Many Nigerians are fighting for their right to succeed in Nigeria.

The truth is, Nigeria is not structured to produce many successful individuals.

This delusion started in church. Now, it is everywhere, with every establishment promising to bring a certain percent of Nigerians out of poverty and into the Millionaire’s club.

Cute.

Anyone with cerebral capacity would know this is wishful thinking – something perpetuated by those who believe in the miraculous works of a god OR those who just believe because "belief" is such a cute way to live.

It is impossible to make millionaires out of Nigeria beyond a certain number.

The majority of people will be poor.

And it is not directly their fault. The tragedy of Nigeria has little to do with the willpower or grit of the masses.

It has everything to do with zero amenities to build anything beyond a kiosk on the street for most people.

In Nigeria, the sky is not big enough. The sky is a little circle and it can only occupy a few people.

Why?

There are no grants, no loans, no electricity, no transport network, no real mentors, no education, no justice system, no freedom, no libraries, no hubs open to as many people as possible to build success.

What we have are churches. Then we have conferences. We have philanthropists. And we have motivational speakers – in every shape and form, from the churchrat to the rich.

Nigerians are an experiment for anyone who can give bread.

These are not the elements that propel or fulfil the mandate to succeed.

Nigeria cannot accommodate too many success stories. These so-called millionaires in the making would need the infrastructure of the state to work out their salvation.

Where is the infrastructure?

A state or country that has no infrastructure is the biggest limitation to any dream.

When you get that loan, you'll be investing 80% of it in building your own infrastructure. You are your own Republic.

You may call this pessimism.

I think many people need to be rationally pessimistic. Your Nigerian optimism will keep you poor, beggarly and DESPERATE.

And this is what people rely on to drive you towards a direction – to think a certain way.

Trade this pathetic optimism for rational thinking.

You are desperate for food. Desperate to slay on Instagram. You cannot wait to pepperdem…

Even your reasons for success are invalid. Because you have no real "education", no knowledge.

We need more rational pessimists to deal with the problem called Nigeria as it affects them personally.

I think our optimism is disgraceful.

Nigeria has very little to give.

Take for example…

One grant opportunity for 30 million people.

4000 megawatts electricity to power the dreams of 100 million people.

1000 jobs available for 1.7 million graduates.

Only social media gives you unlimited access and that is why you are all here. That is why your only real ambition is being savage.

“Just believe” and other cute quotes might work in America, but it sure as hell will not work in Nigeria.

Your belief is not in doubt. But your country doesn't have piped water. And even if you wish to be the one to fix that problem, Nigeria and Nigerians will frustrate you to a point you will leave all for God.

Did you hear about the hotelier who built a fancy hotel in one of these states, and decided to give electricity from his hotel to the entire community where he launched his hotel?

Ok.

Area boys harrassed the establishment, asking for money before he could distribute electricity to the community - a community where these dunderheads and their families live.

So, the hotelier decided not to give free electricity, and focused only on 24/hr electricity for his hotel.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Nigeria.

What we need is a mental shift.

Unless your millions will come from your paddy who is a newly elected commissioner or governor...

Your route to become successful is not paved with thorns... It is paved with death.

Of course, this shouldn't stop you from succeeding at your best... but it should stop you from being everybody's lab rat.

If you have electricity and well programmed grants from established national/corporate institutions, with profound education to boot… you can believe in anything.

But if you have fluctuating electricity destroying your home appliances - your fridge, television, phone charger etc… what you need is a system that allows you to sue the electricity provider.

If you have a car accident and your flesh is burnt to a crisp, what you need is good health system.

If you are sexually molested, you need the police to take you seriously and prosecute the abuser.

If you don’t have a country that works, you cannot have a bunch of people to ever rise beyond hand-to-mouth.
.

Anything they tell you is fancy. But it will not change your status.

It may change a few. But this Nigerian sky cannot take more than a few.

The people who succeed in Nigeria are…

1. Politicians (because oil and corruption).

2. A few musicians (because afro pop is like melanin – it’s a trend)

3. Fraudsters.

4. Those who have been thinking about wealth long before it was necessary to be obsessed with wealth, so they’ve done everything and have finally come to a place of knowing.

