On October 1, 1960, Nigeria raised its green-and-white flag for the first time as a sovereign nation. Hopes were high that independence would deliver freedom, dignity, and prosperity. Nigeria’s first president, Nnamdi Azikiwe, declared at the time: “Let us exalt the dignity of man and respect the rights of the individual.”Sixty-five years later, those rights remain contested. Nigeria has seen democracy, dictatorship, oil wealth, civil war, and citizen protest. But for many, independence is still an unfinished struggle.
⸻
From Celebration to Conflict
The early years of independence were turbulent. Civil liberties were guaranteed on paper, but ethnic and regional rivalries soon fractured politics. The military seized power in 1966, and the Biafran War (1967–1970) killed more than a million people, mostly civilians. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, jailed for criticising the war, later warned: “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”
⸻
Oil Wealth, Lost Opportunity
The oil boom of the 1970s should have transformed Nigeria. Instead, successive military rulers squandered revenues through corruption and patronage. Citizens saw little improvement in living standards, while press freedoms and political rights were routinely suppressed.
⸻
Economic Crisis and Military Rule
By the 1980s, falling oil prices and IMF-imposed reforms deepened poverty. The Structural Adjustment Program removed subsidies and devalued the naira, stripping millions of their socio-economic rights. Military governments silenced dissent, jailed critics, and ruled by decree.
⸻
The Dark 1990s
The 1990s under General Sani Abacha brought some of Nigeria’s worst repression. Activists disappeared, opposition was crushed, and corruption flourished. The 1995 execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues for protesting oil exploitation shocked the world. In his final statement, Saro-Wiwa declared: “The military dictatorship holds sway in Nigeria, but it will not crush the Ogoni struggle.”
⸻
Return to Democracy, But Fragile Rights
In 1999, Nigeria returned to civilian rule. The new constitution enshrined freedoms, and civil society regained space. Yet corruption, weak institutions, and election violence undermined real progress. In the oil-rich Niger Delta, armed groups highlighted ongoing environmental destruction and the denial of community rights.
⸻
Terror, Protest, and the New Generation
Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced millions and destroyed lives. The abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014 symbolised the state’s failure to protect its citizens. Security forces, meanwhile, have been accused of extrajudicial killings and torture.
In 2020, the #EndSARS movement became a turning point. Young Nigerians demanded an end to police brutality, only to be met with gunfire at Lekki Toll Gate. The crackdown exposed how state violence persists even under democracy.
⸻
Today: Independence on Trial
Nigeria’s 2023 elections showed both progress and setback. Digital voter systems improved transparency, but allegations of irregularities and voter suppression raised doubts.
Freedom of expression remains fragile, poverty is rising, and insecurity from banditry and terrorism continues. Yet, Nigeria’s vibrant youth movements, independent media, and civil society keep pushing for accountability.
⸻
Conclusion
Independence in 1960 ended colonial rule, but Nigerians are still fighting for full freedom—political, economic, and social. Rights remain unevenly protected, and corruption and violence undermine progress.
Nigeria’s independence story is not yet complete. As Ken Saro-Wiwa once said, freedom is not handed down; it is fought for. For many Nigerians, that struggle continues today.
By Kwakuduahqa
