Renowned playwright and scholar, Professor Femi Osofisan, has said that many Nigerians who grew up before independence entered nationhood with high hopes but were later confronted by political and economic realities that left the country struggling with the legacy of colonial rule.
Reflecting on the aspirations of his generation, Osofisan described many young Nigerians of the period as idealistic but largely unprepared for the challenges that followed independence.
“It is unfortunate because I think all of us were somewhat naïve and unprepared,” he said.
The literary icon argued that Britain was initially reluctant to grant independence to Nigeria because of the economic benefits it derived from colonial rule.
According to him, changing global attitudes after the Second World War and growing anti-colonial movements eventually compelled colonial powers to relinquish control.
He noted that many Africans who fought alongside British forces during the war returned with a new understanding of equality and increasingly questioned colonial domination.
The literary critics stated, “There was a growing demand for independence,” adding that many Nigerians began asking why foreign powers should continue to govern them while denying them equal rights and opportunities.
The professor further contended that Nigeria inherited political and economic structures that encouraged continued dependence on former colonial powers.
According to him, many of those who actively campaigned for independence later found themselves outside government, while power was transferred to individuals who had not played prominent roles in the nationalist struggle.
Osofisan also alleged that the colonial authorities manipulated the political process before independence in ways that influenced the country’s balance of power and prolonged external influence over Nigeria’s resources.
He cited observations by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, who, according to him, noted that many returning Nigerians were more interested in occupying positions vacated by colonial officials than in transforming the country.
“Their interest was to gain access to the national cake,” Osofisan said.
He argued that colonial-era privileges merely shifted from British officials to a new indigenous elite, while many structural inequalities remained intact.
According to him, Nigeria has continued to struggle with these challenges more than six decades after independence.
Osofisan called for reforms in both education and governance, maintaining that meaningful national progress requires a transformation of public attitudes and values.
“We need to change the educational system inherited from the British so that our thinking can develop independently,” he said.
The playwright warned that changing political leaders alone would not solve the country’s problems if citizens’ attitudes and national priorities remain unchanged.
“If we change governments without changing people’s mentality and mindset, we will continue to reproduce the same problems,” he stated.
He also reflected on the role of the military in Nigeria’s political history, noting that many young officers initially came to power with idealistic intentions.
However, he argued that the discovery of oil and the country’s growing dependence on petroleum revenues altered national priorities and weakened other sectors of the economy.
According to him, foreign companies maintained significant control over the oil industry, while agriculture and local production suffered neglect.
“Instead of encouraging production, the country encouraged the importation of food and many other goods,” he said.
Osofisan lamented that the decline of agriculture, coupled with political competition centred on access to wealth and power, contributed to the country’s developmental challenges.
He also expressed concern over the deterioration of the education sector, arguing that political struggles increasingly became contests over economic benefits rather than national development.
“It has been a very unfortunate experience,” he said.
The professor maintained that Nigeria’s future depends on building an independent educational system, reforming governance structures and cultivating a national mindset that prioritises development over ethnic, regional and political divisions.
