Biodun Osinobosi, Convener of Prosperous Naija I See, has urged Nigerians to look beyond the country’s challenges and ask what they can personally do to make Nigeria better. Osinobosi made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the finale of the Prosperous Naija I See Independence Countdown, held ahead of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.Speaking at the event, he said the campaign was built on the idea that the way people see their country can shape what they eventually build. For several days, the organisers used a house as a metaphor for Nigeria, taking participants through the process of laying a foundation, raising pillars, fixing leakages, installing systems, roofing and thinking about how to keep the structure standing. But for Osinobosi, the real focus was never the house itself. “The house itself is not prosperity. The people inside it are,” he said.He said Nigeria’s progress should be acknowledged where there is evidence of it, while the problems that continue to affect citizens should not be ignored.Osinobosi pointed to the country’s 4.43 per cent real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 3.89 per cent in the first quarter, as well as the moderation of headline inflation to 15.39 per cent in August. He also noted that food inflation remained at 19.57 per cent, saying economic gains would mean little if they were not eventually felt by people in their everyday lives. “The macros are not the destination. The macros must eventually manifest in the micros,” he said.For him, that means economic growth should lead to more jobs, better purchasing power and improved opportunities, while challenges around food prices, security, infrastructure, healthcare and education still need attention. But Osinobosi did not put the responsibility entirely on government.He pointed to the everyday contributions of employees, teachers, civil servants, professionals, artisans, students, entrepreneurs and others, arguing that nation-building is not only about becoming a business owner or a prominent public figure. “Everybody cannot be Dangote. Everybody will not be an entrepreneur. And everybody does not need to be,” he said.He encouraged Nigerians to instead ask themselves a simpler question: What value am I adding where I am? That message formed the basis of the campaign’s “LET’S BAT UP” call to action — Be Actively Transformative, Be Actively Thriving, Be Actively Tenacious, Be Actively Thoughtful and Be Actively Productive.The finale also featured the unveiling of the Prosperous Mind Drill, a symbolic 37-room house representing Nigeria’s different cultures, languages, resources and strengths. In another key part of the celebration, 66 Prosperity Vouchers worth ₦100,000 each will be presented to nominated beneficiaries to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary. Osinobosi said the initiative was not meant to solve every problem facing the country, but to give people an opportunity to take something useful and turn it into something more. As the Independence countdown drew to an end, his message was that celebrating Nigeria should also come with a willingness to contribute to its future. “Let us turn the Nigeria we see into the Nigeria we live,” he said. Prosperous Nigerians. Prosperous Naija.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
