I THINK NIGERIA NEEDS A 'REVOLUTION'

Sunday, January 20, 2008

That got your attention didn't it? I bet it did. You saw the words 'Nigeria' and 'Revolution' in the same sentence and you couldn't resist. I don't blame you. Considering the uncertainty and the frustration many feel, I wouldn't be surprised if some part of your consciousness lit up at the possibility of such a thing happening in Nigeria.

http://greencanada.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/revolution.jpg

DON'T EXPECT ANY VIOLENCE IN PROTEST...
But, let's get one thing straight. It won't happen. That's right, there will be no rioting on the streets, no attacks on government motorcades, no mothers stripping themselves naked in protest. Nothing will happen in Nigeria. You know why? Because Nigerians know how effective violence is and they don't want to use it as a tool of change. If you are asking how, why or when, then the answer to your pop quiz is Biafra and considering the dangerous brimstone that 'BIAFRA' and 'BIAFRA CONTINUED..." generated, I warn you to educate yourself about Nigeria's Civil War with an open mind and remember that we still are ALL Nigerians.

Back to the issue under consideration, if Biafra did not cull the use of violence, then I daresay that the recent unnecessary deaths and tribal killings in Kenya have acted as a dampner on the Nigerian psyche, by reinforcing the possibility of such chaos but probably on a larger scale if such were ever to happen.

A LA "GANDHI, MARTIN LUTHER KING AND OTHER GREAT MINDS."
For disclosure's sake, let it be known that I subscribe to the philosophy of non-violent protest as prescribed by Gandhi, Martin Luther King and other great minds. Nonetheless, I still think Nigeria needs a revolution. The issue becomes what sort of revolution does the nation need. I can emphatically say that Nigeria does not need a violent revolution. I don't even think people should riot. My reason for this is that I believe that while protests can degenerate very quickly into uncontrolled violence. Once violence loses it's focus, as it is wont to do, it loses its potency. The result is an uncontrolled rage that causes intelligent people to forget their initial motivation and turns neighbor against neighbor. If violence could be used with laser guided precision to effect change, I would be all for it. But, unfortunately, I am no longer dreaming of the utopia I frequently revisit in my sleep.

So, all that being said, I am still left with determining the form of protest that best qualifies my kind of revolution. I won't lie, I have been thinking about this for a while and believe that in this day and age, there are better ways to get one's point across to the 'powers that be'. However, all the suggestions I have would likely cause additional chaos in Nigeria and in my scenario, would lead to bloodshed - the one thing I want to avoid at all costs. Thus, I am back to 'square one'. What would a bloodless, Nigerian revolution look like?

A NIGERIAN REVOLUTION
A bloodless Nigerian revolution would be one that takes advantage of the people's strengths without resorting to violence. It would include schemes as simple as people leaving their trash at the residences of public officials. It would also employ more complex internet campaigns that rally Nigerians and non-Nigerians into forcing public officials to address citizen's concerns. Acts of 'rebellion', such as strikes by teachers, oil workers, taxi drivers, government employees and maybe even members of the armed forces would also be necessary.

Most importantly, the success of any revolution in Nigeria would hinge on the committed collaboration of all Nigerians regardless of their income, tribe or race. For too long, adverse interests have exploited the divisions that exist along tribal and religious lines. As a people we have always turned first to our tribe and religion than to our fellow Nigerians for protection. Although the differences between Nigeria's more than 250 tribes and various religious groups are clear, the fact remains that all Nigerians suffer from delayed development, corruption, lack of security and the other issues Nigerians confront daily. As such, only cooperation between all Nigerians will enable a chance to create change by forcing leaders to take account of the public interest and not their own personal pursuits.

Encouraging Nigerians that are doing good work would also be crucial. Leaders that have proven their worth to a majority of their constituents must be applauded and challenged to maintain their performance. By supporting such individuals or the organizations they work for, we, as a community, will be working hand in hand to produce a better country. Consequently, those elements that work against the common good must, over time, be deliberately isolated (without violence) from any positions that would give them unjust influence and the power to worsen the lives of Nigerians.

