Emeritus Professor Godwin Sogolo celebrated his 80th birthday on January 4, 2026, with a profound reflection on life's joys and Nigeria's numerous challenges. Despite personal and national adversities, he found reasons to remain joyful and optimistic.
Personal Struggles and Resilience
Professor Sogolo recounted his early life experiences, describing himself as naive and often bullied by peers. He noted that his poor family background made him less assertive, leading to intellectual bullying even in his professional career. At his birthday celebration, a friend joked about the lack of record of his exact birth date, but Sogolo joined in the laughter, determined not to let discomfort diminish the occasion's joy.
Economic Hardships Facing Nigerians
Arriving at the celebration, Sogolo faced the harsh reality of fuel subsidy removal under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, with the cost of filling his car tank rising from N80,000 to N120,000. Despite this irritation, the joy of reaching 80 in good health remained undiminished. However, he noted that many invited guests could not attend due to overwhelming economic hardships. Those who came shared stories of workers whose salaries could not sustain them, artisans unable to afford transportation, entrepreneurs driven out of business, tenants struggling with rent, parents unable to pay school fees, and nearly all struggling to feed their families.
The Mortgaged Future of Nigeria
Professor Sogolo expressed deep concern over the forward sale of Nigeria's oil reserves, reportedly sold for up to 20 years in advance to secure short-term liquidity. He warned that this effectively mortgages the nation's future, with grave fears that the funds may have been stolen or misappropriated. For ordinary citizens, this means a substantial portion of crude oil production has been pre-sold, drawing from reserves in the Niger Delta, including Isokoland.
Political Landscape and Judicial Corruption
Reflecting on politics, Sogolo described the current Nigerian political landscape as bizarre, with massive defections to a single party driven by motives rather than common interests. He cited Adams Oshiomhole's plain language about what defection to the All Progressives Congress entails. The ugliest aspect, he said, is the conduct of elections and judicial adjudication of disputes. The judiciary is widely perceived to operate on a cash-and-carry basis, with foreign currencies highly valued. He noted that for judicial workers, election periods are like harvest seasons, with Senior Advocates of Nigeria and Supreme Court Justices becoming ultimate arbiters of election outcomes. This corruption extends to religious institutions, universities, civil service, private sector, artisans, and markets.
Insecurity and Hope for the Future
As the celebration ended, Sogolo considered the issue of insecurity. Unlike the past, people no longer dare to travel long distances by road due to bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, and terrorists. Despite these adversities, he has not allowed pessimism to intrude. He is encouraged by young Nigerians full of hope and reassured by God's blessings on the nation and himself. Quoting an African adage, 'It is the living who experience hardship and hunger,' he affirmed that the beauty of life at 80 remains undiminished.
Professor Godwin Sogolo, who turned 80 on January 4, 2026, is an Emeritus Professor who has taught and conducted research in Philosophy for over five decades at the University of Ibadan and the National Open University of Nigeria. He also served on the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspapers in the 1980s and 1990s.
