Nigerians in the diaspora have expressed optimism of a better future for Nigeria in spite of the myriad of challenges confronting the country.
Some of them told a Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Washington, D.C., that they were optimistic that the future had better things in stock for the country.
NAN reports that Amb. Hassan Mohammed, Ambassador/Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., hosted Nigerians to commemorate the 57th independence anniversary at the Nigerian Embassy.
Mr Samuel Adewusi, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), said Nigeria had reasons to celebrate its 57th independence anniversary.
“When you are doing your birthday, it helps you to actually look back at what you have done and then learn from your past mistakes and be able to move forward to the future.
“We hope that collectively, all of us Nigerians would be able to look at what we have done.
“What are our successes, our failures and how can we fix our failures and then work on our successes and repeat that and make sure we build a better tomorrow.
“All we want to do is Nigerians should be able to use their brains, be hopeful, thinking out of the box and then understanding that we have to work for the benefit of the majority of the people, not for few.
“The message we are sending back home is the message of hope, that amidst of everything that we have seen so far, that it is possible, actually we are sure that there would be a better Nigeria tomorrow,” he said.
He said every country, including the U.S., had its own challenges at some point but was able to think out of the box and worked for the betterment of their people.
“My memo is not to the leaders anymore because all of us are born leaders; if you are able to lead in your family, you have a family, you have children, you are able to lead them, you are a leader.
“The point is: how do we now transfer our individual leadership quality to the national level, doing good things, making sure we do good works, making sure we’re honest?
“How do we make sure we are disciplined, making sure we are looking for the interest of the other, that mindfulness of the other people?
“When we all collectively become leaders in that perspective, then we will see a better Nigeria,” he said.
Amb. Mohammed, in an interview with NAN, said Nigerians should be optimistic of a better tomorrow and stressed the need for all parts to be united to make one stronger country.
“For a country to move from zero to 57 years, there is something that is holding that country together.
“Nigeria is a great country, Nigeria is endowed with a lot of things. There are so many things that keep us together.
“The Nigerian immigrant community is one of the very important communities here. We have produced a lot of doctors, a lot of scientists, a lot of lawyers and we want them to get back home.
“It is not that they will leave this country but let them contribute and they are doing it because from what we heard today, it is very encouraging.
“They are doing a lot towards the development of that country. There is high degree of patriotism. Nigerians are now becoming aware that they need to cooperate with one another.
“They live well within their community in the United States and also extend hands of assistance to their communities in Nigeria.”
Also speaking with NAN, Miss Bilikisu Hamidu, a student of Pooleville High School, Maryland, advised the Nigerian youths to reach out for more opportunities.
“I would like to see us reaching out for more opportunities; there are opportunities out there for youth; if we take advantage of the talents that we have, Nigeria will be a better country.
“My message to Nigerians is that of unity; the world is becoming more polarised and people are looking for reasons to be offended, looking for reasons to divide us.
“We should be looking for reasons to embrace ourselves more, be more united and forget the kittle thing that make us different because we are more similar,” she said.