THE NIGERIAN SPIRIT

“All my country has is spirit. We don’t have petroleum dollars...or great wealth in the ground...or the support of a worldwide opinion that looks favorably on us. All Israel has is the spirit of its people. And if the people lose their spirits, even the United States of America cannot save us”- Golda Meir, former Israeli prime minister.

The will to succeed is many times the single most important factor in the success stories we read about today. Thomas Edison was said to have made an astounding ten thousand attempts to create the filament light bulb. He didn’t allow the evidences of his failure to discourage him or else I wonder where we would be today without the electric light bulb.

In today’s Nigeria, there are so many proofs of a failed political and economic machinery- corruption in high and low places; a police force that has virtually become a terrorist entity; poverty and unemployment; rising crime rates; the ‘Never-Expect-Power-Always’ phenomenon; pothole-ridden roads that are guaranteed to wreck your new shock-absorbers, ethno-religious fracas etc.

Across the seas, Nigerians have earned themselves the image of a corrupt, dubious and conniving people. Two years ago, a report by the Merchant Risk Council(MRC), a coalition of over 200 leading online merchants around the world placed Nigeria second on the global electronic fraud list behind Yugoslavia, thanks to our zealous credit card schemers and online crooks. No, Nigeria is surely not the worst or most sinful nation on earth, but in our case, our misdeeds have cast a shadow over the more commendable and decorous things about us.
Looking beyond our failings, we see Nigerians making exemplary achievements both at home and abroad. We have produced great mathematicians, literary giants and renowned artists. In the music industry, we have the likes of Sade Adu, Seal, Fela Anikulapo-kuti etc. In the area of sports, we have distinguished ourselves by a unique flavor of football that is at best times, a delight to watch. Nigerians can be found everywhere great things are being done. There is a certain Remi Adefarasin making a name for himself in the esteemed American movie industry. Our own Agbani Darego brought the Miss World crown to Africa for the first time in the history of the competition. And now Nigeria can boast of her own GSM telecommunications outfit- Globacom, comparable to any other telecoms giant in the world.

This is the message: there is a Nigerian spirit that is better than what people have said it is. We have something within us that is greater than the ignominy that we have earned over the years. For too long we have allowed that spirit to be corrupted by the spirits of selfishness, greed and corruption. We have permitted negativity to influence our hearts and minds.
The spirit of a people is the mind of the people. What is the popular mindset of the Nigerian people? Edmund Burke said, “Tell me what are the prevailing statements that occupy the minds of young men and I will tell you what is to be the character of your next generation”
For so long we have allowed our minds to play host to the notion that we are a corrupt people, devious and full of greed. Indeed that may be the picture we see around us, but change can only come if we renew our minds about our country.

Let me use the fine art artist to illustrate my point. The average artist duplicates what he sees in his environment. On the other hand, a very creative artist can create something out of nothing, beauty out of ugliness. All he needs is a brush and a blank canvas. It is evident that Nigerians are among other things a creative people. Together we can create a better Nigeria out of the ugly one we have now. It will surely take time. Nevertheless, we can succeed. Forget about those people presently corrupting and looting this country. Their generation will soon pass away and the baton of responsibility will be passed to you. What will thou do with it? Will you allow the prevalent spirit of corruption and selfishness consume you too? Or will you permit that creative, indomitable and excellent Nigerian spirit within you manifest for your good and the good of all Nigerians?

The choice is yours!