Economic Growth is Killing Us!

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing economic growth of around 4.6%. Nigeria is one of those countries that is reporting GDP growth in spite of a high level of poverty. Poverty that is driven by high rates of unemployment and low wage levels. And exacerbated by poor facilities and infrastructure development across the country. However, there is growth in the services and financial sectors. There is some suggestion that there is significant growth in the agricultural sector but that is disputable given the large scale importation of food and the limited investment in farming ventures. There is no reporting of a huge rise in financing for small to medium scale farming. 

The wealth gap in Nigeria remains as wide as ever; and given the growth in the economy it is most likely expanding. So some people are getting wealthier while poverty and underdevelopment continue to plague more of the country. There is very little use in railing against corruption in the country. There is very little appetite in government or big business to tackle that. But I do wonder what is happening to all the money coming from the economic growth. Chances are that it is mostly being spent on luxury and indulgence. There is a boom in high value property development that only a few can afford and often lies vacant for extended periods. A huge amount of money is expended on sending children to study abroad; a necessity given the wretched state of the local education system. A lot of wealthy people send money abroad to invest in property in countries with flatter economic growth but greater social stability. 

So it turns out that rather than investing in local services and facilities (transportation, low income housing, small scale farming, manufacturing) the rich would prefer to buy luxury goods and send their wealth abroad. Is it a surprise that inefficiency, corruption and robbery are now as much a staple as strong economic growth? It is a pity that Nigerians think so little of building up the same place that they are so thankful to for enriching them.

Can You?

You can learn from somebody yet not be inferior 

You can lift somebody up but not be superior 

You can better a person and refrain from being imperious 

You can have pride and still be curious 

You can be developing and still be rich in heritage 

You can be developed and still find ways to engage

You can be human and that doesn't make you intelligent 

You can't stand by in apathy and want to be ascendant 

Fewer Guns More of You

There is no enlightenment in the barrel or butt of a gun. You may use a gun to defend yourself but it won't keep you safe. You may shoot back at those oppressing you but it won't make you equal. You may wave it in the air but it won't ease your fear. You may point it at another person but it won't shield your back. Whether you take up arms in the pursuit of freedom or conquest, the bloodshed never validates your cause. Each time you fire that gun, in fun or to kill; a little bit of you dies as well. 

Time to Campaign for Better Care

It is unfortunate that Nigeria has developed a culture that places more value on charity rather than on empowerment. In a country with significant wealth inequalities the privileged prefer to maintain their exalted status and only endow those in their immediate circle of relationships. Charitable work is confined to giving handouts. Very little thought is given to uplifting the circumstances of people's lives or integrating the disabled into the society. Too many people prefer to use the disabled as a photo opportunity rather than catering to their real needs. 

The Federal and State Governments are the foremost culprits in this systematic cycle of neglect and abandonment. Very little investment is made in the care and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Majority of disabled people are reduced to begging on streets because no provision is made to support them in education or help them into employment. Tragically now disabled people don't envisage any prospect other than panhandling as a means to an income. This has created an underclass of destitution and poverty. 

It's time that the Government instituted a national programme for the care of all children with disabilities. This should include treatment, care and educational provision. Social care and training should be provided for all adults with disabilities. Banning begging and getting beggars of the streets will not change the culture of neglect that has become endemic in this society. 

Taboo

In times gone by there was a very strong sense of duty, chivalry and the forbidden. duty is still a highly spoken about quality that is aspired to by all those who wish to make great strides in life. Chivalry is a somewhat sullied characteristic but has been subsumed by the less chauvinistic attribute of empathy. However, it does appear that we have lost a sense of the forbidden. There just isn't the same aversion to taboo that there used to be. 

These days some people are finding it to easy to kill, rape and abuse others. There are people who are trying to advocate for the legitimising of paedophilia; or running around trying to make it harder to report and prosecute cases of rape. All of a sudden the needs of rape victims are being equated with the convenience of those accused of rape.

While a more tolerant and inclusive society is something we must continue to fight hard for, it is important that that doesn't allow apathy to dull our sense of wrong. For every right claimed there must be an obligatory duty to support it. 

Not So New Year

There's always a lot of joy in seeing in a new year. Whether that is because of the traditional family or government sponsored celebrations and New Year's Eve parties; or because it marks a common milestone in the lives of many people who we might otherwise have no connection to. A new year represents an advancement for individuals. However, it it's down to each person to determine whether that advancement takes the shape of improvement or entrenchment. For all of us every new year presents us with the dilemma of figuring out whether to pursue success and achievement by either continuing to do more of the same or by making changes, be they radical or subtle. Solving that dilemma ultimately sets the tone for how the rest of our year will go. We can either face our challenges with intelligence and courage. Or we can delude ourselves and continue down a path of futility and frustration. 

Happy New Year to one and all! May your struggles be real making your successes even more satisfying. 

Will the Internet Break Civilisation?

There has been a lot said about how the internet is ruining modern civilisation. It's been accused of being responsible for a breakdown of morals and an erosion of good values. People now have more capabilities to produce and distribute incendiary and provocative material. There is almost unlimited access to all manner of perverse and deviant pornography. Fraud has been given a new lease of life. Bullying is rife, whether it be petty commercial spamming or vitriolic personal attacks. It has become much easier to gain access to and groom vulnerable people. 

But as concerning as these are the single unifying thread that runs through them all is that they are all the acts of people. It would appear that after the many years of religion and civilisation human beings have not really evolved into better people. The truth though is that while the internet may be one of the means by which modern civilisation has been brought low, it's actually people who are the real cause of its downfall. After all, it's just as possible to visualise words as it is to view pornography and pictures. It takes no less effort to browse for the news or an enlightening article than it does to log on to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The things we do on the internet are all a matter of choice. The availability of diverse and perverse material doesn't automatically equate to universal desire to access it. But unfortunately it's people who both enjoy making and looking at disturbing material. It's also people who can't resist the urge to attack others while hiding under the anonymity of aliases and usernames. There are things that internet services can do to improve safety and security but primarily it's the human beings with access to the internet who need to be less predatory and more compassionate. Building up individual self esteem will give people less need to make themselves feel better by tearing others down.