The Nigerian Dream!!!

On February 27, 2014, Nigerians, or should I say, the Nigerian government celebrated the 100th year of the creation of the geographical entity called Nigeria, courtesy the 1914 amalgamation of the Colony of Lagos and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria with the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria by Lord Frederick Lugard. 

Now 100 years old, Nigeria has grown in different facets, from being the most populous black nation in the world and a big brother in the West African sub-region, to the democratic/military government fluctuation from independence in 1960 to 1999 when democracy was finally embraced as the stabiliser of the polity and the military made to return to the barracks -15 years now entailing for good.

In as much as these indicate the progressiveness of Nigeria, the Nigerian Dream has long been cut short by countless appalling scenarios that have continued to inhibit the manifestation of a true giant of Africa she has long presumed herself to be but has been snail-achieved, no thanks to the narrow-mindedness and selfishness of her leaders and a host of the led.  

Dreams do come true but what makes a dream come true are the tenacious steps employed towards achieving them, which most times are sacrificial and painstaking. 

In as much as every nation has its unique headache, the self-imposed economic and political advancement hindrance has been the wall to the progressiveness of Nigeria which daily builds the anxiety on when the dividends of democracy would be paid to the daily lives of Nigerians that would in the medium run, drive a significant and economic friendly level of foreign direct investment and build the tourism potentials of Africa’s most populous State. 

However, the self-imposed economic and political advancement hindrance entailing and not limited to the growing level of corruption by the untouchables in President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet, incessant power failure, and of course the embarrassing, abysmal and intensified killings in the North East zone of the country by Boko Haram have in very big measures driven the unproductiveness of many Nigerians and stalled the economic buoyancy of the country –beyond the celebrated 510 billion USD – which have had a cyclical effect on Nigeria being tagged a No-Go-Area a number of times by the Super powers, the wastages of capital and recurrent expenditures as a result of monies incurred on the infrastructures destroyed by Boko Haram, as well as the financial misappropriation by the untouchables in government. Only if Nigeria had gotten it right, the rebased GDP figures would have been at a higher number, possibly in trillions of dollars which would be reflective in the standard of living of the country, as the Per Capital Income (P.C.I.) would significantly grow to tens of thousands of dollars, as against the $2,937.5 it currently is. 

The PCI significantly captures the GDP effect on the general populace and should be a benchmark for celebration as against just the rebased GDP. 

Bearing in mind that the population of Nigeria is far above Egypt and South Africa, her Per Capita Income at $2,937.5 (a rise from $2,800.00 the previous year) is still significantly lower than Egypt’s and South Africa’s $6,600.00 and $11,500.00 respectively entailing that much more still has to be done in driving the economic prosperity of all in Nigeria and not a few, as Egyptians and South Africans (in the vast majority) are better off than Nigerians and these countries holistically are more efficiently productive than Nigeria. 

With the rebased figures putting Nigeria’s economy as the biggest in Africa and the 26th largest in the whole world, then the big questions are “has the economy of Nigeria realistically leap frogged Egypt and South Africa and are Nigerians (in the vast majority) better off than their counterparts in Egypt and South Africa? 

The Nigerian Dream isn’t about consistency in the practise of democracy, the fat salaries earned by the legislators across the federation, the 680million USD rebased GDP, nor the camouflage nature of the uniforms of the police –which by all indication was initiated to make them look more professional – but the Nigerian Dream is all about the passion inherent in the political class (especially members of the executive and legislature) and citizens as a whole to hold the nation dear to their heart and fight for her continued prosperity in unity and love irrespective of the religious and tribal divide that makes Nigeria a geographical entity. 

These said, the realisation of the Nigerian Dream would be made meaningful when:

1.       All Nigerians exude a remarkable level of patriotism for the country, which would be evident in the reduced emigration crave to Dream countries “United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Malaysia, Germany and South Africa, as these countries are widely considered as destination point to efficiently reroute the realization of one’s dreams. 

2.       Corruption is no longer a free for all and a drastic clamp down on corrupt individuals is regularly achieved, thereby making Nigeria a red-zone for the economic terrorist (corruption).   

