Nigerians Need Something New to Believe In—Themselves
It feels like not so long ago, Nigeria was a country on the brink of greatness. The economy was booming, the naira had great value, and the nation was actually a destination country for vacationers and those in search of new economic opportunities. Citizens who had left the country to study abroad were eager to return home and contribute to building a strong and great nation. Our once-vibrant agricultural sector could comfortably feed the populace and still generate earnings from exports. There was meaningful hope and actual creativity taking place all around, and although the country has always been divided along religious and cultural lines, there was, at the minimum, a willingness to compromise politically with one another in the interest of the greater good.
For a country that had such a promising start, Nigeria hasn’t traveled very far. Although we are fortunate to possess a land that is filled with abundant natural resources that could easily generate enough revenue to build a wealthy society, they either remain largely unutilized or have been grossly mismanaged. The growing population is undereducated and unemployed and lacks access to basic amenities such as healthcare, portable water, security, decent roads, and electricity. For those with the means and opportunity today, study abroad is an opportunity to escape the mess the country has become, and those who leave are hailed as being freed of the worries of Nigeria. Even in this age of instant communication, access to Internet is still restricted in the country and comes at a high cost. Further, access to viable news sources is difficult and false information gets circulated without means of verification. Our systems from top to bottom lack accountability, because we have allowed personal interest to overtake our common good. In short, it is a very disorganized society.
For decades now, we have been pondering about what went wrong with the nation, puzzled as to how we arrived at this impasse and why it’s been so hard to pull ourselves away from it. Unfortunately, because our response to the complex socioeconomic issues we face in the country is to repeat platitudes and quote hopeful passages from the Bible or Quran—something done even by our political leaders—the decline continues.
Poverty is steadily on the rise, with more and more people feeling anxious and desperate in their struggle for sustenance. The bursts of growth we experience are short-lived, as there is no determination for sustainability. Our political elite brazenly rob the country’s coffers and hide millions in foreign currencies outside the country and we, as a people, often look on helplessly or even assist them to deprive us a decent quality of life.
Considering the steady decline, one would assume that we’d be encouraging conversations that would provide actual solutions to our worsening economy and bridge the cultural and religious divide. One would assume that we’d be seeking a common purpose and working together in our communities and as a nation to enact people-centric policies, proactively pursue scientific inquiry, technological innovation, and infrastructural development, and foster an atmosphere for growth. Instead, we continue to bow and scrape before “men of God” in the name of faith and religion, naïvely and wholeheartedly accepting what we have been commanded to believe. We have been told to surrender all to God, and we do so willingly without question, as we offer up our intellectual curiosity to others and essentially put up mental limits to what we consider to be within our realm of possibilities. We now claim to “put God first” in everything we do and wear religion rather loudly on our sleeves, yet we consistently neglect resources we are meant to be custodians of, and make little effort to promote and support each other.
Such overwhelming frustration with the status quo offers the citizens of any nation a huge opportunity for change, but no society achieves progress by passive immobility. People often become docile, negligent, and complacent when they feel powerless to affect the course of their destiny; this is now the case with us. We have submitted to external influences and unintentionally adopted a false paradigm that has gradually become our history, our narrative, and our belief that our current cultural and social practices are the way things have always been.
We have gradually surrendered our intellectual control. This false paradigm fosters a sense of helplessness and reduced self-worth among us, keeping us dependent on the said external influences for solutions to our problems and promoting an unwillingness to look beyond the horizon and pursue new ways to improve ourselves. This dependency is further amplified in the face of obstinate resistance to evidence that contradicts or challenges commonly held beliefs. Nonconformity and the suggestion of a contrary viewpoint are often met with resentment, disdain, and dismissal, regardless of what insights or new sense of direction the difference in opinion could bring forth.
Despite the awareness that the system does not function as it should and our supposed ability to accurately analyze the errors we are making as a people, it is quite baffling to see how hard it still is to let go of the status quo, which—thus far—has only brought on more toil, with little or no reward. It has become painfully apparent that when people are influenced by fear and superstition, they hang on to a cycle of routine and familiarity that leads into an abyss of passive followership that is difficult to overcome.
Every Nigerian needs to wake up, especially those who do not consider themselves contributors to the country’s current problems and thus feel no obligation to be involved in providing meaningful solutions (however seemingly inconsequential) to help improve the nation. If we’re reluctant to rise up and fight for one another, and continue to harbor the notion that it is up to those in power to come up with solutions to what ails the country, we do ourselves a great disservice as we unwittingly submit ourselves to the impulses of our “leaders”—political and religious—who are bowed at the altar of money and self-service and are of little use to anyone else.
We have abdicated our intelligence to a higher power by ceding control and thus lack the courage of independent thought. Surrendering to a higher power is a concept deeply ingrained in various religious traditions across the world. This act of relinquishing control and submitting oneself willingly to divine will is known as reverent religious surrender. It is a practice that requires individuals to trust in the guidance and wisdom of their chosen deity or spiritual belief system.
In Christianity, surrender is often associated with the concept of “Thy will be done,” as exemplified in the Lord's Prayer. It involves acknowledging God's sovereignty and accepting that His plans may not always align with human desires or expectations. By surrendering to God, believers demonstrate their faith and obedience, seeking peace and solace in knowing that a higher power is in control. Similarly, in Islam, the expression inshallah (God willing) emphasizes the importance of surrendering to Allah’s divine decree. Muslims are encouraged to trust in Allah’s wisdom and to accept whatever comes their way as part of His greater plan. This surrender is seen as a way to cultivate humility, patience, and resilience in the face of life's challenges. The practice of reverent religious surrender requires individuals to let go of their need for control, and place their faith in something greater than themselves. It is supposed to offer solace and hope amidst the chaos, with the assumption that they are not alone.
