Nigerian independence wasn’t ready-made: we have to work for it 66 years later

By Ebuka Ukoh
Sixty-six years after lowering the Union Jack, Nigeria remains a nation of brilliant potential, yet a widening gap between macroeconomic milestones and everyday survival continues to constrain it. This hard-hitting op-ed argues that true independence requires more than political sovereignty—it demands that citizens insist on systemic accountability and recognise that national transformation begins with personal responsibility.
On October 1, 1960, the Union Jack lowered, and Nigeria’s green-and-white banner rose over a sovereign state. Sixty-six years later, that flag still flies, but the anniversary demands a more searching audit than mere survival: did the promise be...