We gon be alright
Why Nigerian optimism is blind
So Nigeria is officially in a recession. Which is just economic speak for, people are suffering in this country. Nigeria is in one of the lowest places it has ever been and every time I turn on the news it seems that she has sunk a little lower. Its written on the faces of the people as you pass them on the street and its echoed in the heavy sighs of millions of people whenever they are asked how they are by their colleagues.
Q: How are you?
A: *breaks into tears*
We’ve gone through hard times as a country before (or so I have heard), but this time seems different. Most other times when there’s suffering in the land it somehow manages to limit itself to the people who are already suffering; but this time, even those who were previously impervious to suffering are affected and they are sighing as well.
Me: Eya. Sorry.
Rich person: *wipes tears with one thousand naira note*
Somehow in all this the majority of Nigerians have managed to stay optimistic, some are even hopeful. You can tell these ones by their It is wells, E go betters, God deys and millions of other fluffy mantras that speak of certain deliverance from our present persecutions.
As if we are not the ones responsible for the situation we find ourselves in.
Nigerians are naturally one of the most optimistic people in the world. This is scientific fact. Some Colonial big wig person (cannot remember his name) in the beginning of the last century recorded that Nigerians are one of the happiest people on earth despite having a living circumstance that does not support happiness. This phenomenon has even been recorded in our pop culture; Fela Kuti famously wrote a song called “Shuffering and Shmiling” to highlight this particular characteristic of ours.
Now optimism is not a bad thing, in fact optimism is one of the most important traits a person can have. But there is optimism and there is Nigerian optimism and they are oh so different.
Let me tell you why Nigerian optimism is different.
The average Nigerian does not take responsibility for this country. Watch interviews on TV and see the general outlook: Everything is the Governments fault and responsibility to fix. Or the President. Or the senate. Or the traffic warden. Or the devil. Never them. The fact is that a few Nigerians are responsible for putting us into the position but every single Nigerian is responsible for keeping us in this position.
Nigerians are okay with being optimistic and not doing anything to make Nigeria better. Saying, in their churchiest voice, it is well, absolves us from the responsibility of making it well. Organizing National Prayer Conferences and tweeting prayers are the only things most Nigerians are willing to do. In fact, Nigerians will do things that are detrimental to the survival of this country and will somehow manage to still be hopeful that it would be better.
HOW?
Somehow this Nigerian Optimism has something to do with our wide spread, superficial religiosity. This our religion that does not affect our behavior, that does not motivate us to do our part. This religion that does not make us or our country better. How is it possible that we are a very religious country but we still are the most (allegedly) corrupt country in the world?
Guys, listen.
God is NOT going to come down and fix our problems when the solutions are in our hands.
We cannot wish or hope our problems away.
Nigeria will never get better if Nigerians don’t take responsibility for her well being.
Nigeria will never be better if we are just relying on prayers and our optimism.
Nigeria will never be better if every Nigerian doesn’t make the conscious effort to make it better.
Every Nigerian can do something to make Nigeria better, no matter how small it may seem.
So actually, no, we ain’t gon be alright.
Not if we continue like this.