A bloodless Nigerian revolution would combine various strategic actions that weaken public officials and highlight the clear failures of government bureaucracy, while empowering citizens who can then reinforce their stance by voting at the ballot boxes in fraudulent free elections. Nigerians must begin to take non-violent steps to require that our leaders become servants of the people. By no means is this article supposed to represent the only way Nigerians can effect change. Instead, they are shared with the hope that others will raise their suggestions and ideas on how to achieve the change all well-intended Nigerians seek. So, let's get thinking and talking about how to effectuate a bloodless Nigerian revolution.

UPDATE:
For additional reading, check out the recent post at The Afro Beat and read the very poignant comments.

UPDATE 2:
There's a new Meme on blogville - 'My Nigerian Revolution' meme.
Read Omodudu's meme.

UPDATE 3:
I have posted a rejoinder to this post and the ensuing discussion it generated in Putting the Nigerian 'Revolution' in Context.


Further Reading
- BIAFRA
- BIAFRA CONTINUED...
- WALLOWING IN IGNORANCE by Chxta

AddThis Feed Button

35 Curiosities. Add Yours.:

Waffarian said...

Ah! we were just discussing this on "afrobeat"'s blog, my suggestion was a "million man" march, straight to Abuja. The only catch is, it will have to be from the "diaspora", I don't trust those ones at home....

Dojaa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

@ Waffy: Thanks so much for pointing out Afro Beat's similar post. I am off to find it and link to it. Thanks!

And I understand your frustration. But, we must remember that some of our people are doing the best that they can. If you spend your whole day focused on survival, then you will not have energy to 'fight the power', shebi? Besides, no 'revolution' will ever work without the force of Nigerians at home, oh. We just have to find a way to tap into the desire for change and empower ourselves to make the change we seek.

Thanks so much for starting the conversation!

@ Doja: You are right. Many of us do not believe that Nigeria can change or they do not believe that they as individuals can force change. We simply have to discourage this thinking. Not only should your mother sue FAAN and the airlines that kept her waiting, she should sue the federal government for failing to organize themselves and thus creating a potentially dangerous situation that could have cost lives and most definitely cost money. Then she should create an organization for the rights of air travelers. The rewards would not be immediate, but assuming no such group exists, she would be trailblazing the way in public interest groups.

Also, the National Assembly just gave the okay for average Nigerians to sue cell phone service providers. That, I think is a great step towards making service providers accountable to their customers and empowering Nigerians to fight for better treatment.

Nonetheless, I agree, "simple actions will and can bring about change." There is no doubt about that. We just have to figure out what those actions will look like so that if the time comes when Nigerians have had enough of the bad treatment, they can resort to non-violent means.

Thanks so much for your comment!

Porter deHarqourt said...

@Waffy...
...ur comment about not trusting "those at home" is as unfortunate as a former minister (Frank Nweke Jnr.) describing the 'Diaspora' as inconsequential.

@solomonsydelle...
...we still need to strenghten our institutions without necessarily building personality cults around the people in charge of these bodies. i think that's the only way to 'try' and do it with minimal violence.

guerreiranigeriana said...

haha..yep, the title got me!!...i was cheering and totally thrilled, ready to go get my boots and pack my bags...now, let me go read it for real...

Omodudu said...

Waffarian...you got it all wrong here, no revolution will happen from the diaspora.
A revolution need not be about displays of emitions and motives it could be in the mind. We have revolutions in Nigeria in the past, only they were motivated by the government... lol WAI...

guerreiranigeriana said...

hmmmnn...you are patient...i am a peaceful person by nature but i have a warrior spirit, albeit a little childish:)...currently, i teeter between freire/nkrumah and che tactics...it has been close to 50 years!!!...when the hell will things change, nonviolently?...those that try to do things the way they should be done, without corruption, get killed off by those intent on continuing with the status quo...i don't want to play nice with these selfish, greedy and murderous politicians...just as they have made it soooo uncomfortable for the common naija person to live, they too must feel the discomfort, to the point that they leave (since they have the money)...and then we exile them...

