Get Salted! I Have A Dream Too!

I have a dream that one day being Nigerian would be a thing of pride and having a green passport would not guarantee a second look or a strip search.

That ‘419’ would no longer be synonymous with green-white-green and foreign TV stations no longer air documentaries about my country that are sad but true. Where the Naira is as strong as any of the foreign currencies and Nigerians only left Nigeria in search of ‘the different’ not ‘the better’. Where those in authority had integrity and truly cared about the people that had voted them into power. Where wrong was punished no matter how high it was and good was rewarded no matter how low.

Yes, I have a dream too

That one day Nigeria will be truly the Giant of Africa.

I have a dream that one day in Nigeria we will expect power always and our roads will be smooth, flood-free and well-lit.  Where money meant for hospitals goes to hospitals and money allocated for teachers goes to teachers. Where law-makers make laws and law enforcement agents enforce the law and protect the people. Where Ghana must go bags are really just bags made in Ghana and not containers for ill-gotten funds going to ill-intentioned people with no intention of advancing the state of this nation. Where if there are fights in the National Assemblies, its cos our law-makers were fighting about ‘their people’ and not their pockets.

Yes, I have a dream too.

That one day, we Nigerians will vote with our hearts and minds and not our bellies and government will be ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.

I have a dream that one day being a writer in Nigeria would excite people as much as being DBanj or Omosexy. Where book reading events would be as packed as movie premieres and Nigerians would be willing to pay as much for a book as half of what they pay for some phone gadget or exotic hair. Where major corporate organisations finally saw the light in using Nigerian writers as brand ambassadors to truly boost the reading culture in our country and radio and TV stations would feature daily on-air book-readings of Nigerian books.

Yes, I have a dream too.

That one day, Nigerians would read more than they watch Nollywood movies or at least just as much.

I have a dream that one day being a woman in Nigeria would not mean having no rights, no say, no voice;

Where women, mothers, wives would refuse to stay silent when evil lives in their homes pretending to be kin. When parents resisted peer pressure and taught their children the value of things and not the price.

Where moms modeled good behaviours to their daughters and fathers showed their sons what being a real man meant.  Where in a bid to give our children what we did not have we don’t ruin them. Making them feel entitled and clueless to the struggle that life can be.

Yes, I have a dream too.

The one day men and women would realize that the evil that men do live after them and life is a boomerang so we should be careful what we throw out there because it will come back. Most times to hit us. Sometimes, it skips us and hits our children.

I have a dream that one day being a Christian in Nigeria would not be a dirty word. Where we would talk less and act more God.  Where you would hear fewer ‘By God’s graces’ in offices, conferences and meetings yet see evidence of God’s grace and love everywhere you went. Where Nigerian churches were true havens for the sick in mind, body and spirit and not just social clubs or deal-making networking circles.

Where the news about church-owned private jets and church-driven food-kitchens and/or financial empowerment activities jostled equally for headlines.

Yes, I have a dream too.

 That one day Christianity in Nigeria would not be a thousand miles long and one mile deep and you could really see Jesus Christ in the people who claimed to follow him.

I have a dream that one day it would not matter if your name had ‘Akeem’ in it or ‘Christina’ when you wanted to run for election in my country. When religion or tribe would not matter and people would vote based on integrity and authenticity and the job went to the most qualified not the most ‘money-fied’.

Yes, I have a dream too.

And I know my dreams seem so far-fetched but so did Martin Luther Kings’ and yet look at America today. One day, I pray my children and grand-children will read this and say ‘Can you imagine! Nana’s dream has come true for our nation, Nigeria! Great at last, Great at last, Thank God Almighty, Nigeria is great at last!

Bola Essien-Nelson (aka Salt) is a blogger/author based in Lagos, Nigeria. You can connect with her via her blog – The Salt Chronicles on Blogger where she is ‘seasoning’ the world around her one salt blog at a time.