Were I in Bola Tinubu’s shoes I would declare September 29 Nigerian National Futuristic Day and offer tax-free concessions to investors on this date every year

Ayo Akinfe

[1] On September 20, a lot has happened over the centuries. Men and women of unbelievable courage did the unthinkable on this day, changing our world forever. For the world's largest black nation to join the ranks of humanity's greats, we simply need to start thinking similarly.

[2] Nigeria needs to comes up with a formula to travel at the speed of light, cure cancer and discover species on other planets. How about we invite the world’s inventors to launch audacious programmes in Nigeria every September 30 with automatic guarantees of government funding

[3] Do you know that on September 20 1519, a Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set off on the first successful circumnavigation of the globe. Before then, everyone thought the world was flat but these guys decided to disprove that theory. Magellan died on route but they made it back and after then, it was accepted that the earth was round

[4] It was on September 20 1854 that the Battle of the Alma, the first major battle of Crimean War took place as the British and French alliance defeated the Russians. As a result of the casualties of that war, a lady called Florence Nightingale decided to help the doctors. She then went on to found the profession of nursing which has established itself in every nook and cranny of the world today. Can you imagine a world without nurses today?

[5] On September 20, 1870 Rome was captured by the Italian army, leading to Pope Pius IX surrendering to King Victor Emmanuel which unified Italy and ended the 1,116 year reign of Papal States. That basically brought about the end of theocracy in Europe

[6] On September 20 1893, the first gasoline-powered car debuted in Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, we take petrol-powered cars for granted but it took someone with guts to launch the initiative

[7] It was on September 20 1909 that the British Parliament passed the South Africa Act. It called for a union of Cape Colony, Natal, Orange River Colony and Transvaal and the adoption of both English and Dutch as official languages. That was the genesis of Apartheid as the was no provision of Africans in this act. So, when we condemn our brethren for their mindless xenophobic attacks, we need to understand that it is borne of ignorance. They do not know who their real enemies are

[8] On September 20 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began a hunger strike against the treatment of untouchables. Maybe if he had adopted a similar stance against the treatment of blacks in South Africa when he was there, apartheid and racism would have been dealt a major blow. Gandhi opposed any form of discrimination against Indians but this did not extend to the African Kaffir

[9] It will shock you to know that on September 20 1951, Swiss males voted against female suffrage. Also, on September 20 1963, President John F Kennedy proposed a joint US-Soviet voyage to the moon. Today, we take moon travel for granted

[10] I look forward to the day when I will travel from Aba to Lagos on a high speed train, arriving within two hours. I look forward to the day when I will live in Ijebu Ode and work in Ibadan and be able to travel to work in an hour, or the day when we build an artificial moon in Abakaliki that acts as street lights in Afikpo. Who here would not like to be able to travel by a high speed river boat from Lokoja to Kaduna in under two hours?