By Nneka Okumazie
Lots of people fall into the trap of thinking Nigeria is a really terrible country. Some find ways to get another nationality. Some deny their origin, or ensure people don’t know they are from Nigeria.
But no matter what anyone sees or thinks, Nigeria is incomparably better than many countries in Africa and around the world.
Yes, there are problems and an enlightened mind should make comparisons with those ahead, but total focus on all the problems is how to go down – quickly.
There is no evil, wickedness, cronyism or nepotism in Nigeria that is unique to the country. There’s nothing bad in Nigeria that can’t be found – even worse – elsewhere.
The human nature – or its predilections – is possibly more responsible for the problems of Nigeria than of the making of the country.
There are nations with large population of all the major races that are totally backward. There are nations that don’t have the same challenges as Nigeria, but deal in the evil available to them.
There are people who complained about Nigeria until they had the chance to benefit from what they had described as dysfunctional.
There are people who have studied in great places, or exposed, but the thing they give back to society is to complain about Nigeria.
Complain, as the default response to anything, contributed to deception that had caused many to make mistakes.
Some just wanted to get out of Nigeria at all cost, because it is not a good country.
Yes, some people are oppressed, some are fleeing conflict, and there are specific situations for some, but there are too many cases of acting like some others – to just go and do anything.
In fact, moving temporarily or permanently to a new country should have a personal standard for those with a purpose: what they want to improve about that country and what they also want to realistically improve about their country of origin.
This would be a way to become an exceptionally valuable foreigner or citizen, aside basic economic, or pursuit of possessions.
In a general sense, failure of any developing country in the world is a failure of the world. It is a failure of knowledge and a success of selfish interest.
There are people who wanted to avoid common problems in the developing world, only to get to the developed world to face new problems – personal and societal.
There are common world problems that assuming Nigeria’s smartest were working on, could solve for billions of people around the world.
Nigeria has challenges but it is not that bad – assuming anyone thinks it is.
There possibilities for certain people who leave the country, but it is not always about leaving.
Importantly, there’s need for quality people: those who represent rectitude, or courage, or actual ingeniousness – in top positions.
Complain experts of Nigeria hate that the country has a Vice President who is a Pastor. They think that to be in that position means to be complicit – in whatever they imagine are the unique problems of the country.
The syndrome of the complaining people is always that everything is bad.
No matter what it is, the Pastor – Professor in that position is a lot of positives for the country, in what is known and unknown.
Many may not see anything good in Nigeria. Some may question why they were ever born, or why they were born in Nigeria. Some may advise others to stay away. Some may think that corruption has eaten up everything in Nigeria. Some may think there is no hope for Nigeria.
Whatever anyone thinks or believes, they should remember that,
[Matthew 25:29, For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.]
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