A Crisis of Values

Why has the Nigerian nation so lost its way? Is it an absence of intellect? I don’t think so. At independence in 1960, Nigeria unlike many of its peers-developing and newly independent nations in Africa, Asia and South-America had a very strong pool of human capital. We had many graduates of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the best that the United Kingdom’s educational system could offer. We also had graduates of the London School of Economics, University of London and other top British schools-Manchester, Leeds, Durham, Sheffield, etc; graduates of American Universities including institutions such as Harvard, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); world class professionals-lawyers (including those worthy of the status of Queens Counsel-the highest UK honour at the Bar), doctors, engineers, accountants, economists etc; the University of Ibadan was itself a world-class university; and graduates of the Yaba College of Technology, and teachers colleges abounded all over Nigeria.

Was it a failure of administrative skills? There is no reason Nigeria should be inferior in administrative capacity to any nation of the world. We had the quality of intellectual and human capital referred to above. We also had a well-trained civil service, schooled in civil service practices and procedures by the quintessential administrators-the British. The federal and regional civil services at independence were already well established and had been indoctrinated in public service best practices by colonial superiors who in spite of their imperial alienation were committed to helping the young Nigerian nation find its feet. At independence, departing British colonial officers were confident that their proteges thoroughly understood the nuances of public administration and were more than ready to take the country to a leading position in international affairs.

Was it a failure of resources? Of course we can easily dismiss this possibility. We are one of the most resource-endowed nations of the world. Even before the discovery of oil, we had a rich agricultural base. Most agricultural products thrived in the rich abundant Nigerian soil-cotton, cocoa, maize, rubber, palm-oil, groundnut, timber etc The potential for food production was almost limitless-yam, cassava, rice, cowpeas, beans, pepper, plantain and all manner of fruits-oranges, pineapples, pawpaw, water melon, bananas amongst others all grew naturally in Nigeria. We had minerals-coal, limestone, marble, columbite, zinc. lead, tin, salt-for instance. And then we found oil, and the Arab-Isreali war and OPEC turned it into the richest mineral resource a country could have.

We have fantastic location-six hours by air from London and Johannesburg, rightly situated in the “heart of Africa”. We had huge land mass, one of the largest countries in the world and abundant population. We are situated on the Atlantic Ocean and have navigable waterways not least of all Rivers Niger and Benue. God designed Nigeria as a transportation systems paradise, a natural hub of sea, air and land transportation. We also had railways until we allowed those to decay and diminish in functionality. We should also have been a tourist’ delight-multiple tourist destinations-rocks, mountains, hills, game reserves, waterfronts, beaches, even deserts and forests which attract many from other climes. There are fantastic cultural festivals all over the country-masquerades, eyo, Ojude Oba, fishing festivals, durbars, dance and song around which an all-year round tourist calendar can be built. And there are many historical sights-palaces, slave routes, colonial buildings, museums, art and artifacts, so many that no tourist could exhaust. Our weather is friendly and conducive all year long-no earthquakes, typhoon, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes and the people were friendly and hospitable until the culture of “419”, hostages, area boys, and such vices became the norm. Nigeria has rich, diverse and multi-ethnic cultures. It could have been a major strength if we wanted it to be, but we turned it into a weakness.

Was it a failure of entrepreneurial energy? Certainly not! We had millionaires-the Odumegwu Ojukwus, Da Rochas, Dantatas, Jimoh and Adeola Odutolas who did not have to steal government or company money to be rich. Even those who were not millionaires-small time traders and business people deploy incredible energy and enterprise just to make ends meet. I doubt that you can find any population of natural traders and commercially-minded people as are assembled in the territory called Nigeria. The Ijebus, the Ijesha, the Ibo businessmen, the Kano merchant class, all symbolized commerce and entrepreneurship. They were not government contractors but created thriving businesses from simply meeting the needs they identified in the market place. They did not study economics or business, but they knew instinctively how markets function. And they had a large market to explore and satisfy, not just because of our population, but because Nigerians are natural consumers-they need very little persuasion to try a new product, service or idea and they are willing to pay for it.

Was it a failure of faith and destiny? I do not think so. Nigeria appears to have a rich destiny. No one can write off the Nigerian nation. God did not put so much treasure, so many bright and energetic people and so much talent in Nigeria because he intended it to fail. And the people claim to worship God, like no other nation on earth. Our footballers are the only ones who pray before and during games, we have more pastors and churches per capita than the Vatican, our Northern Muslim brothers express so much piety and have a deep Islamic heritage inherited from Uthman Dan Fodio, and even those who continue to worship traditional gods and religions claim that their gods do not condone evil. Yet all these verbal piety and apparent holiness does not reflect in our governance and public ethics. In spite of religion, we are probably the most corrupt nation on earth. Perhaps while we are in churches, mosques and shrines praying, some demons descend on the nation and perpetrate corruption, because it is difficult to believe it is the same pious worshippers who do it.

Nigeria’s spectacular failure is one of leadership and values. It is not so much about policies (even though the right policies matter); it is not about resources as the contrast between the differing outcomes in Nigeria and Singapore illustrates; it is not about education only (even though education helps); it is about values. The reason our leaders-most of whom were strong, educated, charismatic individuals, sometimes even committed failed is because of the vacuum or duplicity of values in which they operated. We need a values-based leadership not just in politics and governance, but in business, the professions, the media, in our communities and homes, and in our religious institutions. Today it is all about money, power and status and that must now change. President Umaru Yar’adua and Governor Babatunde Fashola in Lagos offer encouraging early signs, but the months and years to follow will show whether they can lead the reconstruction of values in Nigeria.