My final trip down memory took my down the path that is visible by many but avoided by many more. The path of realization. Realizing that life in Nigeria as whole is under attack. It might not be entirely clear because people are still going about their daily hustle and bustles and the media is pumping big bucks to constantly distract us, but believe it or not a battle is taking place. The bargaining chips are African lives, being mortgaged once again in histories book. And the prize? —Our land and resources. Just as it has always has been.
Due to the pressure, millions are leaving the country and although they can run, they can not hide.
“The claws of capitalism extend far and wide like an octopus touching many areas all at once”
What exactly are they running from? Poor governance, lack of opportunities, police brutality? A combination of all three and many more? Can I even blame them for running…? Absolutely not. The situation on ground in is literally life and death. And whenever one is given the choice between the two there is only one right and obvious answer people go for.
Before I proceed here are some facts I’d like to share to give you some context of what exactly we’re talking about here:
- According to data from World poverty clock around 86 million people are living in extreme poverty.
- 54% of young people are unemployed according to a 2020 survey by National Bureau of statistics.
- Nigeria has the 3rd lowest life expectancy in the world at the age of 53.6 years.
- Finally, Nigeria has the largest population of homeless people globally reaching a whopping 13% of the population which equates to 22 million.
Running away from your problems can never be a solution to fixing them. If everyone leaves then who will do the necessary work needed? Will a popular leader rise up and help liberate us like, Peter Obi, Atiku or even Donald Trump? Perhaps another global super power like Russia and China will swoop in and save us. Or maybe just maybe, Allah, Mohammed & Jesus will come to our rescue as people spend their whole lives waiting and praying for? Yep I’m going there. In this final part I will not only go there but dwell there, so a little disclaimer if you believe what we’re facing can be solved by any of the above then feel free to stop reading right here 🙂
If however, you are one of those (just like me) who understands the task at hand can never be outsourced to an external force, a liberator or prayed away, but rather it takes a more practical approach and you’re willing and open to explore it during and after this article then buckle up you’re in for a hell of a bumpy ride.
What seems to be the matter?
We are sick. How do I know? Well for one, numerous great Nigerian minds have spoken about this very illness as far back as the 60’s. Like any doctor would diagnose an ailment by examining symptoms, Nigeria can be examined in detail and it doesn’t take much analysis to come to the root of the problem. Most of the symptoms are crystal clear while others are on the subtle side. Some are even a symptom of a larger problem at play. One in particular I’d like to highlight is called brain drain. Nigeria is badly suffering from this. A brain drain is a scenario where the talented, skilled and competent people of a nation meant to empower and build it are being leeched, poached or through necessity forced to move elsewhere for better opportunities and use of their talent.
Japa is the phrase used commonly by the populous.
When a Nigerian in the west is celebrated as being the first do to ____ (dash) although it’s an achievement it’s not one I typically join in and celebrate. I mean it’s not like I’m not happy at all, because I genuinely am. What a wonderful thing someone is able to achieve through their efforts. Being the first whatever to do whatever. But I can’t help but think at the back of my mind… this talent should be nurtured in Nigeria and for the betterment of Nigerians not Nigeria’s oppressors.
If I ask a Nigerian the question do you have enemies? The responses will vary. You’ll probably hear answers like, Satan, Shaytan, African spirituality, neighbours, some random person in a community or village, a family member etc. However are these our true enemies?
I don’t think so. In fact, one the best tricks of the enemy is one of disguise. Posing as a friend when in reality being against me. Not too long ago I fell in the camp also of believing my enemy was a devil that needed to be cast. Prayed away in Mosques and Churches weekly in some kind of eternal battle. It wasn’t until I realized it wasn’t working, my enemies continued to live long lives, grow from strength to strength and have many children. Was it that my powers I was lead to believe failed me? Or because my target at the enemy wasn’t the real target or dare I say any real meaningful target at all. I was shooting blanks at a wall.
A book I recently read by Michael Parenti one of my mentors helped me massively in identifying how to spot an enemy. Ideally we like to believe we don’t have any real enemies (non spiritual) in society. However to think this especially as recovering African people that we don’t have enemies in this world is naive. Even if we don’t acknowledge our enemies our enemies most definitely acknowledges us.
The book is called how to Kill a nation, and it talks about the systematic and deliberate destruction of the former nation of Yugoslavia in the early 90’s. I couldn’t help but draw a parallel to Nigeria. One of the ways to spot an enemy mentioned in the book is by the language they use.
We must face our enemies, the real ones, not the diverted & imaginary ones that are drilled down minds on weekends. Our enemies live amongst us, are small in number and are extremely organized.
The time is now for a revolution or is it?
To start this part I’d like to share a short video by one of my favourite poets American activist and writer Gil Scott Heron.
