Landis(Nairaland): I Wish We Could Think Like The West

Nigerian Women?? I hear the sexist bells ringing loud and clear!!!

Na uh! Statement from direct observation, buddy.

Actually if you look at what Landis is talking about

"Maximising benefits"

You will see that it was this same trait, that led the Europeans to control the world and take lead.

It was this same trait that led Europeans to Colonize Africa.

They did not need to colonize Africa, but maximizing benefits is essentially exploring, to progress economically and discover new ways to boost all sorts of advancements.

"Maximising benefits"

Is not an Intellectual thing

Being the biggest economy is not an intellectual thing

People have actually started to discover that certain economic advancements are endangering the environment and are hence endangering our wellbeing.

America today, is not an happy country, neither are a lot of Western Countries.

However what "Maximising Benefits" does is create authority.

Which is why there has never been a period in which the Black Race has been ahead of the White Race.

It is not an intellectual issue, it is not about being smarter but being in control.

We can progress to be the best of our intellectual abilities, but this may not enable us to seize any authority. The intellectual decision is the best decision; Environmentally, Socially, Sustainable and Economically in one. However "maximizing benefits" gives you the edge over your neighbours. And on this planet Authority is everything.

America is allowed to emit all those greenhouse gases, and so is China, even after we have become aware of the environmental impacts.

Not polluting the atmosphere and slowing down Economic Growth would be the intellectual decision, but doing so anyway gives you authority.

However I will stop short of concurring with Landis by declaring that Africa has indeed done like the West in maximizing benefits.

The root of Maximising benefits is in Exploring, conquering etc. That African Kingdoms did do. Africans were heading in the same direction as their adventurous neighbours the Europeans. However what hindered their ability to compete with the Europeans and the integration of African Kingdoms and tribes etc as was the case in Europe, was the speed of this development in Europe that enabled them to come to Africa, conquer Africa in it's infancy and essentially prevent any integration. This is one of the reasons why Africa is where it is today.

Prior to the Colonization of Africa, there were more tribes and Kingdoms in Africa, that were not bounded by an hierarchy or some sort of Order. In Europe this was the case, but Europe had integrate quicker into obvious "Kingdoms etc". The next step after Integration was Exploration or (The Beginning of Maximising Benefits). Africa had not completed the first stage

I got ur point clearly. But I m only being realistic and practical here, kobo. For no reason, these things have never worked in nigeria.  Our mentality, orientation and way of life is different.
A policy from the west is implemented on the background that they have a literacy rate of over 70%.  we have an illitracy rate as much as that including other societal factors like religious intolerance. can't we just put that into consideration when making our policies?

But no, we import these policies and expect the success rate that the west have. But if we go to the drawin board and develop ideas that reflect on our situation, the chances of success are higher. . . . . .

Realistic is far from what you are at this point. You are just full of excuses which you somehow believe explains away what we all know is nothing but stupidity on the part of the people involved.


Dude… they work in Nigeria. Look at Obasanjo’s own farm. Ever wonder how come his personal farm seems to transfer the knowledge and tools, with practically no obstruction  but when he was to do same with Agriculture in Nigeria, he failed at the same?? Are you sure it is the idea itself that failed but silly people playing games?? Do you realize how we are being deceived by this mentality that our reality is stupidity??



Rubbish! This is nothing but more and more excuses and nothing substantial. Don’t you think policies already come with plans to educate those to be involved?? What is with all the excuses you keep posting over and over??


Obasanjo imported farming ideas into the same Nigeria and look where his farm is right now?? Look at other private areas and think please. Stop trying to create a mountain out of nothing.




Being resistant to ideas from outside of your own shores is one thing but I am sorry, this is just you being ridiculous now. There is nothing realistic about all you have posted so far. Instead of continuing to claim the plans or ideas are faulty, can you please leave bias to the side and start dealing wisely here by being honest about the reality we have in Nigeria??

This is like listening to someone tell of how he believes it is not possible for him to have a shelf when he has right in front of him a shelf-in-a-box that comes with a all the necessary parts and tools needed to assemble it, a good user’s manual that explains the ABC’s of putting together the shelf, a phone number to call for help and even a service that will help build and deliver the already put together shelf to the user’s house for free. Instead of taking advantage of the available resources, he sits and blames the box for his not having a shelf. What the heck!!


aarrgghh !!!! Please stop!! ROFLMAO!!

 well illustrated and well stated.

Nigeria undoubtedly presently suffer from bad leadership.





