Let's Talk Naija: Why Are Nigerians Living In Abject Poverty Though Sourrounded By Sources of Incredible Wealth?

I really get frustrated when I read about the wealth nature has blessed Nigeria with. Today I’ll focus on Nigeria’s natural gas and hope you’ll join me and reason.

Nigeria has a proven reserve of 260 trillion cubic feet of Natural gas. (Someone once said that this will last this country for about more than 200 years). I also read that Nigeria's gas reserve is triple the nation's crude oil resources. I need not mention that we (Nigeria) are not fully harnessing our gas resources.

My big question is WHY? Why are we wallowing in poverty while we have so much wealth? Why is the average Nigerian living below $1 daily. Because a new poll result released by NOI Polls Limited has revealed that only about 2 in 10 (19 percent) Nigerians spend less than $1 a day on food while 80 percent spend over N160 ($1) daily says Vanguard.

This is absolutely unimaginable, but sadly it’s the truth. The thing is a lot of Nigerians don’t care and have psychologically put on an attitude of we will survive (in this hard condition! Really!!!) 

Nigerians are naturally resilient, and I applaud them. I am also one. But how long are we going to hope against hope that it will change? How long are we going to be pushed to the wall, erhm… actually behind the wall ? How long friends, how long?

We have Oil, Land, Gas, bitumen, Uranium, Marble, Lignite, Limestone, Iron Ore, Gypsium, Glass-sand, Gold, Dolomite Phosphate, Kaolin, Feldsper, Tatium, Granite,  Syenite quite an exhaustive list and  in large amounts.

I can go on and on about what we have in Nigeria, but one thing I’m convinced which I know is our key killer/problem/disease if you like is not just the absence of good leadership skill, but also our negative mindset. The not enough mindset, the slavery mindset. (A slave will always steal from his master because he feels he does the work and deserves extra. Sure enough, if he ain’t getting it, he should steal it). 

So this is our very big challenge or disease. Nigerians are free physically, but are not free psychologically. As we approach another independence celebration, I see it as 53^rd year of Psychological slavery. I’m not a pessimist, but isn’t this the truth?

You ask a young Nigerian: What will you do if you are appointed the Petroleum Minister? The answer you’ll get from 7 out of every 10 will be “I go chop my own first” and not I will try and repair the damage done. That’s the mindset, VERY Negative.

Some examples are: you are at the bustop in Oshodi, a bus stops what happens we rush to ensure I get in first. You are a policeman, someone offends or flouts  the law, you stop him instead of interrogating and making arrests when necessary, you remember your hungry family first and decide to get a N100 or more bribe to ensure that you have extra (as if that will feed your family), you are a public office holder and you need to release a contract, but of course you will give it to the highest bidder instead of the reverse (I’m talking of settlement-bribe) I can go on and on…

Until we purge our minds of this “not enough mindset” (even though its glaring that Nigeria has extremely enough) we’ll continue plunging into the depths of the Poverty Pit. When I say we, I say the middle class and below. (Believe it or not some – a handful of Nigerians put together have more than enough to feed the country).

 But how many can beat their chest that they have not stolen from the country’s purse, how many can write about their true source of their wealth so that others may learn?

Enough said. I encourage every Nigerian to ask him or herself do I have this "not enough" mindset?

If you do, it’s time to turn around and change.  What’s your take?

Photo Source: Google