#NigeriaAt59: Its not too late for us to be great – Miss Nigeria, Leilani Aaron

Chidinma Leilani Aaron, the 42nd Miss Nigeria has said it’s not too late for ‘us’ to be great as the country celebrates its 59th Independence anniversary today, October 1st 2019.

According to her, ‘Dear Nigerians, I wish to use this medium to wish every one of us a happy Independence Day. Indeed, it is a new dawn; a new month. Let us move forward into this new year with a renewed sense of commitment and involvement in nation-building’.

‘We the Nigerian youths, especially, need to be more deliberate and strategic in involving ourselves in organized efforts aimed at improving the state of our nation.

Nigeria needs to see and feel our positive impact in area such as politics, commerce, technology and more. Not just as consumers but, essentially, as headliners; change makers proffering solutions and actively working towards improving the state of the country as we see it now.

We need to reduce the crowd clamoring around entertainment; parading with certificates in file jackets along our streets; staring into the computers, telling long tales to unsuspecting foreigners; heading to social media to click the day away and let’s not forget the dreaded group that waits four years to aid in the disruption of election.

This season should see the end of the “lazy Nigerian youth”. Nigeria and her youth, look! Many of us (youths) are walking the talk already. You can find us in the construction sector, Sujimoto; the fashion sector, Ode luxury – Research! Education, oil and gas, technology, skincare, L’avyanna. Go see for yourself. It’s time to pick up relevant books and study. “The Richest Man in Babylon”; that should interest you. “The Secret”, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. I can’t overemphasize the need to develop a healthy reading culture.

The pursuit of personal development should make the top spot on our list of needs. It is not to late for us to know ourselves.To do this, we need to be closer to our God as individuals for then we will see the light. We need to be more spiritual than religious. For then we will walk in love and be friendly and more tolerant towards our neighbor(s) and for some of us, even towards our “family”. We ideally do not need to tolerate each other, we should love each other.

We need to decide today to seek deliberate change. First, for ourselves and then maybe next year, for our country. No greet thing just starts out great. They start small first. There is a natural process. The tree has to start from the seed. You are the seed; we are the seed. Sustainable change starts with you and I.

Will you join me? We are the giant of Africa. This is true. Many of us just can not see it. We need light ( theoretically and literally. Lol); we need all the light we can get. We need your unique gifts to come to light. No. Not the one you are only doing for the money.

Nigeria needs you to believe in yourself. Do you still know who you are? You are the giant of Africa. You’re a Nigerian. Believe it. It’s true. Nigeria needs you to know this. Meditate on this. I’ll drop my “golden pen” here, else this will turn into a book.

Happy Independence Day Nigerians, the Giants of Africa.