content deleted

I see a bright future in Nigeria. Not minding the darkness in our present living.

I believe that if we can just keep the country together and promote a more wholesome attitude in our youths then things will get better, gradually.

A lot of people need to learn to think differently. This sort of national re-orientation has happened in many other countries; it just takes time, time, lots of time. People need to learn to look for constructive ways to move forward in life. Gradually people will learn that you can achieve success without illegal shortcuts.

So more than anything else, I believe that time will heal our nation. If only we can keep it together long enough - I hope our various ethnic leaders, especially South-South, are wise enough to advice their constituents that civil war is not an option.

Do you see the way the Ibos have taken over trading n Lagos? That is the right way to promote your ethnic interests; the right way to overcome "marginalization". Instead of planning disruption and taking up arms, take the few opportunities you have and try to utilize them maximally.

Thanks Remedy for this post, and Seun for the great input. Permit me to add the following:

I see you are not in Nigeria, that is fine, your question is a very common topic in many Nigerian gatherings overseas. Many are quick to dismiss Nigeria has a done deal- broken beyond redemption. I can't blame them; they have their reasons. Some and I see a great future for Nigeria, but this future is conditional on the initiation of a paradigm shift- a social change- in our thinking and ways of doing things.

While the provision of infrastructure, particularly power, will go a long way in brightening our chances of attaining greatness; it is not enough to turn things around. The future of Nigeria depends on real leaders- tough, passionate, courageous and visionary leaders that will not only talk about the problems, but also proffer practical solutions to the problems. And of course, Nigerians will need to step up too, the paradigm shift will only remain a mirage unless all of us are ready to appraise the "Nigerian situation" with a different sets of eyes, be willing to find, and serve as catalyst of change...then maybe things will turn around...

Youmay read more about similar issues on Grandiose Parlor, here: http://grandioseparlor..com/2005/06/trailblazers-fantasizers-and-quitters.html and here: http://grandioseparlor..com/2005/06/beyond-realm-of-fantasy.html

Take a look at the private sector in Nigeria over the past few years and you have your answer.

Chxta:

Take a look at the private sector in Nigeria over the past few years and you have your answer.

I do not understand what you imply, please explain.

None of the countries that developed quickly were democracies. They were all benevolent dictatorships. Nigeria will develop slower than they for this reason, but should have a better social fabric

Imnakoya:

I do not understand what you imply, please explain.

The Nigerian private sector is very vibrant and bursting with ideas. It has been allowed to grow. The implication from my view point is this: Nigerians when placed under the right conditions can be their own masters, and good at what they do. Does that answer you? So if we take the private sector mentality to the public sector, the only way is forward.

obong:

None of the countries that developed quickly were democracies. They were all benevolent dictatorships. Nigeria will develop slower than they for this reason, but should have a better social fabric

There are some who will point at India and say that it has always been a democracy. Answer to that is this: there are 2 Indias. The fast developing one which the world sees, and the India still stuck in the 1950s, which the world doesn't see. That is the India outside Mumbai, New Delhi and Calcutta.

The reason I'm somewhat hopeful about Nigeria is because there are enough Nigerians who are exposed to new ways of doing things abroad to ensure that there is a flow of new ideas into the country. I'm not saying that Nigerians in Nigeria have been bound and gagged so that they don't know what's happening - after all, there's the Internet to find out what you want. But really, it's much more fruitful to interact with people rather than words on a screen to really understand the new ideas that you may come across.

And it's new ideas that change the way that people think, so that they do things differently and change the societies they live in.

So how many of these people are planning to come back to Nigeria to impart their ideas? And what is to suggest that Nigerians at home will be willing to conform to these imported ideas? And how do we decide which part of what you're bringing to Nigeria will move us forward and what part of it is actually just western cultural baggage?

Really good questions Seun, why don't you find out?

The problem with Nigeria is Nigerians. 95% of the people in Nigeria today don't know their rights and they don't know how to ask for or take what rightly belongs to them. I see this as a chronic form of illiteracy, the mentality of our people is that once you have been to school you are literate, this is purely wrong. Our people need to know their rights too.

Before Nigeria can get to the desired promise land we must all wake up to the reality that[b] our rights determine our future[/b]. Bringing in some foreign policies can't solve the problems with Nigeria today, we that are in Nigeria today have to take proactive approach to our nation building if we wish to see a better Nigeria during our lifetime. Running out can't solve the problem; He who fight and run away live to fight a more bitter fight ahead.

Nigerians are the most conformist in the world and this is what politicans are capitalizing on, we believe that since there is nothing that can we can do to change the country we all decided to take the impassive stands in national issues.

