place—visionary leadership, accountability, and productivity-driven governance.
They argue that rebuilding must begin at the subnational level—reviving industrial estates, empowering local entrepreneurship, investing in human capital, and restoring agricultural value chains that once made the regions self-sustaining.
Conclusion: A Call to Conscience
Nigeria once competed with Malaysia, India, and Indonesia—nations that are now global economic powers. While Indonesia sits at the G20 table, Nigeria struggles to provide stable electricity.
At 65, the nation’s challenge is clear: to rediscover the discipline, foresight, and patriotism that defined its early leaders. Until this happens, the promise of 1960 will remain a haunting memory of what could have been.