5. And then there are the ones who "fell" on wealth, like pregnancy… because right timing, coincidence, luck and some kind of grace.

6. And of course, those who are employees at multinational companies, travelling the world on company account, and investing their money wisely out of Nigeria (these are my favourite Nigerians).

This bunch of people are not up to 10% of the populace (jaguda statistics).

The rest of you will have to run small businesses and record small victories.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

What gets my goat is promises made that do not align with the reality of the immense lack of basic physical and organisational structure and facilities in Nigeria.

We do not have a functioning society. We cannot produce what we do not have the capacity to produce.

Is this supposed to make you feel hopeless?

No.

This is supposed to make every abracadabra an entertainment of sort, taken with a pinch of salt.

Nigeria will take alot from you. If you can leave, leave.

Not to worry, there are over 190 million Nigerians in Nigeria. There's stilll too many people fighting to get access to the same resources.

So go!

But if you don't have much of a choice, don't end up as a circus animal for every magician.

Nigeria will take alot from you. But do not let Nigeria steal your wit.



Credit: Joy Isi Bewaji

OdogwuMike:

Many Nigerians are fighting for their right to succeed in Nigeria.

The truth is, Nigeria is not structured to produce many successful individuals.

This delusion started in church. Now, it is everywhere, with every establishment promising to bring a certain percent of Nigerians out of poverty and into the Millionaire’s club.

Cute.

Anyone with cerebral capacity would know this is wishful thinking – something perpetuated by those who believe in the miraculous works of a god OR those who just believe because "belief" is such a cute way to live.

It is impossible to make millionaires out of Nigeria beyond a certain number.

The majority of people will be poor.

And it is not directly their fault. The tragedy of Nigeria has little to do with the willpower or grit of the masses.

It has everything to do with zero amenities to build anything beyond a kiosk on the street for most people.

In Nigeria, the sky is not big enough. The sky is a little circle and it can only occupy a few people.

Why?

There are no grants, no loans, no electricity, no transport network, no real mentors, no education, no justice system, no freedom, no libraries, no hubs open to as many people as possible to build success.

What we have are churches. Then we have conferences. We have philanthropists. And we have motivational speakers – in every shape and form, from the churchrat to the rich.

Nigerians are an experiment for anyone who can give bread.

These are not the elements that propel or fulfil the mandate to succeed.

Nigeria cannot accommodate too many success stories. These so-called millionaires in the making would need the infrastructure of the state to work out their salvation.

Where is the infrastructure?

A state or country that has no infrastructure is the biggest limitation to any dream.

When you get that loan, you'll be investing 80% of it in building your own infrastructure. You are your own Republic.

You may call this pessimism.

I think many people need to be rationally pessimistic. Your Nigerian optimism will keep you poor, beggarly and DESPERATE.

And this is what people rely on to drive you towards a direction – to think a certain way.

Trade this pathetic optimism for rational thinking.

You are desperate for food. Desperate to slay on Instagram. You cannot wait to pepperdem…

Even your reasons for success are invalid. Because you have no real "education", no knowledge.

We need more rational pessimists to deal with the problem called Nigeria as it affects them personally.

I think our optimism is disgraceful.

Nigeria has very little to give.

Take for example…

One grant opportunity for 30 million people.

4000 megawatts electricity to power the dreams of 100 million people.

1000 jobs available for 1.7 million graduates.

Only social media gives you unlimited access and that is why you are all here. That is why your only real ambition is being savage.

“Just believe” and other cute quotes might work in America, but it sure as hell will not work in Nigeria.

Your belief is not in doubt. But your country doesn't have piped water. And even if you wish to be the one to fix that problem, Nigeria and Nigerians will frustrate you to a point you will leave all for God.

Did you hear about the hotelier who built a fancy hotel in one of these states, and decided to give electricity from his hotel to the entire community where he launched his hotel?

Ok.

Area boys harrassed the establishment, asking for money before he could distribute electricity to the community - a community where these dunderheads and their families live.

