Nigeria: A Nation Still Crawling At 66

What the report says

Nigeria marked 66 years of independence from British colonial rule on Oct. 1, with prayers and official messages focused on peace, unity and stability. According to This Day, President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the country’s difficulties and said his government would keep working to address them, especially poverty. The article portrays the anniversary as taking place amid widespread frustration over living standards and governance.

The piece says Nigeria continues to face economic hardship, food insecurity, weak infrastructure and persistent corruption. It notes that the International Monetary Fund reported in June that 63% of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line, while about 27 million people were said to face food insecurity in late 2025. The report also highlights long-standing problems in power supply, healthcare staffing and industrial development, arguing that the country has not fully converted its oil wealth, natural resources and large population into broad-based growth.

Security remains another major concern. The article describes ongoing violence linked to Boko Haram, ISWAP and bandit groups, especially in the north, with kidnappings and attacks disrupting farming, travel and daily life. It also criticizes Nigeria’s high cost of governance and says electoral contests are still often settled in court, reflecting lingering doubts about the fairness and credibility of the political system.

As background, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, but it has repeatedly struggled with inflation, energy shortages and recurrent security crises. The article argues that these structural problems continue to shape public life 66 years after independence.