Three simple solutions to set Nigerians on the path to success By Ali Faagba

If Nigeria were to be standing on the threshold of offering valediction to the "hope of making the country work", the most sincere and eloquent words would be found in the profound silence of a common man. Yet,it is astonishing that the most suffering men and women did the least to put kibosh on the malignant growth of the damaging phenomenon.

No doubt, the recent economic downturn has equally affected the aristocrats of this nation,but poor ordinary citizens would remain at the receiving end of all negativities- be that of natural disaster such as hunger and flood or of human cruelty such as terrorism and kidnapping. Of course, one may ask, how has the economic adverse effect of this time stopped the rich men from sending their children abroad for education? How has it stopped them from enjoying their standby power plants in their respective homes? How has it kept them from putting sumptuous food on their table? They own most of the indispensable enterprises in the nation. All that is needed for them to keep their currency is to hike their goods or services.

From the day this country gained her independence till date, same old story of failed democracy, intervention of military boys, money stashed away to foreign shores, terrorism, greedy hold-on to power and all sorts of social and political vices continue to re-assert themselves. They had brought us enormous regrets. Right before our own eyes, the same set of people who looted our common wealth set have been adorned with chieftain titles; jailed looters have been welcomed to their clan, after serving the jail terms, with bands of drum-beating men and squealing flutes. These activities are carried out by ordinary people who burn their candles from both sides to eke out a living on a daily basis.

To me, masses carry as much blame as their leaders. Some men suggested that the character of our leaders is a mere reflection of ours. In fact, they are actually behaving the way we are with money and power only helping to intensify that. I entirely agree. There must first be a shift in our thought, to such a thought of firmly knowing what we want- either financial freedom or government empowerment, albeit with wheel barrows, as displayed by the Benue state governor in recent time. In one word, we need clarity- clarity of purpose.

The history of industrial revolution hereto comes to mind: As soon as the revolution evolved, capitalists became stodgy, highhanded and inhumane. The entire society was divided into two classes-the capitalist class and the labour class. The capitalists enjoyed rich life while the labourers led a miserable life. There were sanitation and health problems. Sickness and crime increased and women as well as children were employed at derisory price. A writer simply puts it this way: "The children lived a life of a machine while working, and at other times, that of a beast". The capitalists grew so influential that they began to purchase votes to get to the parliament. And in the end? The labour class were soon to spark off a revolution in which they victored against the capitalists. How does it not sound Nigeria?

There are apparently inexhaustible lessons to be learned here, irrespective of how you view it. Among them is the fact the labour class knew what power they have and used it to secure freedom. Just like the electorates here hold the power to open for or close against any individual the door to public offices.

Honestly, if Nigerians must move forward, there are a few doctrines we must imbibe. Individuals must be self determined. Research shows that in spite of Greece land being 80% percent mountainous, in 2010, it was the largest producer of cotton in Europe, second in the production of rise and third in the production of tomatoes and watermelon. Greece is classified as a developed country with high standard of living and high human development index, yet service sector contributes to 80% of its economy. "Eight years into an economic crisis, shortage of job is leading many young Greeks to turn to the land", reported a recent report on Aljazeera network news. Why have Nigerians not turn toward the vast land for agriculture?

What is needed, firstly, in the case of Nigeria is redirection of our expectations. My first professed solution here lies deeply in that common fundamental belief of parents who force their children who are not so smart in the knowledge of English to go to school. This done solely in the sheer faith that 'western education' is the path to success. We must retrace our steps. Our definition for education has been wrong since day one. Education does not necessarily have to be formal, all it has to be is education. Education in farming, education on carpentry, education in designing and all sorts of apprenticeship. Even in the knowledge of our forefathers, there exist enough wisdom waiting to be blended into University curriculum. Evey man is born a genius, only in different ways.

Second, individuals must be willing to own a business and start small. As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this piece, most indispensable businesses in the country belong to the rich men and their families, thereby causing monopolization of money. This is not entirely a fault of this caste of people, but the fault of young Nigerians who fail to understand and cultivate the spirit of entrepreneur. Underestimating the importance of gradual saving, most of them go on waiting for a big cash that will never come. And often, most hate to start small. As a young entrepreneur, if I have more I will invest more, since I realised the pleasure of investing. We must dislodge the blame game. Forget that brother who will never give you a huge amount to start. When he was your age, he probably did not have anyone to even lend him. The more we pay our money to buy goods and services from the big men, the more we add value to their wealth and the more we are likely to become one of their workers who, in turn for our salary, we earn more money to their pocket. Youths must now abandon their ostentatious way of life that bring them poverty and start small. If you need advice on how to save your money you can simply send your query to the email below.

I shall hereby submit as the last facet of this treatise, that which concerns our government. No millennial is ready to stand the drudgery of farming or almost any work in this age. If indeed the government is sincere in its bid to diversify the economy of this nation, technology and industrialization must be in the frontline in order to attract, ease and beautify the affair of potential farmers. We are long overdue for industrialization. As a behemoth writer, Akorede Shakir, posits in his article "Nigeria needs industrialization now". "All that is needed to harness this potential is the willingness of the government to act", he suggested. Similarly, our education system must be overhauled. We still practice a system of school that give little space for creativity and practicalbility. Our policy makers should help make laws that burst the fetter of students in engaging their lecturers. As well as make curriculum that focus on breeding a generation of local manufacturers. Interactive classes allow for students to contribute, thereby helping to see different perspectives as well as setting right erroneous beliefs. Our learning institutions today can only boast of passive individuals, mere repositories of curricula and even many unemployable certificate holders. It is too primitive and counter-productive.

Conclusively, we must bear it in mind that "making Nigeria work" is an onus on all and sundry. It's such a very personal assignment which, if left in the hand of politicians, would not be aptly monitored. Our country is a personal business. We must see it as such and try to make it work. If in the least, anyone has totally given up on this country, let such individuals then embark on making their own life better, simply by following the useful advice offered in this short piece. It is with pleasure that I challenge our youth to use their brain to the path of sustainable developments in Nigeria.

Ali Faagba

Editor-in-Chief, www.themedia.com.ng