Where is Nigeria heading to?

I am a proud Nigerian; but lately I've been feeling like I am in the wrong country. I was born in the 90s, and I've heard so many stories of how great Nigeria was as a country, I also experienced little of it. Times when I could spend my coins gladly, when my 20Naira was a treasure and I would proudly boost that "I have money" if I eventually saved up to 100Naira, times when it was no issue going to core northern states to spend holidays with my grandparents, times where I enjoyed and loved my state because we have so much food and didn't have to bother about hunger.

       I was also told of stories about traders being able to leave their goods in the market with the cost value attached and return to meet their goods intact or the value in exchange. Being a graduate then was a big deal and I hoped for when I'll become one, get a job and become a barrister. Morals and Values were important then, it just had to be the right way. I loved my country so much I couldn't wait to be part of the "leaders of tomorrow". I was hopeful, positive that I'll change and improve my country to be better for my parents once I'm done with my university.

        Fast forward to Nigeria today, I've never been at my lowest point of hope. Yes! I'm still hopeful but it seems like the last drop of hope. My first point of concern is the peace in Nigeria, there's so much trouble now that after reading the news each day I feel we take a step further from being a peaceful country. Nigeria has several ethnic groups and we are definitely not at peace with each other, the entitlement to oppress another human just because we are of a "superior" ethnic group is what I feel has cost us our peace. I am from a state that isn't urgently recognized in Nigeria and my state has three tribes, each tribe according to its population trying to oppress and forcefully demand respect from the next minor tribe and even those from the tribe with the smallest population try to prove which side is better than which. This brings tension amongst these groups making them constantly in an unhealthy competition with each other and not being peaceful. When there is no peace, security cannot be guaranteed. 

         If those who are supposed to keep each other safe are not at peace with themselves, where is the hope for security? Each week, I read stories of killings of humans by humans like an award is being given for it. This country has gotten to a point where the average citizen lives with fear for his/her life. The villagers are scared of herdsmen, those in the city are scared of ritualist and kidnappers and its funny how those who are supposed to keep the security of the country are also suspected of harm to the citizens. Which way should the average Nigerian turn to when nowhere is safe ? One has to be constantly alert like a thief expecting the owner of the house to come around. Don't we have leaders? Insecurity has got to a level of normalcy in Nigeria that our leaders are reluctant to even address it, it now seems like they don't care which I believe they don't because they have "strong men" guarding every movement of theirs, so the average man is left to fend for his safety like a prey in the forest. Insecurity has also affected our economic growth badly.

         There's so much social unrest in the country that it would have been a miracle if our economy was not affected. Too bad there was no miracle and our economy is in great need for intervention. I personally have never experienced such economic downturn in my life, and those who were here before the 90s have mostly stated how our economy has never been this bad. What then happen!? who failed us? how did we get here? If not for google, I would have found it quite impossible that there was a time a Naira was equal to a Dollar, or when 2 Naira was equal to one pound. what happened to that era? how come we fell this far? I am not an economist, so aside research and experts analysis this for me is just the worst a nation, "giant of Africa" can go through. The desperation for money now has risen to another level, people are desperate and willing to do anything and this includes selling their own kids to make money. Nigeria as a country is poverty stricken but has citizens with the most expensive lifestyles, what exactly are we teaching the next generation? 

I feel so burdened right now and going deeper into where we are heading as a country is scary. After the struggle of getting into school and graduating, one will start a new struggle of trying to get a job and hear things like "Try and do your masters". Even after acquiring their masters many are under paid or in a terrible work environment, well, that's a discussion for another day.

     I have never felt the need to leave and move out my family from this country as I urgently feel now. The fact that being a person of morals and values is now a thing of mockery is scary, how internet fraud, ritual killings, ponzi scheme is now a norm amongst youth is disheartening, I don't have a kid yet but I'm so scared of what my younger siblings will see as a norm when they become adults, each day I try and yet fully aware that its not within my power to protect them from all these. I'm not really bothered about these old leaders, they have already failed us but then the youths who are supposed to be leaders to my kids lack integrity, and those that do are thrown under the carpet, which way for Nigeria? Up until this moment I've never hopefully wished to run into that foreigner that I'll get married to and gain automatic citizenship to another country or work thrice as hard to make sure each member of my immediate family has the passport of another country and wouldn't have to worry about the harassment they'll face just trying to get to another country with a Nigerian passport.

      Some say the colonial masters destroyed us, others say they left to early, me I just want this country to be better, can someone come to our rescue or rather can we try and rescue ourselves? my last drop of hope is slowing drying up.