CITIZENSHIP, FREEDOM AND VIGILANCE

Being the Text of the 2026 Independence Day Broadcast by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, on Thursday, October 1, 2026

1. Today we begin on a note of profound gratitude to the Almighty God for the privilege of witnessing another significant day in the annals of our history. I congratulate all of us on the joy that comes with freedom, which the first day of October represents for millions of Nigerians since 1960. We take great pride in our rich history on this blessed morning when we pay homage to the men and women who championed the course of our independence. The demand for self-governance from the colonial authorities was driven by the political elites of the day, but it was the support and commitment of the ordinary people that gave the struggle its truest legitimacy. It is therefore fitting that on this remarkable day, the anniversary of the beginning of indigenous rule in Nigeria, we spare a moment in reflection for the dreams and expectations that inspired the push for self-rule by our founding fathers and their compatriots. Agreed that we may not have reached the lofty heights they envisioned as they took to the floor of the parliament, classrooms, editorial pages and the streets of our urban centres with the single message of freedom, it is also not fair to suggest that the post-independence years have been without some measure of success. Yes, we may not have done as well as one could have wished on several critical development frontlines, but evidently, there are some remarkable achievements that we can take pride in; the more important reality is that even amidst the frustrations of the hour, our beautiful country can still rediscover the genius that made us world-beaters in the early years of our national expression.
2. The perennial struggles with basic infrastructure, poverty, unemployment, low factor utilisation, limited access to education and healthcare, and insecurity, especially in the last 2 decades, should be a source of concern for every patriotic Nigerian for the reason that several less-endowed nations have achieved far-superior results on these fronts. The agony of seeing millions of young people helplessly abandon the homeland in pursuit of opportunities for self-fulfilment in remote corners of the earth does not tell a good story of our progress after 66 long years of independence, hundreds of billions of dollars in national earnings, and the extensive blessings of prodigious human talent. Obviously, there are grounds for disaffection, but disappointment need not lead to despair. If there is one thing that stands us apart as a community of people, it is our optimistic outlook to life; therefore, we are wired to rise above and beyond the intimidation of temporary circumstances and setbacks. In addition to the gift of hope for a better tomorrow, today would be a good time to ask a few soul-searching questions of ourselves to identify what we may have missed in the quest for true economic and political sovereignty.
3. It is easy to blame someone else, point fingers at others, and make accusations, but if there is one thing we have learnt in the years following October 1, 1960, it is the unassailable truth that we cannot make progress by excluding ourselves from important conversations of national development. If then we wish to see a different outcome, the first order of duty would be to accept that we are all stakeholders in the Nigerian project; it does not matter what you do, your nativity, political affiliation or religious profession; everyone of us has a role to play in the reset of our national trajectory. As earlier stated, we may have multiple points of genuine grievances, but in the final analysis, when frustrations are not rightly channelled into efforts at finding solutions, things would continue to deteriorate, as we have seen in multiple instances. The real act of courage, therefore, is not to take up arms against equally hapless compatriots, resort to endless criticisms, or perhaps resign to indifference; the patriotic thing to do is to boldly confront the situation headlong using every legitimate tool available to us, refusing any temptation to surrender until we achieve the outcomes that we seek. The interesting reality is that the demands of nation-building may not be as complex as some of us imagine; it may be surprising to learn that we can significantly move the needle through simple patriotic acts like voting in elections, adding our voices to social and political conversations of the day, setting the agenda of governance, paying our taxes, obeying traffic rules, and refusing to litter the streets or play truancy at work. The country of our dreams can be built by rejecting the gains of dishonest endeavours, being diligent in our work, and paying the price of excellence in whatever we commit to. Mediocrity, greed, nepotism, clannishness, and disregard for basic rules of decency cannot open the pathway to our progress, for these are the principal drivers of corruption, institutional inefficiency, and the strings of failures that have largely beleaguered our ascent on the development ladder.
4. On this day of the anniversary of our independence, let us make a collective resolve to embrace the duties of citizenship, for it is in doing what we must as true citizens and patriots that the dreams of our parents who stood defiantly against the superior firepower of the colonial authorities can be actualised. In committing to the demands of citizenship which had been in short supply in our current evolution, we validate the conviction of the men and women who insisted that we are not an inferior race and should therefore not remain perpetually bound to the dictates of foreign administrators. It has to be admitted that a lot has gone wrong in the decades that followed the actualisation of self-governance, including an unfortunate civil war that cost millions of lives; our country has also suffered the misery of multiple military incursions in our political system and the tragedy of mismanaged elections, amongst other disheartening developments which threw up political office holders that are not aligned to the aspirations that informed the struggle for independence.
5. To our credit, however, the country has remained on the democratic course in the last 27 years; that in itself is not a small feat considering the anxiety and setbacks of the early years. The superior appeal of democracy is the freedom it offers ordinary men and women to have a direct say in who governs them. We are therefore invited to take advantage of the multitude of rights that the democratic system of government confers on us to lead a direct push for accelerated national development. Our primary responsibility in this regard is to shake off the empty comfort of political lethargy by insisting that only the best amongst us shall lead us,s for you cannot get it right on development when you compromise on leadership. The philosophy of hiring the best hands for the job should apply to every public position in contest. May I remind us that the pursuit of progress shall remain an illusion if the majority of us continue to stay away from the ballot, sell our votes, or vote on primordial sentiments. Ultimately, what becomes of Nigeria in the next 66 years will be up to us, as expressed in the decisions we make every day and periodically when we vote to elect leaders. The fact is that we have the potential to be a truly great nation; the other truth, which perhaps is our lived experience, is that potential, in itself, is not enough to turn things around; everyone, including you and I, must be prepared to put in the work.
6. On this day, I salute the brave efforts of our security agents fighting the menace of insecurity on different battle fronts. Thank you for your sacrifices and the enduring commitment to the unity and stability of our country. May I also salute the teachers, health workers, civil servants, artisans, traders, and millions of other Nigerians in multiple professions and trades. Thank you for applying your talent and energy to the task of nation-building. Words of praise are also due to the artists, sportspeople, diplomats, scientists and the men and women who showcase the marvel of our cultural and intellectual heritage to the world. I would also like to acknowledge the vast contributions of our entrepreneurs, manufacturers, farmers and others whose creative ingenuity and efforts drive our economic realities. Thank you for harnessing the resources of our land to create jobs for our people and expand the size of our GDP; you are the true role models and envoys of Nigeria’s infinite span of possibilities. To every other person or group diligently striving to build something for themselves and their families, not minding the resistance, we bring you our collective gratitude. The message that I leave you with remains what it has always been: do not give up; keep pushing and never surrender to the vicissitudes of the time; it is in staying firm and unyielding that we win.
7. To my brothers and sisters, ndi Abia, may I thank you especially for the unshakable faith in our country even amidst difficult historical experiences. Thank you for your resolute support for the administration. May I also use this auspicious occasion to restate our commitment to the rapid socioeconomic transformation of the State. Together, we shall build systems and institutions that answer to our development aspirations; your security and welfare, as the Constitution stipulated, shall remain our foremost priority, and as an integral part of the Nigerian community, we shall do our best to actualise the dreams that stirred in the hearts of our fathers, the patriotic zeal for the pursuit of freedom and national sovereignty. Let me now conclude by reminding us that the fruits of yesterday’s struggles can only be sustained by the collective vigilance of our generation and those coming after us. We are therefore invited to take nothing for granted, for when we do, we unwittingly open the gates for the enemies of freedom to jump in and steal that which we cherish the most.
8. Thank you for listening, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.