Open your eyes, brothers and sisters, Nigeria dies.
Yet, here we are, enjoying the fruits of America. A tree without roots, no matter how large, WILL crumble. We might become rich and famous in this land, indeed, some of us have done so. Nevertheless, whatever we become here is but a mere shell of what we might become.
Understand me well, siblings. I do not say that we should all rush to Nigeria. I am for national pride, not stupidity. However, we should not get so comfortable in this land as to forget what we are. Wake up people, we are a different breed. Ajo l'awa, ko si'bi bi ile. And whatsoever we we may do, we should do it with the expectation to go back: hence, helping those in Niberia build up the country by creating businesses there, hence jobs, (then comes the problem of trusting people, what with 419 and whatnot); assisting fellow Nigerians here, We are a generation ripe for the exploitation of the opportunity given us, in the form of not only better education, but also better job opportunities post-grad, e.t.c. Just, invest in Nigeria.
This is all I say, ladies and gentlemen, let us at the very least attempt to make Nigeria a better place to live. Make it a place people emigrate to, not immigrate from.

if you are frustrated, you are free to go home!

Mihai I consider planet earth to be home, and do not share your compulsion to regard any particular geographical locale as being my "assigned" place.   Visit Nigeria today and your homesick blues will suddenly refocus on America as being the place to be.  The grass is always greener - -

Its easy when you are abroad to get misty eyed about home,forgetting the reason why u left in the first place

U romanticise about Nigeria,meanwhile the people in Nigeria are busy trying to get out of Nigeria.

A fellow Londoner was looking forward to coming home last Xmas,he is dead now.Shot by the police while in his car over a dispute about bribe

At the end u should not forget about where u come from,but u should not forget why u left in the first place

4 Play:

A fellow Londoner was looking forward to coming home last Xmas,he is dead now.Shot by the police while in his car over a dispute about bribe

I have seen dead Nigerians brought home after being violently killed in foreign countries. I guess Nigerians should not bother travelling to any country because the same fate might befall them.

4 Play:

At the end u should not forget about where u come from,but u should not forget why u left in the first place

Please, why do people leave Nigeria for other countries?

In some cases we have Nigerians that are ill informed about the reality outside Nigeria and they end up doing jobs that are demeaning, some become hired assasins, criminals, prostitutes, road sweepers etc.

Interestingly, those who believe that Nigeria is useless and are residing outside Nigeria are the same ones that will discuss Nigeria as if they knew what they were saying, comments laden with misinformations, inconsquential statements and sometimes vague ones.

This is why I insist that only Nigerians living in Nigeria can change the country and not people who may not have a clue of the true situation talking carelessly.

personally i believe we have no country apart from nigeria if it changes for good we will be the ones to enjoy it, though i feel very sad when ever i go back to nigeria, i still remain opptimistic that one day things will get better and when it does we all will benefit from it, so lets keep hope alive and put our hands together to make it work cos as it is we only talk and we never act, a little positive act by every body will change things a lot.

I can see that the rabid emotionally disturbed man is on the rampage

According to him, social commentary on Nigeria should not be made by those who have exercised the unpatriotic choice of venturing outside the shores of Nigeria.

Commentary should be reserved for people of his ilk,a rabid breed,who in civilised settings would have been sectioned

The reality of the living conditions in Nigeria are clear for all to see,evident in the amount of people who want to leave

Living in a foreign land,there is a tendecy to get home sick.

Incidentantly,migration to other nations is not monopolised by Nigerians.Here in the UK,300,000 Britons leave every year to settle abroad .More Brits and Irish descendants live outside the UK and Ireland than inside

Nigeria is not worse off because of migration.Migration is a symptom of a general malaise and not the cause of our problems

We are arguably better of through migration than we would have been without it

mazaje:

personally i believe we have no country apart from nigeria if it changes for good we will be the ones to enjoy it, though i feel very sad when ever i go back to nigeria, i still remain opptimistic that one day things will get better and when it does we all will benefit from it, so lets keep hope alive and put our hands together to make it work because as it is we only talk and we never act, a little positive act by every body will change things a lot.

I concur

There are many young people who would like to forget about Nigeria but these are the same ones who tend to cling to the Nigerian identity.

