Nigeria@64: Why Former British Colonies Have Advanced While Nigeria Struggles – Shehu Sani

Former federal lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, has shed light on why non-African former British colonies have thrived, while Nigeria struggles with many of the same issues decades after independence.

In a message posted on his official X handle on Tuesday, marking Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary, Sani drew comparisons between Nigeria and other countries once colonized by Britain, emphasizing that many nations have progressed by embracing their diversity rather than being mired in blame.

Sani noted that, like Nigeria, other former British colonies across the globe experienced similar colonization processes.

He pointed out that countries such as the United States, Canada, and others in Asia and the Americas were also products of European colonization but have moved beyond blaming their colonial past and instead focused on building their nations for the future.

The former lawmaker stressed that the key difference between Nigeria and these other nations is that they are no longer fixated on blaming their colonial history.

“The British forcefully brought us together to form what is now called Nigeria. But that was exactly what the French, Portuguese, Belgians and the Spanish did in other African countries. That was also what the colonialists did in the Americas and many Asian states.

“Your favourite countries like the US and Canada were also products of the British, French and Spanish colonialism.

“The difference between them and us is that they are not stuck in blaming ‘their own colonial masters or blaming the condition of their births, they have learned to make use of their diversity and build their country for the future, despite all their challenges of nationhood,” Sani explained.