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Nigeria just celebrated 57 years of independence and as with Independence Day celebrations, we got a public holiday, or bank holiday in other climes. Yippee! Of course, celebrations usually bring about reflections; some of these reflections good, and others bad. The political analysts mostly had bad ratings; there were complaints around the President’s speech– oh we could have done so much better, and like the gorgeous Yul Brynner in The King and I, ‘etcetera etcetera etcetera’. The other reflections, which were good, symbolize hope, and oh, what an amazing feeling hope is. Across geo-political zones, tribes, cultures, and religions, there was the collective echo of one nation. There was a recall of our collective fight for freedom from Colonialism, there were memories of love and brotherhood, sports, music, drama, education, neighborliness, peace. These echoes rang loud, they rang clearly, they rippled and they all screamed hope. The echoes rang from the Nigerian youth, home and abroad. I choose to celebrate this hope and what it means for the future of our country. It tells me we will continue to stand as one, it tells me we are ready to work for the sustainability of the country. It speaks growth, it speaks peace, it reflects the resilience that is the make-up of our people, and it promises development through hard work and consistency. Step by step, minute by minute, layer by layer, we will continue to build. We will accept help where we need it but mostly, we recognize that our destiny resides in our own hands and we are ready to go for it head-on. I am proudly Nigerian and I am full of hope for the future of Africa’s giant.

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This article was first published on 3rd October 2017

ekundayo-odele

Ekundayo Odele (Managing Director, CEO UnoCasa Limited). I'm an engineer turned HR Professional with a love for people and businesses. What I do best is inspire people to be the best they can. Me in three descriptions: change agent, people lover, happy bunny. Fun factor: I will try anything once, really. To see Ekundayo's latest Projects, check out Future Business Leaders Programme on Twitter and Instagram as @fblpng and on LinkedIn and Facebook as Future Business Leaders Programme.