...i know it sounds crazy...but why not convince the armed robbers to terrorize the corrupt politicians, some of the very politiicans who armed them?...that will make life very uncomfortable...every time they leave home, they are attacked by armed robbers...when they stay home, they are attacked...police will be paid to arrive too late...they [politicians] get off too easy and they are the ones screwing the rest of the country...i'll go think and try to be a little less radical...but my patience is LOW!!!...the guerrilla/take it to the streets/civil unrest until we get justice fire is starting to really brew inside me...trying to channel it through some social program and artistic endeavors, but that will only work for so long, especially without drastic changes...

...thanks for bringing this up so we can start the much needed dialogue...you and afrobeat...

Waffarian said...

@porterdeharqort: Since I am not based there, I will be more likely to trust those that I know for sure burn for the cause. Most of the people that I know (that are honest and politically active) are not based in Nigeria.

Na my own truth be dat.

Marin said...

Solomonsydelle,

The only type of bloodless revolution that would work in my opinion is a revolution in the mind of Nigerians. Morally upright and law-abiding people have standards and expect the same from others. Disillusionment has become a way of life in Nigeria – a good name is not worth more than gold any more. A rich name is.

Sure, there are problems with our leaders, but our leaders are our friends, family members, neighbours etc. Many people expect change from others and do not realise that such must start from them. Anytime you go to that party or award ceremony for an undisciplined thief, you are contributing to the problem. Anytime you jump a queue, drive Lagos style etc, you are doing your own part to perpetuate the rot that is prevalent in our society. I have heard a grown-up seemingly upright person hoping for a ministerial appointment in the corrupt Obasanjo government – the way he said it “you never know, maybe God will raise me up and bless me” made it clear he was only thinking about his own piece of the action.
The last time I was at the redemption camp was almost 8 years ago now. They had barely said the last amen, people started driving madly out of the car parks, prayers and positive thoughts forgotten, it was like agbero united! The same thing happened in a KICC (London) car park, so its not just Nigerians in Nigeria. Sometimes I wonder if some DNA changes have not occured.

I think “our bellies are our gods” and I see that as the main problem and setback. Nobody wants to sacrifice anything for the greater good. Greater good ke?

If you find a way to work a revolution in the attitudes, hearts and minds of our people, I’ll be supporting you all the way.

For the love of me said...

what on earth happened to my comment solomonsydelle? and it was so long
@waffarian who are these people you know and what have they done so far, my previous comment said we have enough differences as Nigerians already: tribal, religious,class and now you are bringing up diasporal(whatever that means) differences? It is ONE Nigeria, and it will take all Nigerians to bring about a revolution, those at home or abroad. First though there must be a revolutionist.A Martin Luther, a Nelson Mandela, a Ken Saro wiwa, a william William wilberforce etc. Somebody must be ready to lead the people at whatever cost.

For the love of me said...

Are you? Am I? Is he/she?

TheAfroBeat said...

@ Solo, thanks for this thoughtful piece. We definitely need a revolution, and it's good to start thinking of practical ways in which it could take shape.

@ for the love, pls drop me his/her contact info once you find this revolutionist who isn't afraid to risk it all for a people who will (may, for some more optimistic folk) be too quick to forget.

Here's Ken Wiwa's response when asked about living up to his father's legacy: "As the first-born child of my father, I am responsible for everyone in my family, including my eight brothers and sisters, my grand parents and numerous relatives. My first priority is taking care of my family."

@ Marin, i believe a revolution of the mind is possible, and it would help to start by calling out those friends/family who partake in the spoils of corruption, via contracts, etc (lol, @ the person's comment about being "raised up"). It definitely wouldn't cost us TOO much to go out of our way to start with small changes in our lifestyles (e.g. bribery to speed things up, pass through check points, etc)(easy for me to say). But when there's such a widespread breakdown of the system and so many things that don't work, it's really hard to do this across the board. But you're right, it starts with me. I just struggle with my part vs the part of those elected/paid to do right by the people. If i spend my entire life TRYING to do right and yet those in power do absolutely nothing, and i don't hold them accountable, how much of a pat of the back can i really give myself?