Imagine going through life just . . . giving up! That’s what surrendering is, it means you are defeated, you have no faith in yourself, no strength to carry on, no courage to lead, no brethren to stand beside you! You are perpetually helpless, fodder for all who wish to prey on you and abuse you and take advantage of you. You have been conquered in the battle field of life and you have no desire to get up and fight for yourself. You have to deceive yourself quite a bit too, pretending not to see what is right in front of you. You have been beaten to the ground and have no idea what it takes to get back on your feet. And there are more than 200 million of us! We are ripe for exploiting. We know it, we discuss it, but we are too mentally beat down, with the message of surrendering being reiterated almost daily in our ears, that we lack the power to solve problems ourselves, when there are others clearly doing so daily around the world as we sit back in envy and wish we had the ability to do the same. We have been told that God loves us personally! And would solve all our problems—personally!—if only we surrender and form that personal relationship with him! We have done this so wholeheartedly that we do not even bother to see our fellow humans as a necessary part of us.
Focusing only on solace and hope in the midst of chaos is not a recipe for finding solutions to what ails us. To do that, we need a new framework that isn’t based on superstition or submission. We need more social problem solving. This is certainly not a common phrase amongst Nigerians today, but it needs to be reclaimed and become a widespread practice. It refers to the process of identifying, analyzing, and resolving issues that affect individuals, groups, or society as a whole. It involves recognizing problematic situations, evaluating possible solutions, and implementing strategies to address underlying issues effectively. Social problem solving typically requires critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, and creativity to come up with sustainable responses to societal challenges. In simple terms, it is that thing we admire and wish to experience when we travel abroad to all those developed countries that seem to get it “somewhat” right. Trying to get it right means the citizens are engaged in social problem solving!
From addressing poverty and inequality to promoting environmental sustainability and social justice, social problem solving plays a crucial role in shaping an organized and functional society. It encourages innovation, resilience, and continuous learning to tackle complex problems and to build stronger, more cohesive communities. Through collective effort and dedication, individuals and communities can work toward positive change and improve the well-being of their society and create a more sustainable and harmonious environment for future generations. It is a gradual process, one that can’t really be rushed if we want it done right. Mistakes will be made along the way, but the input of multiple perspectives and a determination to try, try, try again will produce desired results in the long run.
But instead of engaging in collective problem solving, a large majority of the country’s citizens seem oblivious to how their current mindset, obsession, and unquestioned loyalty toward foreign monotheistic religious teachings and practice are keeping them in the very place they desperately wish to mentally and physically escape. When you observe how easy it is to get Nigerians to believe and follow often outrageous rules and instructions in God’s name, it confirms the quote often attributed to Mark Twain that says “it is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
Picture this: a hall full of people, heads bowed down, hands raised to the ceiling, kneeling and begging humbly in total submission, mentally resigned to their current situation and patiently waiting (for however unrealistically long it takes) for a figure they’ve never seen, spoken directly to, or received a direct consistent response from, to come help them solve their problems—even mundane ones they can easily handle themselves with a little thought and cooperation. Lacking conviction in their ability to build a stable and organized society from which all can benefit from.
This image does not project the image we like to think of ourselves when we say “Naija no dey carry last” (Nigeria never comes last)—of a strong, independent-minded people who are confident in their ability to direct their destiny and blaze their own trail. If we cannot stand tall, shoulders square with brilliance and confidence behind our eyes, and tell our own stories for the world to admire and emulate, then we belie our claim to international parity. Because a submissive follower with hands outstretched and begging, with no voice, originality, or inventive ideas, has nothing unique to contribute on the world stage. We have become so good at surrendering that it feels like there are no heroes left amongst us. We are ready to pack up and walk away from the struggle for an egalitarian state as soon as our individual needs are met—which usually comes in the form of money.
The steady decline of social problem-solving skills in our society has become especially evident in recent decades. This decline is reflected in our inability to effectively navigate and resolve conflicts, make sound decisions collaboratively, or address complex societal issues in a constructive manner. There are so many skills we have failed to develop and teach to the next generation to help adapt to changes around us. As a result, we are grossly unprepared to deal with these issues as they come and thereby resort to prayer in the hope that some magical being will come to our rescue and we can just benefit from the kindness of said magical being and live in paradise. Additionally, the individualistic nature of our approach to life often prioritizes immediate gratification over long-term solutions, leading to superficial problem-solving approaches. Far too many lack conviction in their ability to build a stable and organized society that all can benefit from.
Our current self-absorbed attitude and the tendency to abdicate personal responsibility in favor of some external supernatural force has led to a steady decline in the intellectual discourse needed for growth and progress in our society. Obviously, if we want to succeed as a nation, this must change. When we say we’ve truly had enough, embrace wisdom, and acknowledge the reality that all the praying and surrendering we have been doing thus far has not worked for us, then we’ll begin to find more rational ways to overcome the inertia that is still keeping us in this cycle of crippling fear and superstition. It is time to rise up—it is time to wise up!
Rebecca Dare was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She is a passionate humanist and advocate for critical thinking and practical living. She currently lives in Dallas, TX, with her husband and two sons.