Even with the shift in the date of the elections, some Nigerians were still determined to use their voting power to effect the much needed change in the country.
After the collation and announcement of results, the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari was declared and re-elected as the president. To some it was good news, but to others, it wasn’t pleasant.
To whom much is given much is desired. While some Nigerians congratulate Mr. President, they expect to see him focus on some key points.
One of such is the Economy of the nation: It is a known fact that the Nigerian economy hasn’t been really great in the past four years as so many companies went into extinction due to the poor state of the economy. It is expected that the President would involve competent professionals who can manage the various sectors of the economy effectively to inject life into it.
Nigerians are also hopeful that he would oblige their request by co-opting relatively younger people who are intelligent to move the economy forward. It’s time for more vibrant and younger professionals to replace the old and less productive people currently managing the economy. The younger minds who have the technical know-how combined with intellectual knowledge should be involved in the governance of the country to bring their untapped knowledge to bear on the economy and other facets of the country. This is because when the economy of the country gets better, job opportunities will be created.
Another important factor militating against the progress of the nation is insecurity. There’s no need to emphasize the fact that every life matters! The last four years witnessed so many killings especially in the Northern part of the country. We had cases of Boko Haram bombing so many places, the abduction of the girls in Dapchi and other places. Then also the rampaging herdsmen who went from state to state killing and maiming innocent Nigerians. So many lives were lost.
President Buhari’s second term must do more to secure lives and property. The killings and inhumanity to man must come to an end.
Discrimination. There have been agitations from some sections of the country that they have been marginalized in terms of appointments. Nigeria is a complex country and all sections must be included in the scheme of things. Federal appointments should be distributed with fairness and equity, irrespective of gender and tribe and should cut across all geopolitical divisions.
The health sector under Buhari’s administration has attracted media attention negatively due to unpleasant events which showed the poor state of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. This sector is said to be in the state of total decay. There are issues of poor facilities, poor staffing, lack of equipment, low disease surveillance which shows why diseases are not diagnosed and curtailed as quickly as possible. All these challenges should be tackled in this second term. There should be a revitalisation of a good number of primary healthcare centres across the country.
Education Sector: The population of students may be small percentage in the country but they are the 100% of the future. One of the major keys to national development is the quality of education in the country. There has been a decline in the standard and quality of education in Nigeria and it is quite alarming. Education in Nigeria is poorly funded. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommends that 26% of the nation’s budget should be allocated to the educational sector. This will create a good impact on the national development.
The Government should do something about the poor infrastructure and training facilities. Most schools do not have conducive environment for learning and some lack practical and technical facilities. The employment of quality teachers will go a long way in reshaping the state of education in Nigeria.
Power Sector: Power sector failure is still one of the major problems we face in Nigeria. Some countries have power supply 24 hours daily but sadly, Nigeria isn’t part of that. For over 58 years now, the country is still battling with power outage and it looks like there is no hope in this sector at all. When you interact with many Nigerians, you find out that some of them would have had a thriving business if the power sector of the country was sorted. This administration needs to tackle this issue effectively.
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Following the announcement of President Buhari’s victory at the polls, so many Nigerians took to social media using the hashtag, #BuhariShould, to set agenda for President Buhari for the next four years. Many of them focused on economic growth and job opportunities.
Here are some of their reactions:
“Youths need more empowerment programme even if it is equity funding. When youths are self -employed, rate of unemployment will be greatly reduced. Help #youwin5000winners get their business grants or equity funding, we wish to work, but we need funds. #BuhariShould – @abiola_onikoyi
“#Buharishould Economic reform; his appointment should be based on equity fairness and balance, he should look into health, corruption, and security. Rural area should be developed in order to reduce migration to urban area.-@adeboyelawrence”
“Reinforce war against insurgence and bandits. Reduce the price of petroleum, control inflation in common man commodities, and be fair in his war against corruption. #Buharishould – @pharmYahya.”
“#BuhariShould stop blaming past government and face the realities.
The textile industry need to be revitalised. Government is about continuity irrespective of how corrupt previous govt. was. Tertiary education and health sector need sincere funding. – @Baabartuneday.”
“#BuhariShould create opportunities for growth of businesses. So many aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs are either running at loss or have shut down. Kindly review the tax system so it can support the growth of businesses as well. Thank you. – @Yousuf_SY.”
“#BuhariShould look into power. That’s the only thing that can lead us into industrial revolution. It will help the economy to grow, transport sector to go modern, manufacturing sector to thrive, agricultural sector as well. – @onyedikaisreal.”
In conclusion, if most of things on these agenda set by Nigerians to Buhari are being considered and adhered tod, Buhari’s administration will be highly appreciated by Nigerians who are still hopeful that he will take the country to the ‘Next Level’ as promised.
