Do We Really Need The Government To Thrive in Nigeria?

The Nigerian government has a huge role to play in the betterment of the lives of her citizens. Yes, that is absolutely correct, but come to think of it, does that mean if the government fails in her duty, then we have a justifiable excuse for being stagnant and not progress as individuals.

I believe that there are two types of systems; The Government system and The Personal system. Let me explain: in the Government system; individuals or citizens only prosper when the government is doing well, whereas, in the Personal system, the success of the citizens does not depend on the government. 

Nigeria’s are always complaining, we complain about a lot of things from lack of quality education to inadequate power supply (justifiably so) but are there not people, visionaries in this country that are achievers? People that legitimately made wealth in this country. We know of Tony Elumelu, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and lots more. Why don’t we focus our strength and energy in thinking and brainstorming of ideas that would lead to us amassing wealth?

Fellow Nigerian citizens, the day we stop complaining is the day, we will find vision.

Develop an entrepreneurship mindset, a business mindset, stop waiting for the government to “create jobs” for you, to build factories all over the country and open the gates for thousands of unemployed to flood in. You may ask; is it not their responsibility? YES! it is, but there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that that’s going to happen.

John. F. Kennedy said: “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. Some people may disagree and say that’s inappropriate but if we look at the statement closely and analyze it carefully, you will find out that we have nothing to lose everything to gain if we adopt that mentality.

John D. Rockefeller, the American Business Magnate, the first-ever billionaire in the United States of America didn’t require the U.S. government to achieve that feat. He and his friend went into the oil business with the money he borrowed from his father, by his 40’s, he was in control of 90% of oil in the country. His personal wealth constituted 1% of the national economy. Nigerians, we don’t like to utilize our brain. We like being spoon-fed.

Success is a personal decision, poverty or failure is a personal decision. No one owes you anything. There are a lot of Nigerians that even if they were to be given #5 million Naira, they will still remain poor, due to their bad habits and poor lifestyle choices. Have people not won lottery worth millions in the past? but presently, they are the ones leading the protests of ” Nigerians are poor”. You begin to ask yourself, where did all the lottery money go?

Important advice, stop waiting for office or white-collar jobs, start thinking about launching your own business. Let me let you in on a little secret, the billionaires in the world today, the majority were self-starters, they were businessmen.

You don’t need money again as a tool for breakthrough but a mind that works. Technology has made it easy so much that there is almost nothing between you and your success, not even government. We are living in a golden age, unlimited knowledge can be accessed, a lot of free resources everywhere, you have Google, YouTube, etc. Use these platforms within the confines of your room, learn money-making skills, sell your skills, create value, solve problems and money will come to you. 

Money is a reward for value created or problem solved.

There’s information everywhere, we just have to start implementing them. Implementation is what we lack.

“Your economic security does not lie in your job; it lies in your own power to produce—to think, to learn, to create, to adapt. That’s true financial independence. It’s not having wealth; it’s having the power to produce wealth.” –Stephen Covey

DON’T JUST PLAN. ACT!

I’ve come to discover that a lot of people have plans and good ones at that. But having a great plan is the easy part, actualizing that plan is where many find difficult.

I saw a movie about a young man who left his village to the city to find greener pastures, so he could take care of his poor mother and siblings back in the village. The boy ventured into all sorts of businesses from selling of electronics to hawking of sachet water, after four and the half years of hard work with measly earnings, he met a wealthy man who introduced him to his Korean and Japanese business partners. This was how the young man’s life turned around from grass to grace.

What am i trying to point out?

You don’t have to see the whole staircase before taking the first step. Start now! Start small.

Don’t worry about the lack of resources, people are watching. Benefactors only locate and support those who start, resources and capital will become available when you start.

Stop learning, planning and hoping. Start learning, planning and doing.

Proverbs 22:29  says; 

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

Start that business no matter how small, implement that idea no matter how ordinary it seems, be diligent and you will entice success.

“An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger that the brain cell it occupied” – Arnold Glasow