@ kobo.

me not seeing things as u c it, does not mean I m far from reality. as a matter of fact, I m within the scope of reality.

There are two issues being peddled around in this debate. one is the issue of copying from the west and the other is the issue of bad leadership in nigeria.
please don't mistake my disagreement on your position on western importation of ideas to mean that I m excusing the failed leadership in nigeria.
as a matter of fact, nigerian leadership has failed and so also is the notion of importing western ideas.

I can as such say that Nigerian leadership has failed at all levels as butresed by landis, big b1 and away4real including yourself.
but I beg to differ on the issue of western ideas and practices, their practices have failed in Nigeria without excuses for any past leader.



are u refering to obasanjo's first or second coming to power? if you're refering to the second, I can boldly tell u that his agricultural policy suceeded. his policy was capitalist driven to corner economic wealth into the hands of a few. Obasanjo's farm is a good testimony. and only rich men and politicians like Dangote, Danjuma, abdusalami et all are able to farm succesfully in nigeria during obasanjo's govt.

That obasanjo did not meet your farming expectation or mine is not the issue, the issue is he used a capitalist notion copied from the west to enable a few rich feed millions of people.  but if u ask me, I d say he failed and my reason is because he applied western capitalist traits into our nation biulding.

I think you're d one giving irrelevant excuses here. what form of education is IWU supposed to give  a man who never attended a primary or secondary school, about how to use electronic voting system few weeks to an election?

I don't understand y u can't c the obvious picture. option A4 is a made in nigeria product, never used anywhere in d world, yet it worked out fine in Nigeria. regardless of our illitracy rate, it still worked well. and I understand that up to 8 theories were designed before option A4 was chosen. do u have a problem with originality?

Kobo, were his farming ideas between 1999-2007 socialist or welfarist driven? NO.
They were capitalist in nature, they bought ferterliser with government money, distributed it to capitalists like himself and they have good and  bouyant farms that feed 150 million nigerians.

The issue is capitalism as a wstern import is not suitable for nigeria. YES obasanjo is a failure, but his failure is enhanced by western ideas which are not applicable to nigeria.


and may I ask what is the reality in this case?

If your analogy of being pro-western results to intellectual laziness on our part, then it is not an option.

why can't we have a welfarist or socialist driven democracy to cater for 100 million poor and empower at least another 30 million into the middle class? why can't we resort to a regional system of government of the first republic or make a new system that reflects our diversity and peculiarity?
why can't we have a socialist driven healthcare and educational facilities?

let me state here again, that I do appreciate western development, policies, ideas and practices to a great extent. but their development and ideas are poducts of knowledge which reflect on their society and cultural diversity. Is it too much if I ask that we also resort to knowledge (the drawing board) and enable development which reflects on our own diversified society?

I m asking again, what did china or saudi arabia from the west? because as far as I m concerned every body went to the drawin board and brought up ideas that reflect on their society.

kobo, your analogy here is not applicable to this argument/debate. 
The shelf was assembled, but became useless because it wasnt needed in the first place, the man had no radios, speakers, TV or large volume of books to store in the shelf. A table with a lamp was all that was needed because what the man had was just 3 books to read for an exam. this shelf now houses mosquitoes and rats, who now constitute a nuisance.
can't u understand that situations that warrant human demands are always different?

get it straight, western ideas are beautiful but they don't suit us and please don't tell me I m excusing some failed leaders.

Look at this homsexual.

America is not a happy country because; there is sizable amount of crime, poverty is lower than in most countries but it is still existent, a lot of American minorities remain passive, People are over materialistic, and this hasn't been proven to create an happiness, Obesity is rampant and studies have shown that the standard of living in America which isn't actually as good as people may think, does not factor in the things that actually account for happiness. And yes statistically Nigeria is a happier country than America.

The intellectual decision is the best one, you are misconstruing my points. I made statements declaring that the decisions made by America and a lot of countries are made to seize Authority and benefit a few, they do to benefit the people that are exploited nor do they benefit the vast majority of the American population. The sustainable decisions or the "emotional" one as you have so simplistically put is the decision that can equate to wellbeing over a prolonged period of time. We have been made more and more aware, that we are moving past the equilibrium. We have reshaped the earth and by searching for various alternatives, we will inevitably be creating a never ending cycle of amendments, alternatives, problems etc.

All the BS about the environment, is actually occurring right in front of your eyes. Natural disasters are gradually intensifying and this is a product of the economic advancements made by the world's largest economies that are sabotaging the environment and thus any future whatsoever.