Waffarian said...

@for the love of me: I am not bringing up a "difference", there is already a difference that is growing stronger everyday when compared to the common man in Nigeria. As Solomonsydelle rightly noted, how can I ask the common man to take to the streets when he has no food to eat? How do I tell him to pay for a ride to a demonstration location when he has no money for his children's school fees?

I will be more comfortable asking any other person whose belly is filled already, than asking one who is still fighting for survival and that is where the "diaspora" comes in. I totally agree with you that we should be "ONE NIGERIA" and that is why those of us that do not have to worry about our survival are using what we have to help our brothers and sisters even though we do not have to. That for me, is in the spirit of "ONE NIGERIA".

As for the people I know, they are of no consequence,(to talk true, na Solomsydelle and Omodudu I be wan name oh! plus some Ijaw militants wey I know from childhood), what matters is what they are willing to do for their country and how far they would be willing to go for the cause.

Waffarian said...

P.S: I know there are a lot of good people in Nigeria, working for the good of the nation. Una do well!

NneomaMD said...

i think where nigerians have revolutionised the most is in the private sector - independent of the government. they still have a long way to go, but nigerians in general are very resourceful with or without government aid. i think if the private sector continues in this trajectory, the government may one day follow. i have pretty much given up on the public sector on producing anything of worth and i am defintely for a revolution of nigeria that entails an expansion of our private sector. i mean wouldn't it be nice if we actually had a privatised electricity provider that could be held accoutable to the people (its clientele), or more privatised hospitals that provided quality treatment because the people refused to buy into large government hospitals, their bureaucracy and ineffectiveness. look at the many strides private universities are making within the past decade. we really need to support the efforts of our own people to better their own lot. so mad props to the our everyday revolutionaries - the business men (of course not all), the philanthropists, the idea generators and those who put these ideas into practice.

For the love of me said...

The most important man in this revolution is the poor man, without him, we cannot succeed.That's why the strikes cannot last long cos the conductor/trader will say he's ready to pay whatever fuel price there is so he can continue to do business as he makes his money daily. i perfectly understand this, but's that's perhaps the problem, they must be informed/psyched/educated/begged/ to understand that we will have to go through a bit of pain so we can have a better tomorrow.If we decide to have a march for instance, i dont see a lot of the middle class coming out, how many are they anyway, but if the lower did come out en masse, we would most certainly be heard.
@ solo, thank you for this forum, I hope you would conclude and suggest how you think we can start a revolution, we all seem ready and will do the little we can.Whatever little drops we can put in will one day make a mighty ocean.

Jobove - Reus said...

very good blog, congratulations
regard from Catalonia Spain
thank you

Waffarian said...

@for the love of me: As it is today, the poor man is not ready for a revolution, but here is something you wrote that I think is a great starting point for the kind of revolution we need:

"they must be informed/psyched/educated/begged/ to understand that we will have to go through a bit of pain so we can have a better tomorrow".

This is indeed where we have to work on. The poor man does not have internet and so we, in the diaspora can not reach them. So how do we reach them?

Apart from radios, we should be able to form community outreach centers and employ young men and women who are willing to go out in their communities and educate the people.

Infact, we in the diaspora can form groups of volunteers that are willing to spend a part of their vacation educating people in their communities back home. I will be willing to do that. Any more suggestions?

Edirin said...

love da blog!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I read ''revolution' and rather than seeing a guillotine, I just saw machetes. I then began to ponder on whether a bloodless revolution (Not coup, o!!!) could actually work..

Dojaa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

“It would include schemes as simple as people leaving their trash at the residences of public officials.” So very true……saw this and knew ‘twill be as revolutionary scheme, simple yet, profound.

Strikes make people suffer….after a while (when hunger’s fully registered) government calls them, and the people say, let’s just accepts this one at least……& half loaf is better than none. Same thing on & on…..

A million man match, interesting but, only (probably) effective where true (& sincere) democracy works; where the intellect is acknowledged. You’ll march; they (government) will see you and just continue as if nothing happened.

