And so...

Naija is 50. There's not much more to it other than that fact. Actually, I lie - there's more to it. In the larger scheme of things the phrase 'epic fail' aptly describes the country today. If Naija were a software project we'll say she's violated in every way the concepts of KISS and DRY. Instead of test or behaviour driven development she's gone the route of faith driven development. Given the opportunity to put to use some of the finest principles of OOP (given it's differs cultural and ethic heritage) she's blindly opted for functional progamming from the center. She's also become a land where form never follows function - merit never determines opportunity and responsibility is as foreign a concept as snow in Jos (theoretically possible but extremely rare).

But she's 50 and we'll celebrate that. We'll celebrate because, perhaps, of its people and their rich cultural heritage. We'll celebrate because, despite 50 years of some of the worst governance man will ever experience and the saddiest degree of acquiescence our planet may yet see, the people haven't given up hope. We'll celebrate because whatever the country is today, good or bad, is the result of the collective will of the people - unfortunately that's me and... you. I know the military coups are a better excuse for our conditons but at 50 we should not better. We'll celebrate because Naija is the one entity we can truly call home and because, despite the best efforts of our colonial masters, we are still 'one indivisible nation under God'.

Naija is like an open source project whose final delivery was Windows Me. Seriously, how to move forward from that kind of position in an open and free manner is an act that's not yet been pulled off. But we are Nigerians, and if anybody can pull it off perhaps it's us. Perhaps, that's why we celebrate - because we've not gone the route that our conditions would warrant, because our very continued existence in our decadent social and economic structure is testament to the hideous miracle that we have fast become.

Here's one good enough reason to celebrate though. To paraphrase the words of Paul "everyman has been placed at a place for an appointed time and reason". Nigeria was that place for the first 25-ish years of my life. It looks like it would be that place for the bulk of my years here on earth - and I plan to be around for a long time. So today's an opportunity to celebrate the opportunity to be part of the gift that's my home - cos regardless of how torn and worn she may be, she's mine.

But its going to be a sober celebration alright