Feelings differ with respect to nationality and patriotism from person to person.

Personally, I have never felt anything other than NIGERIAN and irrespective of the rubbish that many of us have made it, I feel proud to belong to Nigeria.

Oh come on!! For Christ's sakes, it was just a thought, Nigerians abroad should not forget that they are nevertheless Nigerian, and should at least make a concerted effort to improve the country, i.e. invest in the country. That's all! but hey, if you want aggressive language, well, we all have a pocketful of that.

@ daviddylan
A couple of questions first: are you abroad or in Nigeria? are you Nigerian?
If you had read my post carefully, you'd realize that it says I'm for national pride, not stupidity. And actually, I do intend to go back to Nigeria once my education is finished (senior, St. John's U, then grad school 2.5 years total). And if you are abroad and unwilling to go back or at the very least invest in your "home", frankly put, you should not call yourself a Nigerian. And yes, I mean that. And please remember that with opportunity and privilege comes a bit of responsibility and accountability. Remember that not all who would leave the country have been able to, keeping in mind that your betters, YES your betters, have been left behind.

@ Jakumo
Are you serious? And please, don't even come up with some b* about the grass is always greener on the other side. My parents brought me here with the hope of a better education, the least I can do is get that education, the U.S. is not my home, I can make it so, but it is not my home. Why? because I consider myself Nigerian, not American. So yes, the grass is greener on the American side. But I'll stick to the Nigerian side and try to make it better, thank you.

@ 4 Play
Oh please, don't give me that 'you don't know what we're going through' bull. I mean, come on, man! And trust me, there's is nothing about Nigeria to romanticise about, with your example as evidence. Now, does that mean that we should stay away? Well why not, all of us just move out of Nigeria (and please remember that we all have family and friends there), that way it'll get better. It is because of people like you that the country is becoming worse and worse off. Yes, we shouldn't forget where we come from, and we damn well shouldn't forget why we left in the first place, like you said, THAT'S MY ENTIRE POINT, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!! So future generations won't feel the need to leave their home. As I said before, Note: a tree without roots, no matter how big it is/becomes, will crumble.

I gotta go right now, a couple of hours from now, I'll respond to the other posts.

@ Afam
Quite an interesting post, and please, since (I'm assuming you live in Nigeria) you're one of those Nigerians who live in Nigeria? And pray tell, why haven't you come around to changing the country?
And, when you get around to changing the country, where will you get the resources to do so, seeing as most of these resources are controlled by those you're presumably going to oust?
Please reread your post, you cannot seriously mean to say that only Nigerians living in Nigeria know what's happening in Nigeria.
Actually, I guess I do agree to a certain extent, Nigerians in Nigeria will know a lot more, but does that mean those outside should abandon it? Think man!!!

@ Mazaje
Thank you for your post, at least someone gets it!!!

@ 4 Play
Nice post, I agree. Especially with your second to last point (Nigeria is not worse off because of migration.Migration is a symptom of a general malaise and not the cause of our problems). And I'll even go a little farther, that we can turn migration on its head and use it as part of a remedy for an ailing nation.

@ Easyy
Good man, but I feel a need to at the very least try to make it better. To know that I did something to make it just a little better. And I am proud of my identity too, I'd just rather my children not have--as you put it--rubbish to be proud of. Maybe it'll only be that I start a business or something there, but God knows it's better than nothing.

is not worthy of a new direction since Nigerians have lived and in Naija for the past 46 yrs without changing a freaking thing. I think its high time we looked in a different direction since Nigerians have not turned things around. By the way, the political class is taking docile Nigerians for a ride, because they perpetuate all types of atrocities on them and yet they do nothing.

thank you!!!
God!!! people, stop being plankton, man. Be a freaking whale, swim to the surface a make a huge splash. Why wouldn't the officials take us for a ride? They're enboldened because they know we Nigerians will just bend over and take it up the pooper!!!

@ mihai

Excellent topic.

I'm with you 100%.
It's OK to branch out, but never never forget home.
Home Sweet Home.

I've seen many Nigerians in Europe and US trying their best to customize foreign land into Nigeria, but guess what, they always fail.

Don't be a lost child.
You can run away from everybody, but you can never run away from yourself.

