As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2026, the Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG) felicitates with Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora while calling on governments at all levels to confront the grave challenges confronting citizens with greater urgency, compassion and decisive leadership.
Independence Day is traditionally a moment of celebration, but it must also be a moment of sober reflection.
Sixty-six years after Nigeria attained independence, millions of our citizens are still struggling with realities that should command the attention of every level of government: insecurity, flooding, displacement, poverty, unemployment, rising living costs, damaged infrastructure and the uncertainty that these challenges impose on families and communities.
For many Nigerians, there is little room for celebration when the safety of their lives and property remains uncertain.
Across Nigeria, communities continue to contend with banditry, kidnapping and armed attacks.
Recent security reporting recorded hundreds of incidents across the country, with Zamfara, Niger, Kano and Sokoto among the states recording the highest numbers, while Borno continues to face a serious insurgency challenge.
The recent situation in Borgu, Niger State, where nearly 700 people were reportedly abducted in coordinated attacks and families subsequently protested for the release of their loved ones, is a painful reminder that insecurity is not an abstract statistic.
Behind every kidnapping figure is a father, mother, child, student, farmer, trader or community whose life has been disrupted.
Similarly, the flood situation across the country demands urgent and sustained attention.
From Cross River, Ebonyi, Anambra and Benue to Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Kogi, Edo and Taraba, communities have faced significant flood risks and, in several locations, damaging flooding. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency recently identified 15 states at high risk of riverine flooding, with thousands of communities and thousands of schools exposed.
As of September 30, reports indicate that flooding has already killed residents, displaced families, submerged homes, destroyed roads and other infrastructure, and disrupted economic activities in different parts of the country.
These are not merely environmental or security statistics.
They are Nigerian lives.
They are farmers losing their harvests, traders losing their businesses, children unable to attend school, families forced from their homes, communities cut off by destroyed roads and bridges, and parents living every day with the fear that their loved ones may become victims of violence or kidnapping.
This is why GOMEP-NG believes that this year’s Independence anniversary must go beyond speeches, ceremonies and the flying of the national flag.
Nigeria needs leadership that responds to the realities of its people.
We therefore call on the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Government Authorities to strengthen collaboration and take practical, measurable and sustained action against insecurity and flooding.
On security, government must continue to strengthen intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, community-based security mechanisms and the capacity of security agencies to prevent attacks before they occur. Communities affected by terrorism, banditry and kidnapping must not be left to endure prolonged fear before meaningful intervention arrives.
We equally urge government to give greater attention to the welfare, equipment, training and operational capacity of security personnel who risk their lives protecting citizens.
On flooding, government must move beyond seasonal warnings to permanent and preventive solutions.
Early warning systems must be matched with early action. Vulnerable communities should be identified and supported before disaster strikes. Drainage systems, flood-control infrastructure, river monitoring, emergency shelters and evacuation mechanisms must receive sustained attention.
The recurring destruction of homes, roads, bridges, farms, schools and businesses should compel governments to invest more seriously in disaster preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure.
We commend the efforts of agencies such as NEMA, NiHSA and other emergency response institutions, but the scale of the challenge requires stronger coordination among federal, state and local authorities. Recent NEMA warnings have highlighted the enormous number of communities exposed to flood risks across Nigeria.
GOMEP-NG also calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of disaster relief funds and interventions. Nigerians affected by floods and insecurity deserve to know that assistance meant for them actually reaches them.
As online media publishers and editors, we recognise that we too have a responsibility.
At a time when fear can easily be amplified by unverified information, the media must not become another source of panic. We must verify before publishing, report responsibly, protect vulnerable victims and reject the deliberate spread of misinformation, hate speech and inciting content.
But responsible journalism must not mean silence.
The media must speak when citizens are suffering.
We must ask difficult questions. We must document what is happening in our communities. We must hold institutions accountable. We must amplify the voices of victims and ensure that the plight of citizens does not disappear from public attention after the news cycle has moved on.
Independence is not only about the freedom achieved in 1960.
It is also about the freedom to live without fear.
The freedom to travel safely.
The freedom to farm without being attacked.
The freedom to send children to school without fear.
The freedom to sleep peacefully in one’s home.
The freedom to build a business without losing everything to disaster.
The freedom to hope.
That is the Nigeria our independence should continually lead us towards.
GOMEP-NG therefore urges Nigerians not to lose faith in the country despite the difficulties of the moment. Nigeria has survived difficult chapters before, and the resilience of its people remains one of its greatest strengths.
But resilience should never become an excuse for inadequate leadership.
Citizens can be resilient, but government must be responsible.
As we celebrate 66 years of nationhood, we urge our leaders to listen more closely to the cries of ordinary Nigerians and to demonstrate leadership not only in moments of crisis, but also in preventing those crises from becoming recurring tragedies.
Let this Independence Day be a renewed commitment to building a Nigeria where government is closer to the people, where security is treated as a fundamental responsibility, where disasters are anticipated rather than merely responded to, and where every Nigerian—regardless of region, religion, ethnicity or social status—can live with dignity and hope.
The Nigerian story is unfinished.
The responsibility to write a better chapter belongs to all of us.
On behalf of the leadership and entire membership of the Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG), we wish Nigerians a peaceful and reflective 66th Independence Anniversary.
May the sacrifices of those who fought for Nigeria’s independence continue to inspire us to build a nation worthy of their dreams.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
Tochukwu Eluwa
National Publicity Secretary
Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG)
30/9/2026
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