3.       There is a widespread peaceful coexistence of Nigerians across the various strata of individual difference, especially religious and ethnicity. 

4.       There is a an extensive significant improvement in the power generation capability of Nigeria, which would be greatly reflected in the Foreign Direct Investment drive in the country, as well as the self employment-ability and entrepreneurship of Nigerians (Local-content Investment Drive). 

5.       The availability of infrastructural facilities like good roads network, transport system, water supply system and efficient telecommunications services which would have an increased and significantly improved multiplier in driving efficiency in production.

6.       A diffused development of all states in the federation, dwindling the uncontrolled migration to Lagos State. This is pivotal as it would reduce congestion in Lagos and also make other states a port of call for investment activities.    

7.       An improved healthcare system and education system, driving brain gain. 

8.       Nigeria is the cynosure of the international community for the RIGHT REASONS, as against the insecurity tensions, financial misappropriation/corruption etc that repeatedly headlines it attention.

Conclusively, the Nigerian Dream which should be devoid of individualism but full of what I would call “collectivism” should be aimed at a successful country in which positive stories told of its economic and political progressiveness doesn’t bring its validity to questioning in the local and international community but a cue for other governments and nationals to follow and emulate, whilst using Nigeria as an epitome of reflective economic and political progress. 

God bless Nigeria.

A Sunday to Remember!

Woke up into the light, but a joke

The morning in my room seemed

As the darkness loomed the day into the night

Seven in the monring it was

Eleven at night it seemed

The defaced room I faced 

A night without the moon it placed 

Was a thought fought of being a reality

As like a cast in a scary movie

I was scared of an end to the last of my character

The poke to my face by the smoke 

Was a feel of a poke by a stranger on facebook

With my books smoked up

And my throat chocked up

With tears in my eyes, I was locked up

Everywhere traced was with fire

Nowhere laced by wire

To thank God for his grace is never dire

In my heart forever it posts

That Sunday to remember the most.

Written and composed by Taiwo, Kehinde Oluwaseyi

This poem is dedicated to God for his grace over my life in the early hours of Sunday, February 16, 2014, when my room was gutted by fire.

Like the poem title denotes, that day would always be a Sunday to remember and importantly thank God for.

BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

Sow my words below your heart

Blow your mind

Your love I reap

My words, as beautiful as a rainbow

Raining your mind like an arrow

I have the flow to make you get low

Blow your mind

Take a mow through your heart

Feel its beat like a stethoscope

Not a doctor  

You breakdown, I tow you safely

Blow your mind

Its strings ring your heart

Won’t make you cry but bring you joy

And make you fly, so real and not as a toy

My words flow through your blood

Gone in 60 seconds, No need for speed

I have the last formula, but not number 1

Fast paced, laced on your mind

Blow your mind.

 
Written and Composed by Taiwo, Kehinde Oluwaseyi

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: A tool to achieving an equitable State

Basic Necessities of life: 

In my words, the Basic Necessities of life are what is needed for man’s daily living irrespective of where one is. These basic necessities also influence how well the break of everyday is anticipated by all humans. From the latter words, it can be concluded that these needs are paramount to life being meaningful, as lack of these – Basic Necessities – lead one to disregarding the usefulness of life and at best, venturing into criminal activities, which puts one’s life in the line. 

What then are these basic necessities of life? While I was still in elementary school – some 18 years ago – I remember being taught several times that the Basic Necessities of life are Food (Water), Clothing and Shelter.

However, a deep analysis of these further probes a handful of questions because worthy living is beyond food (water), shelter and clothing which is why I opine that American Psychologist, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs paint a perfect picture of what the Basic Necessities of life is all about. This is the basis for this article.

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

Abraham Maslow, the great American Psychologist saw things differently. With the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a pyramid was designed to illustrate the hierarchical fulfillment of human needs in 5 broad stages. In Saul Mcleaod’s view, “Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that individuals possess a set of motivational systems unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires. “Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. 