Throw trash (dustbin, better expresses it) in front of public officials residences (wonder why ‘tis not being thot of before), religiously (& consistently) request for nothing……when the push comes to shove, ‘twill done on them (government) ha, this people are mad oh, ‘tis a revolution….let’s call them before they kill us oh. Whoa! Nothing as good as him you want to listen to you being the one to call you (saying, let’s reason together).

We sure need a revolution, but, definitely not the conventional one. My thots.

NigeriaPolitricks.com said...

We should be thinking of a systemic, institutionalized revolution because putting Nigerians out on the street is never going to effect any changes; people need to know that it will be a long, arduous task to reform Nigeria. However, we created the mess that is Nigeria, so now we've gotta fix it!
Our best bet is to start off with the judiciary; it seems to be the only institution of govt that is functioning at the moment. The courts are undoing the illegal elections of Governors and issuing arrest warrants on corrupt ex-government officials. Our laws and institutions such as the legislative, judiciary and the executive arms of govt must be so reformed and strengthened as to make them extremely difficult to be subverted by politicians and corrupt political leaders. We must institutionalize a system of checks and balances to assure that power would remain with the citizens of the land. We must strengthen the anti-corruption units in Nigeria so as to enable them join meaningfully in the anti-corruption war.

guerreiranigeriana said...

abeg, let me clarify before people begin to think i am some kind of crazed armed robber mistress...my suggestion of organizing armed robbers to terrorize corrupt politicans is really a play on an idea/strategy, if you will, in several ways...it also represents my frustration with the state of things and the time and my feelings that we need something drastic...it is not the only way, nor one i am actually considering, afterall, isn't that how some of the armed robbers got the guns to begin with?...going to do the meme solomonsydelle...*runs to read pedagogy of revolution*...

snazzy said...

First off let me apologize for this very very long comment.

I didn't know you had moved, which is why i haven't been here for a while. Here is my two kobo. The problem with wishing for a revolution (non-violent or otherwise) is the same problem of wishing for quick solutions. Even if you waved a magic wand and made every Nigerian the living embodiment of altruism, and every policy mandate of the government a perfect one it will still take about ten to twenty years to half the poverty level and reduce it from some 70 million people to about 35 million people. Revolutions do not work, incremental change works. It is not glamorous, it doesn't come with slogans and fancy chants. It's not inspirational. It simply works. One year is better than the next, and those years add up over time. It's not marching to Abuja and then flying back to wherever you came from. It's not dropping trash in front of politicians houses or in related news kidnapping their fathers and mothers.

Let me give you an example of what i mean. So you come to power as this new enlightened leader in Nigeria after your revolution. One of your main planks is that you will fix the power situation immediately. The first thing someone tells you. Well we have 5,000 MW and we need 20,000 MW, what should we do? You say, build the power plants. (Notice it is about $1 million a MW and each will take about 2-3 years to build.) Then someone says, oh i forgot all these power plants need to be powered and since we are environmentally concious we cannot use coal. So we use gas. Then they tell you, there are no facilities for gas stripping in Nigeria in the quantities that we would need. Then you say lets build the gas strippers. Then someone says, there is no way to get the gas to the power plants. Then you say let them build pipes to transport the gas. Finally you have fixed the generation problem. Wait someone then says, our transmission network is too small to carry all this new power we have. You say improve the transmission network. So you do that. Wait someone says, the distribution network is also horrible, we cannot transmit power to the people without losing 50% of it. You say, fix it.

Because the people love you they believe you when you say after this five year plan you will have constant power supply. Then you announce your new tarrifs to enable your electricity system to work properly with proper incentives for mainteneance and capital expenditure. Wait someone says, this price is to high for the common man. No one will pay it. We should pay the old price. But you say that if we do that no one will do the power in Nigeria. We don't care the price has to remain the same. Government has to subsidise. All your contractors melt away because they are not trusting the recovery of billions of dollars of capital expenditure to a government subsidy.

How does your revolution fix this problem, the biggest bane of the Nigerian economy?

Oh and I also forgot to mention that in Nigeria currently you don't have even close to a third of the skilled people that you would need to execute a project of this nature. However I didn't throw that in because it might make it a bit too difficult for your revolution.