Come home and taste the water, I'm pretty sure you will be able to contribute one way or the other.
Let's make our father's land attractive again.

May God bless Nigeria.

haba don't taste the water in Nigeria oh, please drink RAGOLIS water. but on a serious note people are scared to go home for various reasons. some people are still illegal, but for the legal ones, it's time we take over Nigeria and make a difference. we can complain all we want, but no one else will fix our country if we don't take the 1st initiative to make it happen.

@ Big1 and MamaJama

OH! Thank you!!! That's all I've been trying to say.

Grandstanding and sometimes empty words.

Hear this loud and clear, regardless of what Nigerians abroad say, the onus lies on Nigerians living in Nigeria to effect changes in Nigeria.

If anyone cannot live with this simple fact of life then the person can continue making sensational statements and going round in circles.

4 Play:

Its easy when you are abroad to get misty eyed about home,forgetting the reason why u left in the first place

U romanticise about Nigeria,meanwhile the people in Nigeria are busy trying to get out of Nigeria.

A fellow Londoner was looking forward to coming home last Xmas,he is dead now.Shot by the police while in his car over a dispute about bribe

At the end u should not forget about where u come from,but u should not forget why u left in the first place

There are ills in every soceity,home is still the best.

pleaseeeee  that name of yours is so,so _unholy

Looking at this topic and the various replies, I tried to type but could not. I had to pause and look at our today our past and our future.
I absolutely agree with every post depending where you are coming from. No matter our views we must realise that different decisions have been informed by different experiences and condition and all are right given the particular situation.

But the point is, are u the son of OBJ, or some Government official, or Some oil worker or Some road side mechanic. Do you live in washington? london? Brussels? Abuja or the slumps of Ajengunle. We have a common stigma haunting us all as Nigerians,our house is on fire and needs sorting out. Yes maybe we have a choice to denounce our Nationality but somehow and someday you might be reminded who you are and where you come from. The only way you can escape this is if you decide not to be the best of who you can be.
Your children might even grow up wanting to know more about their lineage.

At least if not for anything in the interest of the green passport and our children's future lets dream of a better Nigeria and work towards it.
Sometimes I look at out today and try to blame our fathers for our yesterday but feel so empty realising that I have done nothing to secure our tomorrow.

We are so blessed with natural and human resources, nigerians where ever they are, are very smart and brilliant people. The I billion Naira question is where are we going wrong?
research and experience have shown me that we lack collective ability and pursuit of National interest. That is the secret of American, British success. That is also the secret of Chinese success. If we are able to develop this culture every other thing will follow.

How can we achieve this? we need to start from ourselves to associate with others innocently no matter their tribe or religion (forget all the trash your parents told you about the other tribe because their generation have failed us, guess what every child from every tribe was told something about the other tribe. So who is right?). Think Nigeria and act Nigeria.
If you find yourself in service of the people try to make a difference and forget the usual ways of doing things.

Those who are able to go home, don't go there and let the system abuse you. Those who can't afford to try to change the orientation of your brothers. Those who are in Nigeria lets change a few things about our value system.

Nigerians wherever they are in the globe are a stakeholder to the future of that country.

We are so blessed with natural and human resources, nigerians where ever they are, are very smart and brilliant people. The I billion Naira question is where are we going wrong?
research and experience have shown me that we lack collective ability and pursuit of National interest. That is the secret of American, British success. That is also the secret of Chinese success. If we are able to develop this culture every other thing will follow.

You asked the right question but you gave a partly wrong answer. We lack collective ability and pursuit of National interest, not because of any of the reasons you mentioned.

There is no collective interest because the formation of the nation was completely exogenous to its citizens. How can a country formed by some colonial master succeed? How do you expect its citizens to care about it when they had no say in its formation in the first place? That is not possible.

That is why we need to call the leaders of every ethnic group with population more than 100,000 (the ethnic group can vote for their representatives if they want). Everybody will give a piece of their mind, we restructure the country to fit our ideal collective needs as opposed to the needs of the British. When we have a say in the formation of the country, then we have no choice but to work towards its collective interest. The country was set up for exploitation like a business, that is why our leaders are still exploiting it and running it like a business. Where the British stopped, our leaders took over.When we set up the country like a nation that's supposed to serve it's people, we'll start getting what we want.

