The Type Of Nigerians Nigeria Needs

image: ripplesnigeria.com

We attribute too much of our current circumstance to politics -- from the days of colonial masters to Buhari's government of change. It is the government's fault that we are dependent on oil for foreign exchange earning. It is the government's fault that our educational system is substandard. It is the government's fault that we don't manufacture much. It is the government's fault that the agricultural sector is operating far below its potential. It is the government's fault that people are taking to crime. It is the government's fault that we import almost everything we consume. It is, probably, the government's fault that we are not born as citizens of a developed country like USA.

We blame the government rightly for the huge misdeeds they do, but we usually don't stop there. We also blame the government for the things that are our own faults.

Everyone -- citizens, civil servants and political office holders -- have distinct roles to play in making Nigeria great. 

Nigerians, not the government, are the ones who have to be innovative and apply their academic knowledge to build high performing manufacturing companies. We should be producing our own fertilizers. We should be producing our own toothpicks. We should be producing our own exportable technology. We should form proper pressure groups that police the government. We should take charge of our own small communities and not wait indefinitely for government to build drainage in front of our houses. We should live like modern humans with dignity and not like jungle folks.

It is said that a country gets the leaders it creates, as leaders are from among the people. If we become better Nigerians, then the bottom of the barrel folks will not rise to the top. If we set the standard of living and behavior, morally bankrupt people will hide for shame. 

The type of Nigerians we need, and should be, are genuinely creative hardworking Nigerians who will create the solution to the problems they see around rather than just blame it on the government. We need Nigerians who will genuinely care for the coming generation and seek to leave a better Nigeria behind. We need Nigerians who do more with the education they have and put in place the things we go looking for in the other countries.

The type of Nigerians we need begin with you and me.