I suppose I was not as civil as I could have been, but living here and seeing how much of a struggle it is to do the little that we are doing, any calls for disruption however well meaning drive me up the wall.

I'm done, but i must say that Nigeria is not an easy fix. There is no magic wand to solve our problems. In spite of goverment, sometimes despite their best efforts to hold us back, we are muddling in the right direction. People forget that with all his nonsense, Obasanjo actually reduced the poverty rate in this country from 70% to 50% (or rather it reduced in his 8 years in power). I'll rather muddle in the right direction than try to walk in the right direction and end up in a civil war.

Waffarian said...

@Snazzy, Another example of the example you gave, would be like the patient who needs surgery. The first thing someone tells you is that you need a neuro surgeon. You realize that the hospital only has General practitioners, you say, it does not matter, we will pay to employ one from Europe, then you realise that we do not have an equipped theater, so you build one, then somebody says, "what if they take light?", so you get a generator, and then you realize after all this, we have not even determined the patient's blood type, so you need to send it to a lab...oh, but we do not have a lab....and so on and so forth. Your example can be used on so many levels, it is the basic Nigerian reality.

I assure you we are all aware of the almost impossible job it is. The point is we have to START from somewhere. What I want to know, is WHO is willing to do something and WHAT is it that you are willing to do.

I think Nigerians need to appreciate QUALITY of life. Why should I muddle along when I can walk upright?

snazzy said...

@ waffy, my point is that the somewhere you start from is not revolution. It's little things. It's investors threatening to sue banks for keeping their money in public offers thereby sanitizing the process. It's refusing to pay bribes for property in lagos and demanding a transparent system that leads to a new licensing regime. It's paying taxes and demanding that the government be more accountable. It's figuring out what type of manufacturing businesses to start in this market that will make money despite the challenges and focusing on plastics and such. It is working to reform the sectors that are rife with corruption for example IT and insurance by working with ethical practitioners to build their businesses. It is Lagos State improving their court system by paying judges a lot more. I could go on, but I'll be long again. Don't for a second think that people aren't doing stuff. It's about execution where we stand, not about speeches. We cannot afford the speeches anymore.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post Solomonsydelle. I've hatched out a post on Grandiose Parlor- Nigeria: Starting a Revolution Without a Bang.

Summary:

1. The Nigerian revolution will not start with a bang. The reason is straight forward: Nigerians hare become too apathetic and cynical to "make a bang" given the decades of abuse and disappointment they have endured and the huge sociocultural disparity in the nation.

2. The Nigerian revolution has started in a very subtle manner, and its full impact will slowly efface over time. The activities of the EFCC under Ribadu are revolutionary in every sense and purpose, just as the rulings of the Nigerian legal courts on the last elections. These are two examples of ground-changing transitions that were unimaginable a decade back.

3. There is a leadership vacuum in Nigeria - there is need for people in leadership positions that can inspire the masses. The real catalysts to fire the Nigerian revolution are those people with strong moral and high ethical standards, and strong social commitment. With the help of the masses, those people have to assume leadership positions. They need to be identified, supported, promoted or voted into leadership.

Waffarian said...

@snazzy, we are on the same page here, I agree that it is "the little things" that count, but again, I ask, "WHAT LITTLE THINGS?", I too, do not like big speeches but would rather be practical and do something that can be implemented.

All those "little things" you mentioned, will all have in their turn, a list of liitle things that need to START them up.For example, you talk about "reform", everybody knows we need a reform in most of the sectors, but somebody better make a damn list of the practical things they wanna reform in any sector or we will be here saying the same thing ten years from now.

As I said earlier, one way I can contribute is in the information sector. I will be willing to go out and talk with people on the streets, markets, rural communities,etc which would be number 1 on my list. The next item would be distrubuting pamphlets and shirts with slogans on them, number three would be organising free concerts with motivational speakers, etc etc, you get my drift.

The point is, I have a list and I know what I am working towards and what my goal is.Someone else might be able to contribute in another sector, make your list and get on it. I will borrow your words: "It's about execution where we stand, not about speeches. We cannot afford the speeches anymore"

So I ask again, WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?

snazzy said...