@McKren:

A round of applause for your outstanding comment, I am truly touched.

Where have you been?

Who is DumDum?
DumDum is dead.

Hey, enjoy the weekend.

i just came back 4rom naija 2 days ago and i stayed for 6 weeks , make i finish ma assignment diz weekend and i shall revisit diz topic, so interesting, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

@ McKren
although I have my own reservations, that is partly my point.

@ Donzman
Overall, I agree. But for some reason, I just can't seem to put a thumb on it, I feel deeply disturbed by your post. Don't know if that's because I agree or that I disagree with one of your points. Hell, I don't even know which point is giving me the jitters.

@ Afam
Please trust and believe me when I say that without the willing support (both monetary and otherwise) of Nigerians outside of Nigeria, you are doomed, simply put. Why? because most of the Nigerians in Nigeria right now are looking for a way to get out of Nigeria (legally or otherwise). Hence, they are too concerned with getting out of the country than they are with making the country better. Those that aren't looking for a way to get out are either trying to take advantage, or are simply daydreaming about "abroad." So please don't tell me that only Nigerians inside Nigeria can change the country. If outside influences had no effect on a country, then we would've never been colonized. So please, again, get your head straightened out. And also note that part of the problem Nigeria faces is the heavy reliance of its next generations on import. In other words, you might try to shut us out ("us" being Nigerians outisde of Nigeria), but the fact remains that you cannot go a single day without using at least 10 elements either brought in through Nigerians abroad or at the least were not made in Nigeria. Hell, you're probably wearing jeans right now!!!
And as 4 play said, we really are sorry that we made the unpatriotic choice of looking for better opportunities (although some of us didn't really have a choice), next time, we'll make sure to choose differently.

mihai:

@ Afam
Please trust and believe me when I say that without the willing support (both monetary and otherwise) of Nigerians outside of Nigeria, you are doomed, simply put. Why? because most of the Nigerians in Nigeria right now are looking for a way to get out of Nigeria (legally or otherwise). Hence, they are too concerned with getting out of the country than they are with making the country better. Those that aren't looking for a way to get out are either trying to take advantage, or are simply daydreaming about "abroad." So please don't tell me that only Nigerians inside Nigeria can change the country. If outside influences had no effect on a country, then we would've never been colonized. So please, again, get your head straightened out. And also note that part of the problem Nigeria faces is the heavy reliance of its next generations on import. In other words, you might try to shut us out ("us" being Nigerians outisde of Nigeria), but the fact remains that you cannot go a single day without using at least 10 elements either brought in through Nigerians abroad or at the least were not made in Nigeria. Hell, you're probably wearing jeans right now!!!
And as 4 play said, we really are sorry that we made the unpatriotic choice of looking for better opportunities (although some of us didn't really have a choice), next time, we'll make sure to choose differently.

I honestly believe that you have fed yourself a whole lot of wrong information and you are basing your discussion on the wrong information.

Paying for imported goods is not the same as goods brought in by Nigerians abroad unless they are businessmen.

True, there are Nigerians that want to leave the country just as there are others that do not want to leave the country.

As for the statement in bold above, I believe it naturally follows that someone like you that left the country and is still complaining everyday about Nigeria is the one that is doomed.

I am also certain that the country you reside in do not produce all the clothes you put on, so I don't see what your point is as regards jeans.

Donzman:

You asked the right question but you gave a partly wrong answer. We lack collective ability and pursuit of National interest, not because of any of the reasons you mentioned.

There is no collective interest because the formation of the nation was completely exogenous to its citizens. How can a country formed by some colonial master succeed? How do you expect its citizens to care about it when they had no say in its formation in the first place? That is not possible.

That is why we need to call the leaders of every ethnic group with population more than 100,000 (the ethnic group can vote for their representatives if they want). Everybody will give a piece of their mind, we restructure the country to fit our ideal collective needs as opposed to the needs of the British. When we have a say in the formation of the country, then we have no choice but to work towards its collective interest. The country was set up for exploitation like a business, that is why our leaders are still exploiting it and running it like a business. Where the British stopped, our leaders took over.When we set up the country like a nation that's supposed to serve it's people, we'll start getting what we want.

ALL HANDS MUST BE ON DECK

na wa oh