The importance of a revolution being personal and in the individuals mind is essential for liberating ourselves. Nobody can do the work on our behalf of freedom, it’s a personal endeavour. Multiple people whom I consider intellects have mentioned this very point. A quote from the global revolutionary Che Guevara highlights this perfectly. In 1959 when the Cuban revolution took place to free the people, a US interviewer asked Che how does it feel to be a liberator of your nation and his response was pitch perfect.
I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves.
During my trip I spoke to taxi drivers, waiters, store owners and other members of the public to get a feeling for how they saw things. A lot of them mentioned their eagerness for this revolution but the issue was upon further questioning they were not quite sure how to go about it. While many mentioned only God will save them only a handful of the people I spoke to realized that the power was and has always been in their own hands.
On drive in particular back to mainland Ikeja from spending a weekend of enjoyment on the island I had a chat with my Uber driver Deji and we got into this very point. I shared with Deji information about the 3.5% rule. The 3.5% rule is a study done by Dr Erica Chenoworth from the US who has studied successful uprisings throughout history and found a common trait for success. One would think in order to make a significant political change you need a mass of people onboard but the opposite is the case, you need only 3.5% of the population to make a total change. That’s tiny.
Where do we go from here & our final call for action
We have to understand that although the majority know Nigeria is not working for them, for a select few however, Nigeria is heaven on earth. Works just fine if you ask them. It allows them to continue to extract the wealth of land without any pushback from the law and its people.
They rather not shake the table because they eat from that very table (albeit crumbs as Petit bourgeois a Frantz Fanon term but something they cherish nonetheless). And the popular phrase to never bite the hand that feeds you applies. So why the need for them to disrupt the status quo? Why should they want a revolution? The influencers, media, bankers, lawyers, musicians and celebrities that are all endorsed heavily by multinational corporations will simply lose their livelihood.
Our final call for action is that of collective action. There are multiple examples in history to learn from to solve the case of Nigeria. One just has to be historically sound to find the reference and similarities and solutions. The stage that Nigeria is in isn’t entirely foreign. Others have been there and come out on the other side of it.
A great example is China which in the 60’s were on par if not worst than Nigeria in terms of poverty and lack of development but today are no where near equals. In the course of 50 years or so China managed to uplift over 600 million people out of poverty. That figure is mind blowing for me. And because of this when a China man steps in the room he demands respect and is given it. You shut up and listen. Why? Because his nation has given him the power to do so. Even the racial elements that were once an issue for the Chinese are all but a thing of the past once economic power was created.
We must organise. Okay but how do we do that? Good question. I myself didn’t quite know what that meant. One of the most powerful books I’ve read in the last five years has been about this very element of organisation. Normally I gift a few copies of the book to close friends and I always keep one on my shelf for reference anytime I need answers. The book is called The Pedagogy of the oppressed by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire in 1970.
Paulo says the first step of organisation is dialogue. Dialogue is a two way form of communication. We must learn to listen to the others within our communities. For the case of Nigeria, the solution will be to setup community lead discussion groups and start to speak to one another. Disregarding lines that are drawn to divide us like religion, ethnicity, language, sexuality so on and so forth. This requires little to no money at all. For one we have the power of social media. Why not start there? We have the choice of choosing what we want to engage in, even though it’s heavily monitored and influenced it’s a choice nonetheless.
Paulo helped me understand on a deeper level that anyone who is anti-dialogical is an oppressor already or one in waiting once given the opportunity a concept Paulo speaks about in great detail. It’s my litmus test for real vs fake revolutionaries. By their very nature, oppressors don’t want to talk. They detest speaking to communities. They rather take action only. And often violently. Rather than find a way to preserve precious land by natives they will take it by military force where no words are exchanged only bullets.
Engaging our minds with groups, discussions and activities that move us forward is another step. Now don’t get me wrong that doesn’t mean don’t party, dance and do all the fun things in life. There is definitely space for that and the two can be done at the same time. However, if we are giving more time to watching dating shows, engaging in what I call “rage baiting” conversations based on hypotheticals like “who pays first for dates” or “men vs women” or “right or wrong in the eyes of God” rather than concrete discussions which move us forward as a people then we have a problem on our hands.
Moving on
At the end of the day the very people who in 1960 left physically from Nigeria but kept their hands and pockets firmly in Nigerian affairs have moved on from certain things.
They don’t cast out demons or burn people anymore at the stake even though they taught us that. They don’t beat their children, again even though they taught us that too. They don’t need people to work on foreign land instead they need the people to work on their own land and bring the harvest to them. A hands off approach.
They’ve simply moved on. They have moved on from the need of religion to the need of resources. All they left behind was a massive hole and the hope of Allah and Jesus to pick up the damage done. They left us with the illusion of hope while they escaped with all the meaningful and tangible things that can create it.
But all that is changing. Millions of people are taking the step to make a real change, the only change that matters…the change of ideology. To question all that we have been ever taught to us from young just like I did and my predecessors. They are embracing socialism and shunning cruel capitalism. They are taking the first step which is dialogue, just like I am by writing and sharing this with you.
