Birthday girl clocks 66 today.
On the 1st of October, it was a new month to everyone,
but to Nigerians, it was a new dawn.
It was the day, in 1960, that Nigeria finally broke free from British colonial rule.
It was a goodbye not just to colonial masters,
but to a system built on oppression, subjugation and exploitation.
Nigeria stood proud, and even wore a prettier crown down the line : The republic.
Since then, we have witnessed the transfer of power in diverse forms—moments that have shaped, broken, rebuilt and, at times, hurt our nation.
I am not here to recount the tragedies that have wounded the soul of a nation.
I am here to celebrate a people who have stood through sand and rock.
To every culture,
in its colourful and diverse forms,
that has beautified the canvas of every state.
To every tribe,
that carries a language which speaks of a cherished heritage.
To every sound,
the melodies that echo our national treasure.
To every food,
that tells the story of our ancestral lineage.
To every activist,
who dared to stand for this nation, even at the risk of death.
I celebrate you.
One day,
the voices of the people will speak louder than greed.
Democracy will not merely be a theory,
but a reality.
The life of a person will not be wasted in crisis or sacrificed to godforsaken ideologies.
There will come a time when the sun will smile upon the Nigerian horizon,
and the plants will wave in celebration.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria.
66 years and counting.