30/09/2026
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
01 October 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria at 66: Independence Is a Responsibility- MPAC Calls for Renewed Commitment to Justice, Accountability and Equal Citizenship
Today, Nigeria marks 66 years since the colonial flag came down in 1960. The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Nigeria congratulates Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, and asks the question this anniversary must force us all to answer: What does independence mean to the ordinary Nigerian today?
A flag raised is not the measure of freedom. The measure is whether a citizen can live with dignity, security, justice and opportunity.
That dignity is only possible when Nigeria's sovereignty is treated by our political leaders as sacrosanct. True independence demands that we remove all vestiges of colonialism and imperialism from governance- from our laws and institutions, to our economic arrangements and foreign policy that must put Nigeria and Nigerians first.
A truly independent Nigeria is one where the law protects the weak as firmly as it restrains the powerful. It is one where a person's faith never determines the quality of justice they receive, where poverty is not a permanent inheritance, and where young Nigerians can build a future at home instead of searching for one abroad.
Nigeria has made progress, and we acknowledge it. But we must be honest about the distance between the country we were promised, the country we have, and the country we owe one another. We cannot celebrate independence while millions struggle to afford basic necessities of life.
We cannot speak of unity while distrust, religious suspicion, ethnic division and political exclusion erode our social fabric. We cannot claim freedom where citizens are afraid to speak, institutions struggle to earn public confidence, and accountability is treated as an inconvenience rather than a constitutional duty. And we cannot build prosperity while a generation of young people is left with unemployment, frustration and fading hope.
Nigeria does not lack potential. It lacks enough courage, discipline and leadership to turn that potential into progress.
What we call for
Government: to deliver on the core duties of the state- security, justice, economic opportunity, quality education, healthcare, infrastructure and transparent governance- and to defend Nigeria's sovereignty as sacrosanct, rejecting any arrangement that undermines our self-determination.
Citizens: to reject indifference, resist hatred and misinformation, demand accountability through lawful and democratic means, and refuse to let political, ethnic or religious differences destroy our shared humanity.
Political, religious and community leaders, the media and the private sector: to move beyond the annual ritual of celebration and commit to the harder work of nation-building.
Muslims in Nigeria: our commitment to this country is rooted in justice, integrity, compassion, responsibility and peaceful coexistence. Our faith does not excuse us from national development. It demands that we contribute to it with excellence and conscience.
Nigeria's diversity should not be a permanent fault line. It is one of our greatest national assets. Our differences in faith, ethnicity, language and culture should never stop us from agreeing on what matters to us as people of shared destiny: human dignity, justice, security, equal citizenship, and the right of every Nigerian to live a meaningful life.
The Nigeria of tomorrow will not be built by slogans. It will be built by institutions that work, leaders who are accountable, citizens who are responsible, and a society that refuses to normalise injustice. Independence is not the destination. It is a responsibility.
At 66, Nigeria deserves more than congratulations. It deserves our commitment.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria.
-END-
Disu Kamor
Executive Chairman
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria
[email protected] | www.mpac-ng.org
