lovely article by an unbiased, professional fellow.


Nigeria Is Changing But We Know Not
Simon Kolawole Live!: By Simon Kolawole,
Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com
Growing up, I was moulded by certain
prejudices. I was conditioned to view different
parts of Nigeria in stereotypical ways.
However, a time came in my life when I began
to question these inherited sentiments.
I desired a mind of my own, to judge things
empirically and come to conclusions by
myself. I intensified my research into the
history of what we now know as Nigeria, from
pre-1914 amalgamation to the present day. I
want to gladly announce today that contrary
to the received wisdoms, prejudices, biases
and stereotypes, Nigeria has changed
significantly over the decades.
This is not exactly the Nigeria of 1914 or
1960 or 1999. Of course, some things are still
the same, or even worse - especially in our
mindsets - but many things are changing.
Unfortunately, many Nigerians are still so
stuck in the past and are unable to
acknowledge this fact. I will give a few
examples shortly.
To start with, Southerners still look down on
Northerners as “uneducated”.
Maybe they had a point long ago. The colonial
masters, because of the success of indirect
rule, had shielded the North from
conventional education under the guise of
“protecting” the local culture.
Hence, as at I960, there were only a few
university graduates from the North. Today,
many Southerners still don’t know that the
story has changed. You can’t count the
number of Northern graduates! They even
have their fair share of unemployed
graduates! You cannot count the PhD holders,
professors, medical doctors, engineers or
accountants from the North.
They have produced several accomplished and
globally respected intellectuals. Yet, when
some Southerners hear that an Ahmed has
been appointed into a top position, all they
can think of is “quota system” or “federal
character”.
They are stuck in the past.
In the meantime, many Northerners are still
stuck with this “one North” fiction and the
empty bragging about “we have the numbers”!
Aboki, you ain’t got no numbers! Sir Ahmadu
Bello might have had a fairly monolithic
North under his arms at Independence, but
that was then. Things have changed forever. I
did warn the “Northern consensus candidate”
movement in 2011 that the concept of one
North was delusional.
There are now 19 states in the North with
various dynamics – local rivalries, religion,
strong minority solidarity and a growing
political sophistication. The world has
changed! And as for those Northerners who
claim they are “born to rule”, it has become
glaring today that they were not born to rule.
It was circumstances that conspired with the
situation to tilt power in favour of the North
for decades. Northern monopoly of power is
history.
On another note, the Yoruba still talk
romantically about Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s
free education policy of the 1950s which no
doubt stood the Yoruba in good stead in our
nationhood. But they may need to know that
the rest of the country did not go to sleep.
Every state now has free education, with free
school uniforms and free meals to boot. Most
are giving bursaries and foreign scholarships.
And there is yet no evidence to suggest that
the quality of instruction and classroom
infrastructure in Yorubaland is superior to
what obtains in other parts of Nigeria.
But I still meet many Yoruba nationalists who
continue to glory and gloat over “our
advantage in education”. Ogbeni, the rest of
Nigeria is catching up with you while you are
still glamorising Awolowo’s exploits of nearly
60 years ago! You’d better wake up to the new
realities.
Lest I forget, my Igbo friends still talk
agitatedly about the rest of Nigeria hating
them. Nna, you mean 249 other ethnic groups
and over 100 million Nigerians met and took a
decision to hate you? Only you? Just like that?
Since the civil war ended, Nigerians of all
origins have been eating isi-ewu, dancing to
the music of Oliver de Coque and Onyeka
Onwenu, going gaga over P Square, idolising
Genevieve Nnaji and Kanayo O. Kanayo,
celebrating Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda
Adichie, marrying you and getting married by
you, and still they hate you? Despite the
important political positions your sons and
daughters have occupied at federal level since
the end of the war, the narrative remains that
the rest of Nigerians hate you.
I know we need a president of Igbo origin to
complete the equation, and I believe it will
happen someday - but, nwa nnem, it is called
rivalry not hatred!
What’s more, our Niger Delta brothers are
still clamouring for resource control as if we
were in 1998.
What Delta State alone receives in federal
allocation is more than all the five South-east
states put together! Since 1999, the oil-
producing states have been receiving 13 per
cent derivation; they have the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) which has
produced many billionaires with choice
property home and abroad; they have the
Ministry of Niger Delta, which I honestly don’t
know what it is all about; they have the
Amnesty Programme, which is also producing
its own club of billionaires; and now the oil-
producing communities could start taking 10
per cent of the profit of oil companies
operating in their areas.
To crown it all, they have produced a
president in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Bros,
wetin una want again?
To be sure, I say not that there are no socio-
political tensions in Nigeria. The frequent
riots and killings are a grim reminder of this.
I deny not that there is mutual suspicion
across the “tribes and tongues”, but these
things are so often highlighted that you would
be forced to conclude that we have not made
any progress at all since 1914.
I know for sure that Nigeria is more
integrated today than it was in 1914 or 1960
or even 1999. My evidence: the number of
inter-cultural marriages; the number of
Southerners who willingly go to live and do
business up North; the number of
Northerners making their living in the South;
the number of Igbo eating amala and Yoruba
eating suya.
Nobody can tell me these numbers were
higher in 1914 or 1960 than in 2013.
We are obviously integrating more and more,
despite the best efforts of agents of division
and hate in the land. Nigeria is changing but
we know not. What we have been carrying
around for decades are inherited prejudices.
We hear our parents, teachers, elders or
activists say negative things about other
people. We hardly question or analyse these
things. We just repeat the stereotypes and
they become realities in our minds.
That is how negative mindsets and prejudices
are passed on from generation to generation.
I hereby solemnly promise that I will not pass
these prejudices and biases to my own
children. I want them to research, observe,
analyse and judge things by themselves. So
help me God.
Refining the Facts
Did you notice I said General Yakubu Gowon
built the first refinery in Nigeria in 1965 in
my article last week? The question to ask is:
Gowon became head of state only in 1966, so
did he build the refinery in advance? No, it
was an error.
The refinery was built by Shell BP and
acquired by NNPC in 1983. My attention has
also been drawn to the fact that I said our
total refinery capacity is 410,000 barrels per
day.
Well, I took the figures from the individual
websites of the refineries and did the math.
On the NNPC website, however, the figure is
445,000. Can you see my predicament?


