Before I wish her a happy Independence Day, I would ask you: Are you devoid of the dependencies that exist within the system that is Nigeria? And I’m not talking about the individuals who are still under the financial and social support of another—A lot of us are actually, one way or the other.  I’m talking about the ones who think they have little or nothing to offer a nation that has offered them “nothing” in return. I’m speaking of the ones that have chosen to adopt a self-justified drive to be indifferent to their society because they think their society has chosen to do the same to them. It is said that one of the biggest problems we have —and of course we have one too many— is that of indifference. I may not have the big facts to validate these claims, but indifference is just as harmful a vice to the development of our nation as the corruption and ignorance that have plagued the nation that is Nigeria for years and we all share a huge part in that.

Before I wish her a happy Independence Day, I’d like to ask you: What would you do to make this nation truly independent of her problems? Often, the talk is about how big and beyond the average powerless Nigerian the problem of the nation-building is. But I ask you: are you really that powerless? I believe Power to be more a thing of the mind than it is of social status. I bet I could argue that with a thousand persons and probably lose a thousand times. It is my conviction however and I intend to stick to it.

Before I wish her a happy Independence Day, I’d say this to you: It starts small. You don’t have to be all high and mighty in the political or elitist clime to make the needed impact. You don’t even have to be in 'the' clime. Did I hear someone say cliché? Yeah, maybe it is after all. But it is cliché only because we make it so. We have affirmed and re-affirmed the idea far too often but with too little action that it no longer holds water. The little things matter when the little things are actually done. The very famous quote 'Little drops of water make the ocean’ is another adage that's so often used that the meaning is sometimes not fully appreciated. But it will, if only we make conscious efforts today. Not only to do the big things but the little ones even more fervently. Dare I say, forget the dysfunctional political class. They haven’t done much and probably won’t do for a long time. But the dirt you consciously decide to trash properly today could just be what improves the living conditions of your children tomorrow. So even if just for a moment, forget about the pot-bellies that suck dry the taxes meant for our common growth. Or maybe get mad at them; You’re justified. But imagine a Nigeria where that anger is channeled into making the conscious effort to not be cajoled by money or influence for favors or acts of illegality. It could just, in turn, be what brings us the leader(s) we all seek in the near future.

The little things matter. I’m convinced, are you?

Happy Independence Day!!!

PS: The use of You and Her is intended. You are the nation that is Nigeria.