Every Independence Day anniversary is a great time to be a Nigerian patriot. It’s a public holiday time to reflect on all the giant strides Nigeria has made in science and technology, power, oil and gas, education, health, security and justice reform, sports, social investment and poverty alleviation.
Nigeria is a land flowing with milk and honey and it deserves to be celebrated for 62 long years of killing it.
As a patriot, here’s a list of things you can do to have a memorable day on October 1st.
Watch Buhari read stuff from a teleprompter
It’s not an Independence Day celebration if the president doesn’t read a boring, pre-recorded speech about the country’s achievements into a camera for Nigerians to watch.
As a patriot, this is the perfect way to start your day because it’s scheduled for 7 a.m. Nothing like a pre-recorded statement from Buhari to kick your patriotic day off to an exciting start.
Sing the national anthem at the top of your voice
When was the last time you sang the national anthem with gusto? The assembly ground in secondary school?
As a patriot, you should be ashamed of yourself if it’s been that long. But don’t be too downcast, because Independence Day is the perfect time to reconnect with your passion.
It’s even more perfect that Buhari’s speech starts and ends with the national anthem. Stand tall and sing the national anthem at the top of your voice. Adele has nothing on you.
Buy some cake
Independence Day is a birthday for the country, which means it’s your second birthday as a patriot, or third birthday if you also live a fake life.
Since the national cake won’t get to you in time, you can get some for yourself. Order a birthday cake from your local baker and binge on it all day in appreciation of a thriving country.
Host an Independence Day party
What’s a celebration without a party? You’re Nigerian after all and every opportunity to throw an owambe party can’t be wasted. Invite your family and friends to a small get-together to eat, drink and talk about how great it is to be Nigerian and how we have the best jollof rice.
Remember not to invite those Nigerians who want to japa and abandon the country because they’re not satisfied with the skyrocketing inflation and unemployment rates.
Flaunt your green-white-green
How else will everyone and their grandparent know you’re a patriot if you don’t show it off? This isn’t the kind of relationship you soft-launch on your Instagram’s “close friends”. The world needs to know you’re committed to this relationship and what better way to do it than to show off your national colours?
This guy gets it
Ask everyone in your family to do the same because teamwork makes the dream work.
Grab a history book or two
As a patriot, it’s important to know one or two things about your country. And since the government is denying you close marking with history in schools, it’s important you seek out knowledge about your beloved country. Maybe you can find one or two disgusting genocides and a pattern of behaviour keeping the country from becoming Wakanda inside these books.
You can read one or two books about Nigerian history before your party so you can kill it when the trivia game starts.
Join a political parade
Elections are coming up and political parades are the new assembly grounds for patriots of like-minds to congregate. You can go online to find which one you want to go to and how that helps you and the people around you make the best choice when Nigerians elect a new set of leaders in 2023.
Random acts of kindness
Nigeria is hard just a little bit and as a patriot, you can’t let this be your country’s domineering narrative. Squeeze urgent ₦2k into as many hands as you can afford.
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