@ waffy, well let's leave aside what i am willing to do, and talk about what i am actually doing. Well the standard salve of conscience charity given to local orphanages and less needy people works. Ultimately this doesn't change anything, but you do it any way because you want to be able to sleep at night. The second thing is that my job is to work with entrepreneurs to build successful companies (and make money for investors :D). The skills transfer and the job creation are supposed to come with the package. Granted the entrepreneur gets most of the benefit, but more people have jobs and become skilled and more marketable. For example, look at what happened to engineers in the telecoms sector once the revolution started.

Now let's talk about what I am willing to do. In my spare time i'm supposed to be doing consulting work with small businesses as to how to improve their budgeting and corporate governance structures, but I have been selfish with the little time I have after work and traffic take their cut. Who knows, this year may be the year it actually happens.

Now this doesn't get you publicity like movitvational concerts, or charity fashion shows or any of the standard memes that get reenacted for helping the less fortunate in Nigeria. But I think I'll take the long term sustainability of my method over yours.

Waffarian said...

@snazzy

”I’ll take the long term sustainability of my method over yours"

What method? You have not actually mentioned any sort of method. You basically "described" your job, very good for a CV and I am happy you are satisfied with your contribution to the Nigerian economy.

However, that still leaves millions of Nigerians that will never be able to afford your consultation fees or even hear of such a thing. For them, "skills transfer" and "corporate governance structures" are foreign words that mean nothing to them.

You say "movitvational concerts" is a standard meme, perhaps in other countries around the world, but certainly not in Nigeria and not in the Niger Delta where no one comes to except "I go die" and RMD. As for "charity fashion shows", I have not been priviledged to be on that side of society, we have no such events in Warri. I am very sure none of my previous comments suggested any such thing, instead, I wrote about doing things on the grassroots level, among the people who have it hardest in Nigeria.

However, I will respect the fact that you have found a sector you believe in and I wish you good luck.

snazzy said...

@ waffy, yes my job does do my cv the world of good. However you dismissively say that skill transfer and corporate governance structures don't matter. I will direct you to the IFC Environmental Impact Assesment Report on Obajana Cement(google IFC and Obajana). Go read what the local villages in the area wanted in return for Dangote and co coming to set up shop in their neck of the woods.

With regards to the consultation, it's supposed to be free, otherwise it's not volunteer work. However the point is this, I believe that encouraging private investment is the most effective and sustainable way of trying to fix the poverty situation in Nigeria.

As someone who has been to at least 5 motivational speakers things courtesy of NYSC, I think they have caught on in Nigeria Speaking of the Niger Delta, there was this forum against violence motivational thing where Kanu and a bunch of other people attended. People are always exhorting other people in Nigeria.

The charity fashion shows actually affect the grass roots levels, because most of the money raised goes to grass roots level. Motherless babies, AIDS, unicef, and all that.

My point is that I feel that grassroots stuff like this does not address the source of the problem. To me it is like treating the symptoms but not the disease. I don't say people shouldn't do it, i just don't think it's long term sustainable. I think the lack of impact of aid in africa has gone a long way in support of my argument. To me helping someone start a business that employs 300 people which will likely have a sustaining effect on 3000 people is more sustainable and will have a greater effect in the long run. In the whole teach a man to fish kinda way.

miss car insurance said...

Hi

Just a question: Is the racism in Nigeria as bad as for example in South Africa?? I just can't believe that so many people starve, but the government doesnt accept GMO food from America ect. (If I have my facts straight)...
But the fact of the matter is, violance will only decrease with the increase of oppertunities...

Life insurance said...

This article is good for both knowldge and information, all revoloution are bring a great chnage for every society and people. Hopes that Nigeria's people get favour of revolution.

Terry Pierce said...

All big and good change bring by revoloution so its good but not for all times. Its depend on civiliasation and people how they use this revoloution? so its the time to take right decession for Nigeria and its people

Post a Comment

Get curious...share your thoughts, long and short. But, do remain civil.