In as much as the needs and wants of man are insatiable due to their disparity nature, as well as man’s desire for more, I opine that the quest for the satisfaction of these needs is optimised by the nature of the environment (laws/rules and security of the land and the developmental progress of the neighbourhood).

According to Maslow, these needs as indicated in ascending order in the pyramid below are; Physiological, Safety, Social, Esteem and Self Actualisation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological Needs: This comprises air, food, drink (water), shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. Simply put, they are the Basic “living or existence characteristics of humans”. Thus the physiological needs are those needs that speak to man being optimally alive. 

Safety Needs: These are those needs that are important to the security of man being achieved. These wide ranging component of Safety Needs include; security, law and order on the land, freedom from fear and stability.

Social Needs: The social needs of Maslow are those which speaks to the interrelationship of man with individuals in his family, society, place of work and even the opposite sex, especially romantic relationship.

Esteem Needs: These needs are squarely on the respect of one and the society at large. 

Self Actualisation Needs: This is centred on the peak of one in ones set goals and objectives. Self actualisation needs are what speaks to the success of an individual, having assiduously achieved his or her immediate and long term goals and objectives.

The above needs propounded by Maslow were classified into Basic or (deficiency) and growth needs. The Basic needs comprise the first four needs in the pyramid – in ascending order -, while the growth needs is solely the last item – the self actualisation need. 

Having had a brief of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is time we employed these needs in speaking to how they can serve as a tool to achieving an equitable State, thereby driving the achievement of the economic significance of a given geographical entity in the global political and economic space. 

The employ of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in driving an equitable economy

In driving equitable economy, the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs would be grouped into 2, the Primary Necessities and the Secondary Necessities.

1. The Primary Necessities:  

As noted earlier, the Physiological needs comprise air, food, drink (water), shelter, warmth, sex and sleep while the Safety needs comprise laws, rules and regulation with the safety and security of an individual achieved. 

However, a key study of these first 2 needs from Maslow Hierarchy of needs exude that the satisfaction of these needs are largely dependent on the laws and rules of the land of the land with respect to safety needs.

In addition, the policies of government (which also fall into laws) on the production activities by the government and the private sector in meeting the availability of food, water and even the air speaks to the sensitivity of government in taking serious business the drive for economic efficiency which speaks to the physiological needs. For example, the one child policy by the Chinese government hugely contributed in the population control of the country, thereby strengthening its economic planning and prosperity drive. 

The safety and physiological needs are therefore grouped into what I call the Primary Necessities.  By the primary necessities, I mean those fundamental activities by the government in making life meaningful to its citizenries and foreigners alike. To this end, the effectiveness of these primary necessities are gauged by the activities of the government or state on the meaningfulness of the Primary Necessities – Physiological and Safety needs – to  the entirety of the populace within the given geographical location, especially a country. 

In order words, the primary necessities are those needs guided by laws which are paramount to driving economic prosperity through the short term spur of individuals in the country. If people are not encouraged to venture into productive activities, then there is a problem in the nation in question because even foreigners would be discouraged from immigrating into the country, thus adversely affecting the Foreign Direct Investment (F.D.I.).

The primary necessities (Physiological and Safety needs) are integral to a country reducing its poverty level, as well as driving the economic prosperity of its citizenries which in the intermediate and long run affects the social, esteem and self actualisation needs.  

2.         The Secondary Necessities:

On the flip, the Social Needs, Esteem and Self Actualisation Needs are what I call the Secondary Necessities. 

By secondary necessities, I mean those needs whose achievement is determined by the efficiency of the primary necessities earlier discussed. 

The social needs, especially in this modern age are met when the primary necessities – Physiological and Safety Needs – are met. The meeting of the esteem and self actualisation needs are also controlled by the primary necessities, as determined, controlled and made efficient by the government.

  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a tool in driving economic efficiency by the government of a nation

 The absence of laws in a state entails the presence of anarchy and the neglect/inability of government to make the right laws and policies, especially economically sheds light on the level of meaningfulness of Maslow’s pyramid of needs to the populace in the country.   

References:

McLeod, S. A. (2007). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Wikeipedia (2013). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs