Old and Relevant

Gray hair is so desirable by many that they dye their hair. However, gray hair that comes with age communicates wealth of wisdom, experience and knowledge. If you doubt me, look at Wole Shoyinka, Nelson Mandella or Kofi Annan. The mouth of gray-haired has more to say in guilding a generation than can be imagined. A wise young man will listen to this voice of wisdom when presented with opportunity.

One of the fundamental problems of our nation is that the voice does not have listening hears to instruct. This can be observed in youths of the nation playing games of expartriates when they should be learning. Many youths still repeat the mistakes of the older generation and the whole nation, by accummulation of repeated mistakes, continues to move around the same spot. Experience, they argue, is the best teacher but I added, if it is not your own experience, it is the best. Your continuous learning through your own experience is not fun.

When the ears are available, there are no platforms where the voice can be expressed. Over the years in our nation, peoples’ voices have been suppressed. There were many men of wisdom who could have helped us out but were not allowed by the systems and the structure that we operate in. The people that parade themselves as our saviors are nothing more than thieves who decided to take advantage of our disadvantages.

However, when the platform is there, some voices lack passion in helping the next generation to grow. They are so engrossed in building a future for themselves and their children, that national development is not in their priority list. The worst way to live is to live for the evil trio: I, Me and Myself. Next to it is the evil trinity: Me, My Wife and My Children. These set of people are so self centered that now their families are settled for life but they are not convinced that their children should stay in their native country, due to insecurity they caused by their selfish acts. To this set of people, I will like to say, the fulfillment of life is in living it to impact others.

Whichever way we look at it, our nation is where it is today because good people fail to act. It is not only people that stole money through corrupt practices that destroyed us, but those who did nothing. Evil triumph when good men refuse to do anything. The last forty eight years of this great country has been without much connection between the old with their wisdom and the new generation of youth with their strength. With the right connection between these groups, our nation will witness tremendous growth due to the combination of strength and wisdom.

Many researches have concluded that the last years of most old people are spent regretting what they should have done that they didn’t do. This life of regret is expected because everyone has hidden need to contribute to humanity. Corporate social responsibility is what the corporate organizations call it while the term personal social responsibility is becoming increasingly popular.

For those who are asking where to start, in concluding, I will like to put in word of Arthur Ashe, who said, “To achieve greatness:Start where you are,Use what you have,Do what you can.” Where you are, there are aboundant opportunities to contribute to national growth. What you have is enough and you don’t need what you don’t have to contribute your quota. Change Agents Initiative Nigeria (CAINg) is saying, Nigeria is your country, It is our contry: we must make it work. Thank you.

The Platform

Naija Speaks: The Platform

In our nation as we speak, a number of people are becoming more than passionate about the transformation of the green-white-green naira land, fondly called Naija. The issue of national development is becoming more popular among the new generation of youth. The hunger for doing something great and massive for our nation is on the increase. There is a new drive to contribute to national growth. Everywhere you turn, there is at least someone thinking of positively impacting the nation. People of great vision, sight and focus are rising by the day in this great country full of talented individuals. That is why I often say, “this is a new Nigeria: A nation full of hope and prosperity”.

About ten years ago, it was not so. The negative voices were so strong in this land that it overshadowed the positive ones. I remember, then, I was a student of Oba Awon Universities (O.A.U.) based in the ancient city of Ile-Ife; the cradle of Yoruba land. We were in a long queue trying to sign one of those, usually nine or ten, course forms. But that was old school. Naija schools are now IT compliant. Those course forms are filled and submitted online now!

While we were on that long queue, a guy started a discussion about corruption in Nigeria. He started such an enviable and intelligent argument on how they have virtually destroyed the economy, educational system and other things that were built using money derived from cocoa and petroleum products. He continued to emphasis that the discovery of petroleum was such a curse to the nation rather than it being a blessing. He clarified his argument by saying that it was a curse because of greed. Putting it in his own words, “Every blessing can become a curse when handled by greedy people”. He, finally, said something that was applauded by all. I looked around and saw everyone nodding their heads in agreement, while some were verbalising their support for what he said. What he said that day, I have heard it over and over again in several places by several people. He said, “if I get opportunity to get there, I will steal my own share of the money and reserve enough for my generation yet unborn”. That was the negative voice in control at the time.

Right now, voice of patrotism is rising and a call to lift the nation is rising by the day. NAIJA SPEAKS: THE PLATFORM was born in other to give strength and vitality to that voice. We will staff to death every voice of corruption and destructive thinking. Everything responds to voice and everything responds to words. Hence, using the power of voice, we will speak positively, live positively and bring a change to our nation.

Man controls all things. I said it somewhere, sometimes ago, “If you want to change the World, change man; man changes things”. Hence, to change Nigeria, change men and women in this country. How do we change man?

Man is a product of his thought. Whatever man persistently thinks, he becomes. A wise man says, “the life of a man flows toward the direction of his most dominant thought”. Whatever is kept in the mind persistently over a period of time becomes reality of the person. If this is true, then we have a clue as to how to change man. We can change man by changing what he thinks. This is the same as changing what he hears. We can saturate the nation with positive words. You can give expression to the gift of writing and speaking you have by joining NAIJA SPEAKS: The Platform.

Are you a speaker or a writer? Are you interested in being a part of the group of people, who are passionate about bringing a change to our nation? This is your opportunity. Send your write-ups to naijaspeaks@gmail.com for a chance to future in NAIJA SPEAKS: Business Forum coming up soon.

WELCOME

Welcome to this blog. if you are part of those yearning to make a difference in Nigeria, you have the opportunity to be part of those who are upwardly mobile and passionate about a change in Nigeria. this blog is sponsored by Change Agents Initiative Nigeria.