Why Nigeria is The Poverty Capital of The World
The Solution We’ve Got to Poverty in Nigeria
Right from when I was a boy there’s always been something in me that desired to be wealthy, I’d like to think that it is God that put that desire in me even as a child. As such, I put myself on a path to continuous personal development very early on in life.
I’ve read a number of books and I’ve attended a number of seminars and conferences all in the pursuit of knowledge and personal transformation.
I can tell you this, poverty is a mind thing. It may sound cliché especially to Nigerians because we are very realistic and practical people. But I tell you it’s the truth.
POVERTY IS A MIND THING and as such you must first free yourself from mental poverty.
The Lion
The lion 🦁 is not the biggest animal in the jungle, neither is he the fastest. Even in the cat family, there are bigger, faster and fiercer cats like the tiger and cheetah. But the lion is regarded as the king 👑 of the animal kingdom mostly because of a positive self image the lion has of himself.
“…as he thinks in his heart so is he”
The Poverty Capital
Nigeria is regarded as the poverty capital of the world mainly because of mental poverty. When people say if you want to hide something from a black man put it in a book; what do you think that means. When you observe that comedy content easily goes viral and has become a major money maker in Nigeria much more than educational content, what do you think it means.
Most Nigerians are governed by the laws of self preservation, Even our leaders are plagued with it. This is why most Nigerians think of personal solutions to general problems.
This is why Nigeria still suffers electricity shortages but most Nigerians have a petrol generator
Nigeria has bad roads but most Nigerians pray to buy an SUV to survive the bad roads
Nigeria has zero water supply but most Nigerians have personal water supply (known as bore holes)
Nigeria has zero WiFi connectivity (even in government establishments) but we all have our personal internet and WiFi (this is why telecoms is booming in Nigeria)
Nigeria has security challenges but most Nigerians build their houses with high fences, gates and a security personnel at the gate.
PERSONAL SOLUTIONS TO GENERAL PROBLEMS
Until this mindset is reversed and we begin to see ourselves as a part of a whole rather than trying to be a whole by ourselves, Nigeria might not escape from poverty.
The Solution We’ve Got To Have
There’s always a clear difference between an entrepreneur who went into business to escape poverty and an entrepreneur who went into business to solve a problem.
If you really want to be rich on a personal level and not just get by, you must begin to expand your thinking towards others and making society; even your immediate surroundings better.
This is why I strongly believe that education that helps an individual think better, that helps him renew his mind is the best way to create lasting prosperity for one and for all.
This is one major thing I drive hard at my students at Digital Skill School. I tell them that Learning the tech skill is good for getting a job but continuous personal transformation is what will make you successful.
…
Check out the work I’m doing to develop tech talent in Nigeria — Digital Skill School
Send me a shoutout on LinkedIn
