Nigeria needs to begin a regime of deep intellectual conversation. Until we do that we cannot advance as a nation. No one is challenging the central bank’s power to protect our financial system by banning bitcoin and cryptos. But in the course of its work, the citizens will prefer a more nuanced and intellectually engaging playbook. You build through ecosystems. Read this comment here.
The emperor has spoken! No reasons, no explanations, just absolute compliance! That was how the Boko Haram founder was killed, and the country is yet to emerge from that strategic blunder.
We do not know how to engage in intellectual debates, we do not know how to experiment; all we do with reckless abandon is issuing orders and reining insults on whoever disagrees.
The dearth of leadership qualities is dizzying and alarming, and the outcome has been a dysfunctional system all round.
You flog a child, you refuse to tell him the reason for the lashing, and still warn him not to cry! This is how Nigeria handles her citizens.
Until we learn how to communicate and debate intelligently, we will keep botching everything here.
Our shortcomings and inadequacies are too many, yet we have zero desire or ambition to improve.
Nigeria, we hail thee!
(Francis Oguaju on Tekedia Comment section)
As a student in Johns Hopkins University, the National Science Foundation, one of the highest bodies driving the United States science and technology policies, invited me to join a committee. I was a foreign student and America wanted that insight. I sat on a committee with eminent professors and technology luminaries for four years; I learned from them, and they got some insights from me!
By the time I was done, an electrical engineering student became a policy expert. I wrote a book – Nanotechnology and Microelectronics: Global Diffusion, Economics & Policy. That book is on display in my department in the university, and it later received the IGI Global Book of the Year award.
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That is America. But in my native country – would the government even care to talk to its CEOs and scholars consultatively before big policy changes (forget the “common students”). We must learn that playbook because that is our missing link on how to build, nurture and advance modern ecosystems in commerce. The fiat style will not advance Nigeria.
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In Nigeria, everyone is talking, even those who ordinarily should do more of listening and learning are also shouting, it doesn’t help anyone.
Some have argued that those who play in a sector should be the ones chasing policymakers and regulators, but ask them why those public servants earn salaries, they will no longer know what to say. Whether it’s sheer ignorance or just wanting to be heard, we have a way of defending the indefensible, and rationalizing the irrational. People are paid to formulate policies that will grow the economy and advance wellbeing of citizens, yet somehow some believe it’s now the citizens’ responsibility to persuade these folks to hear them out.
We have educated illiterates in large numbers, and it keeps affecting quality of thinking and soundness of judgement.
This economy is in terrible shape, so every thinking being in public office ordinarily ought to be attentive and curious about any innovation or activity that could help elevate the economy. But in Nigeria’s case, we are allergic to debates, else they turn to shouting match, no substance.
The media has lost relevance, nobody is capable of vigorously interrogating authorities, forcing them to convincingly defend their policy positions.