Pathway to Becoming the Most Desirable Country to Live in on Earth

“It takes a village to raise a child”, is perhaps one of the most prominent African proverbs that has been globally accepted as valid in the last few decades.
It truly takes a village to do anything meaningful, no man is an island. Self- isolation is no longer a thing in our fast changing world.
Every developed country today has successful communities.
Unfortunately for us in Nigeria, we have abandoned our communal living system where each one looks for the good of the other for a system of, “me, myself and I”, where each one aspires to outshine the other by using long knives to take a large chunk from the national cake not minding who gets hurt in the process all in a bid to become the biggest man in the community.
If you start a business in most Nigerian villages today and employ the villagers, you will be surprised that your employees will individually and collectively embark on a mission to steal from the business till the business runs down.
We do not desire to be a part of something meaningful, to be a part of an organization that can outlive a generation, rather almost everyone seem to be on a race to steal, to embezzle and to destroy any innovative idea or economic endeavour for personal gains.
We forget the impact of those small scale businesses in our communities and how important it is for us to sustain those businesses for the good of our communities.
People steal from the organization where they work till the organization folds up. They don’t mind becoming unemployed as far as they have something for their individual self.
How Nigerians become proud of being a part of many failed businesses and become unemployed thereafter is still a subject of mystery that needs to be properly studied by psychologists.
How did we lose our communal living system?
We do not seem to have an understanding of communal growth & development.
On the other hand, we have a colony of employers who will not pay their workers as and when due even when the business is making money, they will rather paint the town red while they keep their employees in penury.
Government at all levels consistently create policies that will ruin businesses, discourage innovation, demoralize industrious spirit and dishearten integrity.
Employees consistently embark on a stealing spree until businesses run down and close shop.
Employers make decisions that negatively impact on the well-being of their employees.
Everyone seem to be on a race to run down the economic value chain, ruin the country and categorize those who do the right thing as, “idiots”.
We need to understand that one wealthy man in the midst of many poor people is simply a community of poor people.
Our religious, traditional, thought and political leaders must begin to instil the essence of communal wealth, growth and development in us.
Why destroy public property because of personal gain?
Why put people in total darkness just because you want to have electricity? It just doesn’t make sense. People from developed countries help each other to grow and not ruin each other’s businesses.
Check most community associations in Nigeria and see serious corruption and lack of accountability, many people keep betraying their trust on daily basis.
If we truly desire development, we must learn how to build communal wealth.
We must encourage SME’s and do everything to make them sustainable as they are the engine room of our economy.
This goal to be the sole wealthy person in the community is evil and the surest pathway to poverty.
Only communal wealth is sustainable; everybody must have something according to their ability.
Entrepreneurs within the community must set up businesses.
Many more within the community must focus on how to expand the frontiers of businesses set up by entrepreneurs.
Shareholders and Directors must make sound decisions for the company and take good care of their employees while embarking on meaningful CSR projects.
Policy makers must consistently create avenues that will make businesses thrive and implement policies that will make citizens have access to food, clothing & shelter easily without having to cheat each other.
Law enforcement agents must fish out individuals whose activities will negatively affect the economy.
The judicial system must punish erring members of the public.
It must be clear to everyone; male or female no matter the religion or ethnic identity that there are consequences to every action. All animals must be equal and none shall be more equal than others.
There must be structures to reward innovation, hard work, excellent character and those with dubious character must also have their reward. Everyone must be rewarded accordingly.
Good societies and economically vibrant economies do not fall from heaven they are birth by the collaborative effort of all and sundry.
Everyone is a leader in his or her own right.
Painters, Drivers, Mechanics, Panel beaters, Security guards, Tailors, Shoemakers, Drycleaners, Barbers, Hair dressers, Traders… have an impact on the economy as much as Pilots, Teachers, Stock brokers, Doctors, Legal practitioners, Engineers, Geologists… everyone is needed on the economic chain. Everyone brings value to the table. Nothing grows the economy like productivity.
Thieves, Corrupt politicians, Corrupt government officials, Pen robbers, Armed robbers, Internet fraudsters, 419ers, Yahoo yahoo folks, Petty thieves, Fraudulent folks… all bring great damage to our economy by creating wealth without adding value thereby creating an illusion that there is an easy way to wealth without adding value.
These actions must be adequately punished as a deterrent to others and not celebrated. Any religious, political, traditional, thought leader seeing celebrating any of these actions is doing a disservice to our country.
Once again, sustainable wealth is not built in isolation, it is as a result of the collaborative effort of everyone on the economic value chain.
Your actions on daily basis have an impact on Nigeria’s economy either positively or negatively. Act wisely.
God bless you!
God bless Nigeria!!