The Nigeria I Knew By Pastor Femi Adebayo
The Nigeria I knew is not the Nigeria we see today, and many in the present generation find it difficult to relate to the realities of the nation we once experienced.
As I grew up, Nigeria was built on strong communal values. Village life fostered genuine relationships where neighbours looked after one another without prejudice. We celebrated not only success but also the process that led to it. Accountability, discipline, integrity, and love for one another were defining characteristics of our society. Parents, teachers, and community leaders worked together to mould character, and many of today’s distinguished men and women are products of that value-driven system.
In those days, parental involvement in a child’s upbringing was intentional. Parents routinely inspected their children’s school bags. If they found unfamiliar items, a pencil, pen, ruler, or any possession they had not provided – the child was expected to give a satisfactory explanation. Failure to do so often resulted in the parents visiting the school the very next day. Truancy, dishonesty, and indiscipline were not tolerated because raising responsible children was regarded as a collective responsibility.
How did we get here?
My reflection leads me to believe that we experienced a failure in the diligent transfer of values from one generation to the next. The moral and spiritual baton was either neglected, mismanaged, or deliberately disconnected. Our situation resembles the days described in Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Godly principles were gradually replaced with falsehood, assumptions, and moral compromise. Like the generation described in Exodus 1:8, “there arose a new king… who did not know Joseph,” we have witnessed a generation disconnected from the wisdom, sacrifices, and convictions of those who came before them.
Whenever I speak about the Nigeria I knew, many young people struggle to imagine such a nation. There was a time when travelling from one community or state to another was a routine experience, undertaken at virtually any hour without fear. Today, many people feel compelled to spend days or even weeks in prayer before embarking on a journey because of concerns over kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, and other forms of insecurity.
I still believe Nigeria can rediscover her soul. National transformation begins when families, communities, institutions, and leaders intentionally restore the timeless values of integrity, discipline, accountability, compassion, and the fear of God. A nation is renewed when each generation faithfully passes these values to the next.
Nigeria, the Nigeria I knew, may we see you again.
Pastor Femi Adebayo is the Convener & President of Club Abraham International, a non-denominational fellowship of men developing man value, character and godliness to regenerate the next generation.
He can be reached on +234-8026269013; +234-8033137585
