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Na Naija we dey, how many times have you said those three words? How many times have you had it said to you? Those three words surface every time Nigerians want to sweep a wrong under the carpet or want to gloss over a wrong that can only happen in Nigeria.

Yesterday, I was on a bike and my driver was complaining about the state of the road; a road that had only months ago undergone some “repairs”, if you would call it that, but the recent rains; which have not being heavy had already started to eat its way through the road. I said those magical words that are often met with a sigh and resignation “Na Naija we dey” and to my surprise he replied, “So you want tell me say one good person no dey Nigeria?!” And sadly the answer is NO! And this is just me.

Here is why I think so. The chasm between the rich and the poor is so huge, such that the rich are getting richer and the poor even more so, in fact, if you say the ruling class has weaponized poverty, you would not be too far from the truth. That is why it is easy to offer youths “crumbs” to disrupt elections or protests targeted at police reform. But I digress, lemme get back to the point of this essay.

Poverty has corrupted us all, you might not agree but that is true, one of the major root causes of some of the problems we face in the country is poverty, plain and simple. Let us take the case of the subject matter that instigated this literature; building of accessible road networks. If government earmarks 10 million for the rehabilitation of a major road and gave it to the ordinary Nigerians to manage and oversee, I am almost certain that a huge percentage will shortage change the contract, with a huge sum going into their pockets. Those who are gracious enough to use the whole sum, will probably recruit friends and family instead of people who are actually experts in the field.

Nepotism is why electorates queue in line to vote the man who is from their state, region, local government or practices same religion as them instead of voting for the man who is best qualified for the job. Sigh.

In Nigeria, you are shamed for being honest, “chop your share of the national cake, no dey dull yourself”, a common phrase mostly hollered into the ears of those who try to do the right thing.

Sometime ago, I read a Twitter thread about a man who refused; rightly so, to let a car boycott traffic by illegally using a kerb by standing in its way. He narrated how insults were thrown at him by the driver and passengers of the said vehicle, even passerbys took turns to hurl insults at him, some even went as far as getting physical with him for doing the right thing! The truth is, the average Nigerian is a true representation of our leaders, the only difference is some of us may never get the opportunity to act on our innate impulses.

There are a few good men in Nigeria but sadly the construct and structure of the country has them drowning in a sea of manipulation, fear and corruption, their voices drowned by the incessant cry of hunger from their kin and folks.

Na Naija we dey, because we have been systematically programmed by a microscopic few to believe that the only way to function in this society is by cutting corners and jumping lines, well that is until we travel abroad to a system where things actually works.