Independence Nigeria and her ‘age mates’

At almost the same time that Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1960, several other countries also achieved the same feat.

For instance, Cyprus, an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, also got its independence from the United Kingdom on August 16, 1960, but also celebrates it on October 1, 1960, the same day with Nigeria.

Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country, is only about three years older than Nigeria. It also got its independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1957.

Singapore is Nigeria’s ‘younger sister’ by five years. It seceded from the Malaysian Federation on August 9, 1965.

However, 54 years after, while some of these countries have got global reputations for their improved economies through manufacturing and export of their products, Nigeria still seems to rely on other countries of the world for her survival.

Here are the brief histories of Nigeria and her Independence ‘age mates.’

Nigeria

The site of many ancient kingdoms and empires, Nigeria has its origins in the British colonisation during the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries where it emerged from the combination of two neighbouring British protectorates: the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate.

During the colonial period, the British set up administrative and legal structures whilst retaining traditional chiefdoms. The most populous Black country achieved independence in 1960, but plunged into civil war several years later. It has since alternated between democratically-elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, with its 2011 presidential elections being viewed as the first to be conducted reasonably freely and fairly.

Nigeria is a Federal Republic modelled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president. It is influenced by the Westminster System model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature.

Ethnocentrism, tribalism, religious persecution, and prebendalism have affected Nigerian politics both prior and subsequent to her independence in 1960. Kin-selective altruism has made its way into Nigerian politics, resulting in tribalist efforts to concentrate Federal power to a particular region of their interests.

Despite the abundance of natural resources in Nigeria, she is yet to develop industries that could convert them to global use.

Nigeria is often referred to as the “Giant of Africa,” but that is majorly due to its large population. With approximately 174 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world.

Even though Nigeria’s economy (Gross Domestic Product) became the largest in Africa in the year she is celebrating her independence, not much is reflected in the lives of her citizens. For example, electricity is yet to stabilise in many parts of the country; water in many Nigeria’s communities is a source of worry; many lives are lost daily on poor roads; and corruption in both the low and high places is not a secret topic.

Millions of Nigerians have emigrated at times of economic hardship, primarily to Europe, North America and Australia. It is estimated that over a million Nigerians have emigrated to the United States and constitute the Nigerian-American populace.

Her human rights record remains poor and government officials at all levels continue to commit serious abuses.

According to the US Department of State, the most significant human rights problems are: extrajudicial killings and use of excessive force by security forces, impunity for abuses by security forces, arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, judicial corruption and executive influence on the judiciary, rape, among other issues.

The health care system is continuously faced with a shortage of doctors, known as ‘brain drain,’ due to the fact that skilled Nigerian doctors emigrate to North America and Europe. In 1995, it was estimated that 21,000 Nigerian doctors were practising in the United States alone, which is about the same as the number of doctors working in the Nigerian public service, a sign of a country that has failed in its healthcare system.

Singapore

Modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading post of the East India Company with permission from the Johor Sultanate. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in 1824, and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in 1826.

In 2011, the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among the top countries surveyed with regard to “Order and Security”, “Absence of Corruption”, and “Effective Criminal Justice.”

Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditures are relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore’s healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report.

In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades. Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%.

Singapore is a very diverse and young country. Yet, it has developed so rapidly.

Singapore is also the 14th largest exporter in the world. The country has the highest trade-to-GDP ratio in the world at 407.9 per cent, signifying the importance of trade to its economy. The country is currently the only Asian country to receive AAA credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch.

Singapore also possesses the world’s eleventh largest foreign reserves, and has one of the highest net international investment position per capita. In recent years, the country has been identified as an increasingly popular tax haven for the wealthy due to the low tax rate on personal income and tax exemptions on foreign-based income and capital gains.

Singapore is a world leader in several economic areas: it is the world’s fourth leading financial centre, the world’s second largest casino gambling market, one of the world’s top three oil-refining centres, the world’s largest oil-rig producer, and a major hub for ship repair services. Its port is one of the five busiest ports in the world. In fact, the World Bank has named Singapore as the easiest place in the world to do business.

It is an education hub, and many foreign students, including Nigerians study there.

Singapore has the world’s highest percentage of millionaires, with one out of every six households having at least one million US dollars in disposable wealth (excluding property, businesses, and luxury goods, which if included would increase the number of millionaires, as property in Singapore is among the world’s most expensive). It also has one of the highest income inequality levels among developed countries, coming in just behind Hong Kong and in front of the United States.

Acute poverty is rare in Singapore. The government has rejected the idea of a generous welfare system, stating that each generation must earn and save enough for its entire life cycle. There are, however, numerous means-tested assistance programs provided by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Some of the programmes include providing money to needy households, free medical care at government hospitals, money for children’s school fees, rental of studio apartments and training grants for courses.

Singapore, as a country, in general is conservative socially, but some liberalisation has occurred. At the national level, meritocracy, where one is judged based on one’s ability, is heavily emphasised.

Malaysia

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to the British Empire. The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates.

Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing at an average 6.5% per annum for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fueled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism.

The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years from single-member constituencies. All 70 senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and the remaining 44 are appointed by the King upon the Prime Minister’s recommendation. The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through a first-past-the-post system.

Malaysia is the only country in Southeast Asia which manufactures indigenously designed automobiles.

The infrastructure of Malaysia is one of the most developed in Asia. Its telecommunications network is second only to Singapore’s in Southeast Asia, with 4.7 million fixed-line subscribers and more than 30 million cellular subscribers.

Traditionally, energy production in Malaysia has been based on oil and natural gas. The country has 13 GW of electrical generation capacity and has 33 years of natural gas reserves, and 19 years of oil reserves. In response to the increasing demand for energy, the government is expanding into renewable energy sources. Sixteen per cent of electricity generation is hydroelectric, the remaining 84 per cent being thermal.

Cyprus

Cyprus was placed under British administration in 1878 until it was granted independence in 1960, becoming a member of the Commonwealth the following year. In 1974, seven years after the intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, an attempted coup d’état by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of the Greek military junta with the aim of achieving enosis (union of the island with Greece) took place.

Turkey used this as a pretext to invade the northern portion of the island. Turkish forces remained after a cease-fire, resulting in the partition of the island, an objective of Turkey since 1955. The intercommunal violence and subsequent Turkish invasion led to the displacement of over 150,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots, and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north.

Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean. An advanced, high-income economy with a very high Human Development Index, the country was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on May 1, 2004. On 1 January 2008, the Republic of Cyprus joined the Eurozone.

Cyprus has a highly developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education. The high quality of instruction can be attributed to a large extent to the above-average competence of the teachers, but also to the fact that nearly 7% of the GDP is spent on education, which makes Cyprus one of the top three spenders of education in the EU along with Denmark and Sweden.

State schools are generally seen as equivalent in quality of education to private-sector institutions.

In conclusion, it is the expectation of many Nigerians that the “Giant of Africa” steps up its game to meet up and perhaps excel above its ‘age mates.’