January 1, 2014 marks the centenary of the amalgamation of southern and northern Nigeria but the anniversary looks set to be muted, amid lingering questions about whether the union can hold. In the run-up to the landmark, opinion is split between those who think amalgamation has been a boon and others who consider it the first step in the creation of a still-failing state. Writer Adewale Maja-Pearce described Africa's most populous nation as one "imposed by the colonialists who dreamt up the fiction which has now become the nightmare we are all struggling to escape". Nigeria's first step towards independence in 1960 was taken on New Year's Day 1914 at a ceremony outside a courthouse in the southern city of Lagos.
Congratulations to our great country Nigeria. We know things can be better than they are now so we hope that will happen someday!