www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-is-changing-but-we-know-not/160191/

I like your optimism.Nigeria needs people like you and not tribal bigots that are overwhelming the populace

Kayi: I like your optimism.Nigeria needs people like you and not tribal bigots that are overwhelming the populace

thanks bro, actually an article by simon kolawole. but he portrays my sentiments aptly.

On the education front,
They may be catching up fast in enrolment but when you are talking about share quantity of quality professionals, the rest have a long way to go .
I am both happy and sad to see many omoluabis doing their thing in Europe and America .
In the last year, I have been attended to by 5 doctors of omoluabis extraction during routine medical checkup in the same hospital.
Many nurses , ODPS etc.
The funny thing is that there are few minorities around here.
Thousands of IT professionals (project managers,software testers,database administrators,programmers etc)
Hundreds of engineers
Hundreds of managers,businessmen,accountants,tax adviser, etc
Many students and graduates doing the odd jobs in order to complete their studies or get a foot on the ladder of the corporate/professional world
Most of these people left because they cannot just stand that culture of mediocrity.
So mr, The best of omoluabis are not in nigeria.
You are comparing our B team .
our A TEAM is not in nigeria

One Nigeria is changing and I pray so.

I have a dream, that one day Mr Okoro Amadioha will be the Council Chairman of Mushin LGA, Lagos State, One Nigeria.

So help us God.

Ngwakwe: One Nigeria is changing and I pray so.

I have a dream, that one day Mr Okoro Amadioha will be the Council Chairman of Mushin LGA, Lagos State, One Nigeria.

So help us God.

And bode George would be governor of anambra IJN

bloggernaija: On the education front,
They may be catching up fast in enrolment but when you are talking about share quantity of quality professionals, the rest have a long way to go .
I am both happy and sad to see many omoluabis doing their thing in Europe and America .
In the last year, I have been attended to by 5 doctors of omoluabis extraction during routine medical checkup in the same hospital.
Many nurses , ODPS etc.
The funny thing is that there are few minorities around here.
Thousands of IT professionals (project managers,software testers,database administrators,programmers etc)
Hundreds of engineers
Hundreds of managers,businessmen,accountants,tax adviser, etc
Many students and graduates doing the odd jobs in order to complete their studies or get a foot on the ladder of the corporate/professional world
Most of these people left because they cannot just stand that culture of mediocrity.
So mr, The best of omoluabis are not in nigeria.
You are comparing our B team .
our A TEAM is not in nigeria

Keep living in the past man. Keep living in the past.
If you want to know, then check the facts.

Medical Field: Well, Edo State produces the highest number of Doctors in the country.

Media? Well Check the owners of ChannelsTV(Edo), AIT(Edo), Silverbird(Bayelsa). Check Vanguard(Delta), Thisday(Delta), Guardian(Delta). These are the largest in the media sector.

Oh and Education again. University Enrollment figures from Edo, Delta, Imo and Anambra present higher numbers. . . . .

And a lot of other areas.



This article by Simon Kolawole actually refers to your like whether they be Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa or Niger Deltan or other tribes. You are leaving in the past when you stay stuck on Awo, Ojukwu and Ahmadu Bello.

Good article, the earlier we begin to understand these things, the better it will be for us all. God bless Nigeria

This is the best article I have seen in NL,most times I wonder if we actually hate each other,I still believe that we in one way or the other like who we are.I always look forward to any day at work where I will be dealing with the sarcastic Alaba shittu and Baba kola,and when ever I go to Enugu,I love to see Malam Useni,whom was our gateman but when my parents retired and went to our village to live,my dad made him the caretaker of our house,he collects the rent and enjoys the agency fees paid by new tenants.my elder bros is married to a Yoruba lady and they have 4kids in grand prairie texas usa.her family house is in oduduwa street,elewura challenge ibadan.let me use this opportuinity to commend every nigerian youth(igbo,yoruba hausa),for my igbo brothers,learn how to be okay with what You have,work hard and save b4 u know it,you will get there,let's avoid crime,I for example has never seen the four walls of a police cell,I run away from crime and hate it any time any day.

Ngwakwe: One Nigeria is changing and I pray so.

I have a dream, that one day Mr Okoro Amadioha will be the Council Chairman of Mushin LGA, Lagos State, One Nigeria.

So help us God.

sorry to say that your dread will never comes true. no be curse oh!!!!!!!!