Most of the times i used to laugh when some people are always calling on God to solve the problems with Nigeria. Some preachers are even making the biggest blunder of all time by saying that the problems with Nigeria are caused by demons and invisible forces. The problems with Nigeria are the Nigerians, the “Nigerians” are not even those running and ruining the affairs of this country, the Nigerians in this context are the masses. As long as we continue to take a sit-down approach on our national issues, we will continue to wallow in this quagmire of uncertain and bleak future.

Sometimes ago I watched Funmi Iyanda’s interview with the Senate president (Ken Nnami), I really like what the Senate president said about all these stupid governors. He said that when they commission some stupid projects it would be a national headline; they tagged this as “Dividend of Democrazy” . The senate president said one thing which has always been on my mind on the program. He said "what about those countries without democracy where the government is giving the people wonderful amenities" unlike the shoddy projects being executed by these praise-seeking governors.

When you see the praises that some gullible masses shower on these political office holders on commissioning all these questionable projects you will only but wonder if the so call “messiahs” have used their personal money to execute the projects. It really make me sick; what do these stupid praise-singers expect them to be doing with the pulic funds in their care.


Until we are able to make these political office holders realize that they are not gods but ordinary public fund and property care takers Nigeria will never progress.

Anyway I foresee what happened in France in the 1770s repeating itself here in Nigeria soonest.

i could not agree with joftech more. thanks for airing my views. i will just mention a few things. Why dont we start an online communication mechanism more like nairaland but more directed, where we have a goal, an objective: to contribute to the development of Naija, not just discuss. It could end up being a political party tomorrow or proper NGO. We address all the issues ravaging Naija, we analyse government's actions, the reforms etc.

Also, like Joftech said, the people in Government are not the real problem. If the wrong person is in government, it's because[b] the right person[/b] does not want to serve or is too corwardly to do so. People need to ask questions from government. Call Obasanjo on that monthly programme. Go to Public Hearings. Submit bills through your Representative in the House of Representatives or your Senator. Know your councillor, your chairman. Understand democracy and practise it.

But most of us dont really want to contribute to Naija's progress. We either dont talk at all or we just talk with no results.. God bless Naija. Amin.

Answer to that is this: there are 2 Indias. The fast developing one which the world sees, and the India still stuck in the 1950s, which the world doesn't see. That is the India outside Mumbai, New Delhi and Calcutta.


exactly, chxta. India has mor epoor people than sub saharan africa. it also has world class industries, but frankly i dont see purly market forces geting rid of thier poverty. You need a somewhat dictatorial system, or a socialist bend ot cure it. I see south africa's socialist policies in the form of affrimative action making that country one of the richest in years to come.

@ So how many of these people are planning to come back to Nigeria to impart their ideas? And what is to suggest that Nigerians at home will be willing to conform to these imported ideas? And how do we decide which part of what you're bringing to Nigeria will move us forward and what part of it is actually just western cultural baggage?

Most of the countries making noise today developed by citizens that brought in fresh ideas. thats how the world works, for the most part. Nigerians at home wil conform to these ideas when they see thier lives improve

So how many of these people are planning to come back to Nigeria to impart their ideas?

It's not necessarily about quantity - if the right people return and spread their ideas, that's good enough. And sometimes, you don't have to be physically present for you ideas to have an effect.

And what is to suggest that Nigerians at home will be willing to conform to these imported ideas?

Well, the ideas will have to be adapted to the Nigerian scenario. This is why it matters that those bringing the ideas are Nigerians abroad who have experience of the Nigerian environment and know how to customise any foreign idea to suit that environment.

And how do we decide which part of what you're bringing to Nigeria will move us forward and what part of it is actually just western cultural baggage

That requires a certain amount of intelligence. It certainly requires asking questions like "Why does this idea work so well there? Are the things that make this idea work there present in Nigeria? What substitutes can we use if they are not present in Nigeria?"




Joftech,

There's no point in knowing your right if you don't have the werewithal to exercise it. Even if you tell a person that it is his right to complain about this and that to his Senator, do you really think he would exercise that right when he is (quite rightly) worried that the Senator will send some people to pay him a visit?

No - economic empowerment must precede political empowerment.

Fellas, this delibration is fascinating...keep it up please.

Seun, I'll suggest you do a synopsis of this topic later.

I agree with almost everything JOftech said except the very last line. In this country at the moment (sadly) whether we like it or not there are vested interests in a lot of things who find our inate tribalism as a reafy tool for any atrocity they want to commit. The point being that we won't have a revolution that will be widespread. I don't see the conditions existing or being created again.

We had 2 chances in the last 15 years, and as a people we collectively stood bye and watched both chances slip away: the first chance was in 1993 when the election was annulled. Abiola (RIP) should have been in Nigeria on August 27, not in the US. Had he been sworn-in in Lagos as they were swearing in Sonekan in Abuja, the history would have been very different.

The second chance was in May 2004. During the petrol strike. The NLC actually came to within hours of bringing this government to its knees. Then something happened. And the moment was lost. It will be very difficult to recreate such a scenario again.

