[b]COLONIALISM OF THE MIND: A PANACEA OF NIGERIAN’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT
Over 50 years of Nigerian Independent and freedom from the colonial masters, the years appears like yesterday due to the concurrent influence it has had on our Society, most especially its effect on our psychology and thinking pattern.
Nigeria as an independent nation with diverse ethnic group and rich cultural heritage has continued to entangle herself in what i call, “COLONIALISM OF THE MIND”. Needless to say that the path way to succeed in life seen and adopted by Nigerians, especially the youths is finding their way out of the shores of this country Nigeria. Travelling to western countries has in no wise suddenly become a miracle by God that people give testimony anytime they find their way outside the country or someone close to them does. It is a daily prayer point from parents to children and a song in religious houses in present day Nigerian society.
At this point, i would love to ask a critical question which is "How many people pray to Leave Nigeria for Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan etc”. the answer is obvious. It then implies that going to such part of the world is more like placing curse on an individual. On this basis, one can validly deduce that if we Nigerians are born in the good western Countries, it will be like a curse if we were asked to relocate to Nigeria. suffices to say, is it not better to put hands on desk towards moving Nigeria forward and make it the most desirable nation to live in, so that our Children will see it as a curse not a blessing nor a miracle, if they are asked to relocate out of this country.
Yes, making this country desirable is a very difficult task and looks impossible, but if every individual are passionate to make Nigeria the best by decolonizing our minds, then it is just the easiest thing to achieve in a short time.
If everybody wakes up to sweep the Front of their House every day, the whole world will be clean.
Nigerians of which am a part must take a bold step towards decolonizing their minds from the following:
First, we must understand that we are not an inferior race; neither do we possess an inferior skin color, though the story writers have painted our warriors as being bad, even when we are their stronghold.
we must accept our origin and uphold our historical background, Nigeria and Africa have great history of success which we must know and uphold, for instance, the man who invented the super and fastest computer is a Nigerian, the root meaning of Chemistry was gotten from an Egyptian word called KEMAT, which means black man science, this and many more must be upheld.
It is important that every cultural entity in Nigeria posses some unique traits, which manifest mostly in their language and culture. Hence we must encourage ourselves to speak our indigenous language, most especially when we are in non official places or places that the language will not look intimidating. It is 21st century Insanity to ban your children from speaking your language at home or learning it, you want only English, then you are killing tomorrow’s future. S.L.D Itanrin said, “The secret of any invention lies in the language” If we all are thought science and technology in our own native language, Nigeria would have produce great inventors today, do not forget, Language is powerful, stop making us feel our language is inferior to one.
Often time i have heard the word “Official Outfit” who is the judge here? Who told you your Traditional Attire are not official? It saddens my heart to see Traditional outfit been relegated to a Friday-Friday Attire in Nigeria, we are killing our rich Tradition and relegating it by ourselves. Our minds are still being colonized. They say Western Attire makes one look smart and make you comfortable, Let us decolonize our mind from these ideologies. I have seen pastors jump up and Down on Traditional outfit, our Traditional rulers and some of key politicians in the state, go about their daily duties on Traditional Outfit, so why must we continue to colonize ourselves again?
We are where we are Today because we have continue to colonize our minds and putting it within the shackles of western structure which is alien to us. What is wrong with Abakaliki Rice, Taimakwo Mokwala Rice in Niger State among many Nigerian products, we have become a dumping site of the world because of colonialism of the mind. We do not have any believe in ourselves or anything that comes from us again.
Of a truth, i will agree with you that some Nigerian product are bad or deceitful, but nevertheless, it still demand our trust from the very first Citizen to the last, things we import are not totally perfect as well, we cannot continue to consume. Every Consuming Nation Will Consume and consume, till they get Consumed.
Olakunle Soriyan Once said, the way we have colonized and entangled our minds have gotten so terrible to the extent that, if a Nigerian comes into the country with a degree from oversea, he is viewed to be like ten years ahead of his colleagues with the same degree here, not minding the name and quality of the acclaimed institution the person finished from. It is never the case that we do not have genius in Nigeria but we have refused to view them and value them because our minds are colonized already.
More so, in African culture, the name a child bears carries great meaning along , but nowadays, Almost every one want to bear English name, our African Names seems to irritate us, they don't seem good and appeasing to our ears again, all this among others are constant point to the fact that our minds still remained colonized long after colonialism ended in Nigeria.
I submit by saying, until we decolonize our minds in Nigeria, and go back to cherishing and improving what we have got with honesty and truthfulness, The path to Nigeria’s success still remain vague and will be unclear. Until we deal with the pest of colonialism of the mind and moving out of Nigeria prayers will seem like a curse and not a blessing, the promise land is still not at our sight.
GOD BLESS EBONYI STATE
GOD BLESS NIGERIA
ESAN OLUWATOBI DAVID
LIVING LEGEND