So, the hotelier decided not to give free electricity, and focused only on 24/hr electricity for his hotel.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Nigeria.

What we need is a mental shift.

Unless your millions will come from your paddy who is a newly elected commissioner or governor...

Your route to become successful is not paved with thorns... It is paved with death.

Of course, this shouldn't stop you from succeeding at your best... but it should stop you from being everybody's lab rat.

If you have electricity and well programmed grants from established national/corporate institutions, with profound education to boot… you can believe in anything.

But if you have fluctuating electricity destroying your home appliances - your fridge, television, phone charger etc… what you need is a system that allows you to sue the electricity provider.

If you have a car accident and your flesh is burnt to a crisp, what you need is good health system.

If you are sexually molested, you need the police to take you seriously and prosecute the abuser.

If you don’t have a country that works, you cannot have a bunch of people to ever rise beyond hand-to-mouth.
.

Anything they tell you is fancy. But it will not change your status.

It may change a few. But this Nigerian sky cannot take more than a few.

The people who succeed in Nigeria are…

1. Politicians (because oil and corruption).

2. A few musicians (because afro pop is like melanin – it’s a trend)

3. Fraudsters.

4. Those who have been thinking about wealth long before it was necessary to be obsessed with wealth, so they’ve done everything and have finally come to a place of knowing.

5. And then there are the ones who "fell" on wealth, like pregnancy… because right timing, coincidence, luck and some kind of grace.

6. And of course, those who are employees at multinational companies, travelling the world on company account, and investing their money wisely out of Nigeria (these are my favourite Nigerians).

This bunch of people are not up to 10% of the populace (jaguda statistics).

The rest of you will have to run small businesses and record small victories.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

What gets my goat is promises made that do not align with the reality of the immense lack of basic physical and organisational structure and facilities in Nigeria.

We do not have a functioning society. We cannot produce what we do not have the capacity to produce.

Is this supposed to make you feel hopeless?

No.

This is supposed to make every abracadabra an entertainment of sort, taken with a pinch of salt.

Nigeria will take alot from you. If you can leave, leave.

Not to worry, there are over 190 million Nigerians in Nigeria. There's stilll too many people fighting to get access to the same resources.

So go!

But if you don't have much of a choice, don't end up as a circus animal for every magician.

Nigeria will take alot from you. But do not let Nigeria steal your wit.



Credit: Joy Isi Bewaji

So true...

A wasted country indeed

It is people like you that supposed to be our president

Nigeria is a failed country, it offers no hope for it's millions of inhabitants.

Bulls eye!!! Nothing more, nothing less!!

Well captured.

...Nigeria will take alot from you. But do not let Nigeria steal your wit...


Each time I think about the sorry state of Nigeria I can't help but feel depressed because I didn't fail Nigeria, Nigeria failed me. I have lived as patriotic as any well meaning citizen would. I pay my taxes like clockwork, do my bit to assist others but all to what end ?

This country keeps taking without giving back, killing it's young, plundering our collective resources and they won't stop until you're completely drained of empathy, you become insensitive and indifferent to the sufferings that abound.

We wake up everyday to news of kidnapping, violent deaths, villages getting raided with women raped and children slaughtered and we'd act as if nothing happened. Nobody is held accountable. Our humanity slowly is eroding away.

Alas! Nigeria will implode on itself because everything that could go wrong has already gone wrong. The light you think you see at the end of the tunnel is only but an incoming train that will smash you to smithereens. We need nothing short of a revolution to turn things around or we can go the easy way by leaving Nigeria - watch from afar.

#exhales deeply...I won't loose my wit over this shithole!

Nothing motivates me to pay tax in this country. It good road, 24hours power supply, pipe born water, convenient environment, employment or what??. What a worthless nation. You die for the nation on your own. Spit

I think so.. Let me add this, check around you, scroll through your phone, browse your facebook and twitter contacts, how many people can you vouch for to contest for any elective position in Nigeria without messing up?

The rot is within the community.

The country is presently irredeemable

It's frustrating