Mr President, "Cultural Awakening", are weighty and very elusive words to use in describing Nigeria, at a time our dear country is digressing culturally on so many levels. The Cambridge Dictionary defines culture as "as a way of life". It adds, that culture could also be considered as the beliefs and customs of a particular group of people. Of course, it is no secret that facets of the Nigerian culture has brought smiles to faces of billions of people across the globe. It has created memorable and global moments that has added vigor and color to the rest of the world. A feat that Nigerians should be very proud of. But what about our way of life Mr. President? Is the Nigerian way of life, our standard of living, our communities and institutions, our villages and cities, worthy of emulation and celebration by the rest of world? Would our ancestors that anchored the Nok Culture, that built the Ife & Benin kingdoms, that engineered the sophisticated societies of Igbo-Ikwu, that excelled at trade in the Northern Empires, that developed the symbol systems for the Ibibio and Efik people, be proud of the advancements our collective civilisation have made? I RECKON NOT! As a people and as a race, we have fallen short. We have neglected the customs of our ancestors that demanded a sense of responsibility and accountability at the leadership level. We have embraced greed and neglected the sustainable elements of our culture that put the people first, and enabled our forefathers to store yams in the barns, and build rice pyramids. We have neglected the orderliness, the sense of community and the cultural instincts that inspired our forefathers of the Ibibio and Efik civilisations to develop the Nsibidi communications system, the Ekpe civil-legal and policing systems, while building distinct hamlets separated by patrilineages and governed by heads of households. We have lost sight of the ingenuity of the Ife Kingdom that enabled our forefathers between the 11th and 15th century to engineer advanced metallurgical casting, manufacture glass, plan urban cities, manage erosions, and create durable and intricate urban pathways using potsherds pavements. We have failed to re-invigorate the spirit of the Nok Culture, an ancient civilisation from 1500 BCE to 200CE, that pioneered iron smelting thereby technologically by-passing the bronze age. A civilization that created the globally celebrated terracotta sculptures, designed intricate jewelries and built agricultural tools. I could go on and on, to mention but a few. Nigeria's diversity should have been it's strength. It's history, cultural heritage and ingenuity should have been it's inspiration to contribute to humanities advancement. But today, we have taken the back seat because of corruption, greed, a lack of foresight, as well as the absence of selfless and good leadership. My President, this is not good enough. As Nigerians, we should be very sober, while reflecting on what to do, to turn around the sad state of our Nation. To be honest, despite the doom and gloom, there is still a Mountain of greatness buried within this very lands. A cultural renaissance that is heavy on innovation, creativity, energy and ingenuity. Within this very lands the voice of a giant lays in slumber, the giant of Africa. So until we find ourselves, my spirit weeps. My head dips in shame when we celebrate mediocrity. My spirit mourns the souls of the departed...,the lot that never got to see the giant wake up. So maybe a cultural awakening looms on the horizon. One that will breathe life into a sleeping giant. But until then, we must start by telling ourselves the truth..., because it is only the truth that will set us free!

“And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” Ecclesiastes 1:17-18 NKJV Ignorance is bliss?

Burning a candle tonight...thanks for the recommendation.

Literally the first thing the Bible talks about. In the beginning God created the "heavens"...

True. "Let there be light" was universal. A picture perfect example of God's omnipresence.

A deflection of the facts to distort what was a popular electoral consensus in favour of Peter Obi.

In Nigeria, intelligence automatically attracts a deep seethed contempt, makes you the enemy, and ensures that you get treated like an outsider. If you succeed despite all of that, the same folks that paid you no attention, shamelessly insert themselves into the conversation becoming "leeches-for-glory" overnight.

Imagine thinking Education is a commodity in good ol 2026...,in a country where 54% of its population are below the age of 20, and 86% of it's population earns less than ₦82,000/$USD61 per month. It's not that difficult to connect the dots. In today's world, "Data" tells you what's feasible and what's not. It tells you which policy is suicidal, and which is sound. It differentiates between the quacks in the room, and the qualified!