NIGERIA IS BLESSED

Nigeria is blessed beyond word can ever explain, a country with such endowment, with abundant human and natural resources. If you travel across Nigeria you will see things capable of turning this country into one of the greatest country in this world but it is painful to mention that all those resources have been under use, the government have not been able to maximise the opportunities available. The government focus on one product allowing other aspect of the economy which is capable of turning Nigeria into one of the richest country in the world untouched. Nigeria have many resources not just petroleums product, we have many solid mineral resources capable of adding value to Nigeria economy. I believe if the government focus their attention in diversifying the economy to other areas of the economy that will put more pay into government Puckett. Beside the stated resources: oil, natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, precious stone and vast land. Agriculture is another area which is capable of transforming Nigeria economy into one of the leading economy in the world, we have good land, good vegetation, good weather for agricultural produce yet this area is completely abandoned, this sector will create massive employment opportunities, another area which I believe will create employment opportunities is security, if the government pays proper attention to the security department, massive employment will be created. Nigeria can become one of the richest country in the world with all the resources deposited o the soil of this country, Nigeria have no business with poverty. We should learn how to do things the right way, putting aside all our individual differences aside and focus on the development of the our great country, above all Nigeria is blessed.

Nigerians know they are blessed with immense natural resources. If properly managed, these resources will significantly reduce their poverty and suffering. Nigerians also know that a few privileged citizens have chosen to exploit these resources for personal gain.
These two facts lead me to one of life’s ironies. An omniscient God, though knowing the frailty and wickedness of man even before creation, gave man the freewill to decide his destiny and, to some extent, the destiny of others. He also gave man the power to turn the world into a place where a few can misappropriate resources bountiful enough to benefit everyone. When describing such a world, I naturally think of Nigeria.
I am not writing today to lead a religious discussion. I also do not intend to take you on a spiritual journey; indeed, there is an abundance of clergy in Nigeria for that purpose. As a Nigerian, I write to count the blessings that have been turned into curses by insensitive and inept leaders. I do this for two reasons: first, to remind our leaders that we Nigerians are not ignorant of the resources that God has blessed us with. But most importantly, I write to remind them that Nigerians are hopeful: someday, there will be a judgment.
So where do I begin in listing Nigeria’s natural resources that our leaders have squandered? Let me start with something as basic as the weather. Anybody who has travelled around the world as I have would agree that Nigeria has the best year round climate. Nigerian weather alone could have made the country a tourist haven, not to mention one of the best places in the world to live. Instead, unchecked insecurity, unchecked militancy and the uncontained threats of Boko Haram have given Nigeria a perennial place in America’s CIA list of most dangerous countries to travel to in the world. Yet, according to David Scowsill, President and CEO of World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), tourism and travel accounted for 9% of global GDP or a total of 6 trillion dollars. Nigeria is missing out on tourism dollars.
While the rest of Africa, from Mali to Ethiopia, from Egypt to South Africa, and from Morocco to Malawi are prone to natural disasters like drought, Nigeria is blessed with an adequate amount of rainfall that would have made agriculture easy for Nigerians. Instead, the poor state of roads and drainage systems have turned rainfall into a nightmare in Nigeria. Furthermore, in a not too distant past, Malaysia imported its first sets of palm trees from Nigeria. Today, Malaysia exports cholesterol free palm oil that is very widely sought after all over the world. 
Talk about the beautiful Nigerian sunshine that would have made solar energy more easily affordable in Nigeria than in any other country in the world. While the rest of the world is abandoning carbon fuel and seeking ways of developing alternative energy, Nigeria is squandering the opportunity of solar energy that would have been easily developed through research and technology initiatives.
 Nigeria has not had any natural disasters like tsunamis or earthquakes. However, the destructive power of nature remains a global reality. From Haiti to China, from Russia to Japan, and from Turkey to Yemen, all other countries are prone to natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. So far, the disasters that have occurred in Nigeria are caused by human negligence and a complete disregard for the safety of others.
Let me delve into an area of Nigeria’s resources that has remained the driving force behind militancy in Nigeria – oil. In 2004, the crude price assumption of the Federal Government budget was $25 per barrel. But, the market prices of oil exceeded that assumption for several years giving rise to the “excess oil revenue” phenomenon. Yet, Nigerians continue to be worse off than they were prior to the oil gain. The insecurity we see in Nigeria today is a natural result in any society where leaders ignore the importance of community development. Nigerian leaders see themselves as different from their community. This is the reason why they do not care about the state of Nigerian roads, schools, power and other infrastructures that work to create a modern society. Yet, social psychology has proven that every individual is as civilized or as backward as the community they call home. The idea of leadership in Nigeria is that it is an opportunity to acquire wealth at the expense of community development. But the truth is that leadership is about improving the lives of others and leaving your community better than you found it.
But of all the things that Nigerian leaders have brazenly squandered, the future of Nigerian youths is the most appalling. Nigerian youths are intelligent, strong, innovative and creative. The problem is that they have not been well equipped to compete with their counterparts in China, Japan, Europe and America. Yet, we live in a time when technology has made globalization an economic imperative. The wave of violence we see in Nigeria today is evidence that Nigerian youths are frustrated. They are frustrated because they know that God blessed Nigeria with abundant natural and human resources, but man has turned these blessings into a curse.