Be that as it may, I think the world (and Nigeria included) has gone beyond violent revolutions. Like it or not, the most likely scenario for our country is to develop along the Indian line, that is an affluent and well developed upper and middle class that will comprise some 30-40% of the population and an impoverished lower class that will be invisible to the rest of the world, but will be in the majority. Now once again we have a role model to learn from. India has a poorly developed social system at best, and we can learn from them and improve it in order to carry that lower class along. However, that is a Herculean task, and personally, I am not really an advocate of a system that supports people who don't want to work (problem in the US), I prefer a system of if you don't want to work, you don't want to eat (China).

Long term the India model may not solve poverty isues, that the greatest fear. It may be different in nigeria because we have less people, but i think india is in a lot of trouble in the future

Don't agree with you about India. Their large population is largely semi-educated and as a result always nurse the hope for a better future. Can't forment trouble with such a population. WOuld have been easier if they were uneducated.

a large portion of thie rpopulation cant even write thier name. What keeps them in check is the caste system. they each know thier role. In nigeri aon the other hand, everyone wants to be king

The trouble im refering to is a hugh, poor population that wil never go away. thier land is too small for that kind of growth

The problem with Nigeria today, can only be solved if we at least try to stop talking and relying on the government. Try a google search on solutions to Nigerian mess, and you would be impressed by the solutions designed by Nigerians around the world in various form, be it by blogging or articles in their website. We have been talking too much. Don't we think its time to start doing something? Those staying Abroad, take your saved dollars, go back to Nigeria and invest in Nigeria. Create jobs for people without it, and educate the others in that process. Can we all picture how great it would be to see the rich Nigerians abroad taking their money back and investing it in the sector they belong too? and Synergizing under the same umbrella......"DEVELOPING NEW NIGERIA".

Privatisation is the only solution to Nigerians infrastructural problem. And until then, we have to be patient and do what we always do "HOPE".

content deleted

Mr man, i did give a substancial solution. Stop talking, start doing something and that would make a difference. Our talking are just mere "HOPES AND WISHES" and as far as i know, Nigerians be it abroad on in Nigeria, have been doing that for a long time, and its time we start do something about the ideas. Implementation !!

By the way do we have any Nigerian in this forum, that is not knowledgeable about what is going on in Nigeria?

Please raise a motion, and I am sure people like "Remedy" would educate you.

And the rest that are educated on the problems been faced by Nigeria today, how many years have you been complaining about the problems of Nigeria, how many percent of this problems are solved currently?

Please contribute.

A proverb for you to digest "We live by hope but a reed never becomes an Iroko tree by dreaming."

content deleted

provoke people like me? Hum getting personal? Man whats up with you?

A forum is a place where either you appreciate people's opinions and support it with yours or dissaprove it with clear facts based on your opinion's or at worst, just ignore it, if you can't debate against it.

And you are in a forum. Please appreciate that fact.

And please do re-read my post carefully and digest it slowly. Your question is answered there. Thank you.

I still believe that the prolem with Nigeria can only be solve when people know their rights and stand up to take what rightly belongs to them. Am not talking about what the south-South people are clamouring for, am talking about making political office holder know that they are mere "servants" and not semi-gods.

The masses for a mere N500 will just be too willing to give away their votes. This happens as a result of not been educated on the ills of this acts. They will tell you that if you vote or not the ballot is a done deal , (there's no confidence in the electoral process.)

For example commercial transport operators and many other artisans nationwide are forced to join some sort of organization/union. According to the 1999 constitution this is very illegal, but you see these unions enforcing their stupid laws on anyone that open shop without joining their cartel. I once told a taxi driver that does he know that it's illegal for people to be forcing them to join a union, he totally objected and said that it has always been like that and that no one can change it. This shows how bad this situation is.

How about the police collecting bribes at checkpoints, how about NEPA/PHCN officials, how about thousands of other instances.

We all need to rise up from the slumber of apathy that has carried us into the dreamland of a better Nigeria, we must work for a better Nigeria, we need action, we need a revolution.

When you look at people that have been ruling this country you will know that it's the same set of family that continue to govern the affairs of this country. For how long shall we continue to go in this direction.

I wonder how Nigeria will get to the promise land without a REVOLUTION.



@Kazey, it's like you are taking Remedy's "PROVOKE" in another context.

@KAzey:

My target is to people like you.
I am only making known my points clear.
If in your own perspective you consider it personal.
It is up to you.

Remedy:

@KAzey:

My target is to people like you.

Who are people like me? People who believe that implementing the already drafted solutions, that you can find almost everywhere, rather than re-visiting it again? as the primary solution to the problem?

Elaboration would be gladly appreciated.

content deleted

It'sall gonna be good.

Everyone note this; it is not an opinion, it is a fact:
In 15 yrs from now, Nigeria isnt goin to be what it is today.

good or bad?