What does Independence Day mean to you?

Fatima Ahmed, 11 Primary 6, Gombe State
It is Nigeria’s birthday. It is a day we celebrate how great Nigeria is and how far the country has come over the years. We celebrate Independence Day by going to the park and having a picnic and we also make cookies that look like the Nigerian flag, in green and white.

Josef Kurz, 9, Grade 5, Abuja
Independence Day for me means that we are one country, one nation and one Nigeria. It also means that we are free from British rule. We struggled so much to be free. Even though many Nigerians nowadays complain of hardships and tough times, I pray that we will be free from all these worries and that there will be more infrastructures and facilities to make our lives easier and better in Nigeria. I have hope that Nigeria will rise again and be great!
 

Mustapha Nasir El-Rufa’i, 9 Primary 5, Kaduna State
Independence Day is to me the year my father was born and the year when Nigeria gained freedom and I am happy we are no longer under the British government. We are on our own. This year I am going to go with my dad to an Independence Day parade in Kaduna.

Metu Okeke, 8, Basic 4, Lagos
Independence Day means the day Nigeria got her freedom from the British. It also means the day my country celebrates her birthday. After going through my history book with my teacher, I know how the Colonial masters came to Nigeria and took our forefathers away as slaves. I am happy that my country is free and that I am free too. I also hope other children like me in Maiduguri and other countries in the world like Syria can be free too and not suffer like the way I see them on television. I pray that we will stop suffering for money and that my parents can help me buy the things I need, easily.