I am an avid reader. Books, articles, anything, and I am reading them. As a self-proclaimed introvert, it is my way of experiencing the world. Of living life through different perspectives and lenses.
One of my favorite things to read is economic success stories. The journeys of Ireland, India, and Poland from the 2010s to the 2020s have been particularly inspiring. They show that change is possible, and this belief fuels my passion for Nigeria's development.
I live in Ireland, and while there is some truth to this success story, I believe it's a fad (a quickly typed out rant won't suffice to explain why). I've always been curious about India. In many ways, they are similar to my genuine concern - Nigeria and Africa.
Whenever I read a news article stating that xx million people have been lifted above the poverty line, I do a silent fist pump and pray to see my fellow countrymen experience the same. When I interact with some of my Indian acquaintances, their moods are much more sober as they aren't as convinced by the Economist articles (and that's okay).
Not to digress too much, I recently spent 4 days in Poland and was like a journalist on a mission. I interact with people and assess every service I can find. I landed at Kraków International Airport, and its newness and sophistication (forgive me, most of my airport time has been spent at Murtala Mohammed and Dublin Airport) were good signs. I knew not to be taken in too far. A well-known trick in the playbook is to make it seem like you're doing well, you contract to build the fanciest airport, a facade hiding how bad your country is doing.
Across the next couple of days, the cleanliness, orderliness, and ease of transportation were again outstanding. At this point, I am tired of calling out Ireland, which has not added a single track to the Dublin Luas line since 2008. And there is no single tram system in Cork or Galway. The transport and law and order test passed, and I moved on to real-life interviews.
I had a simple question - "I have read about all these GDP numbers, I know how fake those can be, do you think your life is now better?" I was met with grudging yeses - it's no mean feat for anyone to acknowledge their country is doing something right. We always have something to complain about. It's human nature.
So, Poland is doing it. South Asia has done it. The Middle East has done it (albeit superbly aided by that gooey stuff). Why can no country in Sub-Saharan Africa do it? Why is every news story coming out of what was once a beacon of hope? South Africa has been grim recently.
Many more learned and experienced people have spent more time thinking about this than I have. I can't deign to understand the complexities of the havoc of slavery and colonialism, and more recently, neo-colonialism has wreaked havoc on the social-political landscape of the continent.
I have a front row seat to how my generation and I perceive our country. The Poles have a vision for themselves, where their country is, and where it should be. From the outside perspective, everything they do in that country is directed towards this goal.
What is the Nigerian dream? Should our country provide a decent quality of life for everyone? Do we believe our country should be a leader in free speech? Should our country be a leading source of technology and scientific innovation? Or are we more passionate about the arts? These questions should drive our collective vision, but we lack a consensus.
I don't know if there is a consensus, our political parties have zero ideologies. If we ask for a scorecard, we can be quoted the number of boreholes installed in the last quarter. What I know is, sadly, we all see this system, and our dream begins to be as insulated from it as possible. We all dream of a new passport. One that likes being born again, washes our sins of our green one, one we can present with inner glee as we transit through the beautiful functional airports countries with vision have built.
I am angry. I am angry at my country, and I am angry at myself for choosing to save myself. This anger is not born out of hate but a deep love for Nigeria and a burning desire to see it reach its full potential. I am angry because I ask myself, what have I done to dream for my country?
I tell myself and my friends when we go through difficult moments, "For how long can the world deny your genius?". With Nigeria, there is no genius, dream, or vision, and we need to fix that.
Saturday, 17th May, 2025. Krakow, Poland
