10 things that make Nigeria a Goliath among nations which make it beholden on us to become a global economic power

Ayo Akinfe

(1) We are the seventh most populated nation on earth

(2) We are the world’s largest black nation

(3) We have Africa’s largest economy

(4) We are the world’s sixth largest agricultural producer

(5) We produce the highest number of twins of any nation on earth

(6) We are almost bang in the middle of earth. The lines of latitude and longitude meet not too far off the coast of Nigeria

(7) We are the world’s leading producer of yam, cassava, cashews, shea nuts, kolanuts, melon seeds, cocoyam, etc

(8) We are the origin of the word Niger, which means black in Spanish. It latter got corrupted to the N word used to describe all black people. The word Niger actually appears on the bible

(9) An overwhelming majority of the black people in the Americas came from Nigeria. Before Flora Shaw came up with the word Nigeria, we were actually referred to as Slave Coast

(10) We are the only nation on earth to have hosted Festac, the global back cultural festival

What responsibilities do all these impose on Nigeria?

(1) We must manufacture an iconic African automobile

(2) We should be the centre of tropical medicine

(3) We should at one stage have the tallest building on earth

(4) We should at some stage manufacture the fastest train on earth

(5) We should have the military capacity to go and protect black people anywhere on earth where they are being persecuted

(6) We should be home to the world’s largest tropical wildlife sanctuary

(7) We should be home to the largest African airline. A genuine pan-African carrier

(8) Our numerous cuisines should be global brands like say pizzas, kebabs, burgers, etc

(9) We should be a global sporting giant. At the Olympic Games, we should never be outside the top six

(10) We should be a global maritime power and centre of shopping

We will achieve all this and more but maybe not in our lifetime. I have been to the mountain top and seen the Promised Land but like Moses and Martin Luther King, I will not get there with you.

Our situation is similar to that of the Israelites, only two of those who left Egypt entered the Promised Land. All the others died in the desert during a 40-year wander.

When this generation of tribal, religious, analog, short-sighted, myopic and materialistic Nigerians give way to a new generation of digital, forward-thinking, detribalised, visionary and secular offspring, we will get to the Promised Land. The only problem with Nigeria is Nigerians