@Jenifa_: Shared culture, values and heritage is a pretty good basis for unity. Some of the more successful countries in the world have this. Nigeria does not. Look, the British for the most part had the right idea when they left Nigeria. A federation of three separate regions, each with almost complete control over its own affairs. They recognized that we are different and distinct people. Trying to pretend our differences don't exist rather than trying to understand these differences is a recipe for disaster.

Regarding "developed Nigeria". . . I don't really think I'll see that in my own lifetime. And I'm only 25  The more I read the news and learn about Nigeria, the more depressed I get. I dunno. What we have right now is not working.

ekt_bear, people didn't just automatically develop shared culture, values and heritage. it typically grows over very long periods of time. those successful countries you mention had their issues in the past too.
because how do cultures develop in the first place?

so shared culture alone won't create unity. you also have to make sure one group of people isn't being treated unfairly/ or being geographically segregated (ex.within yorubaland) etc otherwise, they will develop their own culture over time and we will be back again at square 1 etc

ie the reason it's hard for African americans to assimilate into US even though they have lived together for over 200 yrs!! it's because of marginalization and segregation. the political/institutional structures there kept integration from happening.

yes of course it won't happen in our lifetime. I think it is probably selfish to want it to happen in our lifetime. It reminds me of politicians and how their actions sometimes are not really for long term benefits  but rather some short term projects so that they can be re-elected/remembered. whereas these actions might actually be detrimental in the long term. I think it's better to think for the future rather than present. if our leaders during the slave trade days were thinking about the future rather than present material benefits they will gain, they would have reconsidered and not be compliant with slave trade because it brought terrible long term damages and also allowed colonization to happen. etc that's my opinion anyway. it may not be accurate.

for me, the more I read and learn about other nations/ their beginnings esp. in europe etc the more hope I have for Nigeria.
I really don't expect too many young people to have tribalistic sentiments as the older generation (I think you are an exception lol). A nigerian culture is developing. and over time, I think it will become stronger and people will see the whole "yoruba" "hausa" thing as more of a heritage rather than culture. If you are in lagos for example, most yoruba and igbo youths share similar cultures. their ethnic group has become more of a heritage only.

Of course, European rule was good for Africa. If Europeans never came to Africa and Africa had been left undisturbed Africans would still be living in mud huts, and they wouldn’t know that. Africa was the first continent to be circumnavigated and the first to be shown in full on maps, yet its interior was in the Stone Age and did not see the wheel until the 1870s.

Edruezzi:

Of course, European rule was good for Africa. If Europeans never came to Africa and Africa had been left undisturbed Africans would still be living in mud huts, and they wouldn’t know that. Africa was the first continent to be circumnavigated and the first to be shown in full on maps, yet its interior was in the Stone Age and did not see the wheel until the 1870s.

That is so Milton Friedman, and of course not true.

he "dictator" still benefits from the support of Libyans because his economics achievement in favor of the people, His achievement in Africa Let us consider the example of global telecommunications, TV and satellite broadcasting, to illustrate above statement.

In 1992, 45 African countries incorporated Rascom, a company setup to supervise the construction and launching of a satellite, to control costs of telecommunication and TV broadcasting between the sponsoring nations.

Indeed, telecommunication's costs from one African country to another one was then one of the most expensive in the world because telecommunication's signals from one particular African country were first sent to the North (European countries,) and then diverted to the targeted African country.

The service for the transfer Africa-Europe-Africa was billed by European service providers at costs far more expensive that the one existing for interconnections between European countries. Europe was garnering about US$500million a year for that service, through its network of satellite system.

Rascom project was to put an end to the drain of scarce and vital financial resources from Africa, and use said resources for developing in African countries.

The cost of the project was estimated at US$400million. Just US$400millions paid once and for all. No more US$500millions annual financial drain from Africa to Europe.

The International Monetary Funds -IMF, had been solicited to finance the project. The usefulness of which was evident. Guess what? From 1992 up to year 2006, the IMF dragged its feet, finding all kinds of excuses to delay the financing. Make a quick calculation, in the meantime US$500millions a year, that is US$7billions had been extracted from African countries coffers for the benefit of European nations!

That is when Gaddafi steps in, disbursing a hefty US$300millions, African Development Bank providing US$50millions, and the West African Development Bank US$27millions. Finally, the first African satellite system was live on December 27, 2007.

wow, i was only 16 when this post started and its still going, hmmm, interesting

Interesting reading once again. This is one thread with lots of passionate arguments, and almost zero insults.
Dang, I will surely miss NL

Edruezzi:
Africa was the first continent to be circumnavigated and the first to be shown in full on maps

true, quite interesting.

yet its interior was in the Stone Age and did not see the wheel until the 1870s.

not quite correct.


are you referring to subsaharan africa?

Thank you.

AjanleKoko:
Interesting reading once again. This is one thread with lots of passionate arguments, and almost zero insults.
Dang, I will surely miss NL