afam4eva:

Switzerland's economy is not only banking and finance based. They also make a bulk of their money from health and pharmaceutical, Tourism etc.

Yeah but 90% of the Economy is Finance/Banking and most of
its companies are based abroad ie "Nestle" which bring
in Agricultural Produce and other raw material which enables them
to produce Pharmaceticals etc,

Take for example Nestle, its based in Nigeria and makes
products for the local Nigerian market but its main aim
is to to secure agricultural Land in Nigeria (Ogun state most notable)
to export agric resources back to Switzerland.

But let us not stray from the main topic, Why is the UK wealthy

United kindgom as a lot of overseas territories and former empire to sell all their products , the defunt empires are used as markets to sell all they produce
and they pratically owns the united states, Boston is their capital.

The agricultural and industrial revolution.

Justcash said:

@Jen33:
Nigeria is backwards. We have not achieved any meaningful or commendable development since after the independence. 

Nigeria stopped moving forward the moment the British completely left Nigeria in 1963. Everything grounded to a halt, and we have been doing the moonwalk since then.

So when are you returning to your VILLAGE to live and work? You do recall that 95% of Nigerians lived in thatched roof villages with no running water or electricity during the ''good old days'' of British colonialism. You really can return to that era RIGHT NOW by simply taking the next bus to your village and arranging a farm and boys to build your thatched hut. So what's stopping you? Why are you still in the ''new Nigeria'' of cities, cars, roads and expressways, universities and nightclubs? Why are you not typing this rubbish from the village where the British left your grandparents?

You should PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS. If Nigeria has gotten ''much worse'' since the British left, there is a lot you can do to bring back those ''good old days'' of colonial rule back into your life. Why aren't you grasping the opportunity?

How can you be giving a loud round of applause to a nation that is still grappling with building motor-able roads

How many roads, motorable or otherwise, did the British leave you?

How many people could afford cars? Not the super-duper rich?

Did your grandparents own a car? Could they read and write? If the answer is yes, they were the lucky 0.2%

Bottomline: Whatever we have today is 20000 times better than whatever the British left us with from infrastructure to health, and from education to nutrition.

providing jobs for her citizens

Far more jobs have been provided for Nigerians under Nigerian govts than under the British. What was your grandfather's job?

Providing portable drinking water

Far more Nigerians have access to clean, potable drinking water than under the British, taken both as a mass, and as a percentage of the population.

creating an enabling environment for business to thrive

The British created an ''enabling environment'' for business to thrive more than Nigerian govts?

Do you realise that 96% of Nigerians did not see a light bulb before the British left? Did the British even build a national grid in their entire 90 years rule in which they exported natural resources worth hundreds of billions of dollars in today's currency?

No they didn't. So what ''enabling environment'' did the British build? In fact, I put it to you that ZAMFARA STATE has provided more of an ''enabling environment'' for business in the last year than the British govt did in all Nigeria in their 90 year rule.

ensuring safety of lives and properties etc?

Under the British, there was ''safety of lives and properties'' because no one had anything for the other to steal or covet. Poverty was universal. If you like that kind of safety and security, I'm sure you can still find it in certain remote parts of your village, so when are you heading out there?

So Nigeria is moving forward, yet up till now we don't refine our own oil?

We DO refine oil. We do much more. We produce chemicals, tyres, steel, textiles, buses, cars computers. And we are still moving forward. None of these were possible under the British. ''Economic activity'' under them was confined to building ''groundnut pyramids'' in Kano!

If I may ask, what is really working properly in Nigeria? Can you point out one thing that is working the way it should work in Nigeria?

Nigeria is a developing country. In developing countries, especially large, highly populated, diverse ones, it will take a lot of time and effort to get society functioning to optimal levels. This is why for instance Ghana has 24 hrs electricity (according to some), yet India, one of the developing world's most promising and vibrant economies, a nuclear power no less, is still grappling with power cuts, mass poverty, and bad roads. Brazil is filled with slums. Unemployment is a major problem there.

You can name almost any developing nation with over 50 million people, and you will find serious social/economic problems that they are grappling with. In time, these nations, Nigeria including, will stand tall.

We DO refine oil. We do much more. We produce chemicals, tyres, steel, textiles, buses, cars computers. And we are still moving forward. None of these were possible under the British. ''Economic activity'' under them was confined to building ''groundnut pyramids'' in Kano!

Lol, not my argument, but show n' prove.

Show and prove what? The Nigerian govt educated you at public expense. Use that education and do some research. Nobody owes you any ''proof''.

Jen33:

Show and prove what? The Nigerian govt educated you at public expense. Use that education and do some research.

Uh, it actually didn't.

And you do realize that when someone asserts something with no evidence, the onus is on that person to prove that what they assert is true?

Anyways, what finished products does Nigeria export? And at what quality and/or scale are these chemicals,tires, steel, textiles, buses,cars, and computers being produced and where?

Uh, it actually didn't.

Kindly tell us where you were educated so we can discuss who made it possible.

And you do realize that when someone asserts something with no evidence, the onus is on that person to prove that what they assert is true?

Dude spare me your claptrap. Go and research what your country produces. Are you not a Nigerian? Have you no shame to be asking a fellow Nigerian to show you ''proof'' of what and what is produced in your own country? Do a Google and EDUCATE yourself. It's not my job.

Anyways, what finished products does Nigeria export?

The poster claimed Nigeria did not produce its own refined oil. I told him we did, and mentioned other things Nigeria produces. You need to learn to follow a thread properly.

And at what quality and/or scale are these chemicals, tires, steel, textiles, buses,cars, and computers being produced and where?

A far higher quality and on a far larger, meaningful scale than anything accomplished under British rule.

For more info, visit:

www.google.com

Jen33:

Kindly tell us where you were educated so we can discuss who made it possible.

U.S.

Dude spare me your claptrap. Go and research what your country produces. Are you not a Nigerian? Have you no shame to be asking a fellow Nigerian to show you ''proof'' of what and what is produced in your own country? Do a Google and EDUCATE yourself. It's not my job.

I am a Nigerian. Not at all ashamed. Everything that every country produces is not common knowledge. You have to dig for official studies, etc. or just be in the know.

The poster claimed Nigeria did not produce its own refined oil. I told him we did, and mentioned other things Nigeria produces. You need to learn to follow a thread properly.

Does Nigeria refine its own oil? I'm just asking innocently. I'm not an expert on that whole oil sector.

A far higher quality and on a far larger scale than anything we accomplished under British rule.

For more info, visit:

www.google.com

Lol, so could we have been producing quality computers on a significant scale under British rule?

I just asked a few simple questions. If you don' t have the answers, maybe you should take back your assertion.

Stupid argument, without the British where did Nigerians build motorways or railways? Anyway, if the British stayed Nigerians would be 'in bondage' but they will be far better off than they are now. Sad fact.

PhysicsMHD said:

Kindly tell us where you were educated so we can discuss who made it possible.

U.S.

How did you end up in the US? Did your parents not work in Nigeria to send you there? Who provided the enabling environment for your people to be able to send you to Yank to study? Under the British, only the most highly privileged could even dream of such a thing. Under Nigerian leadership, so much wealth was created that such a thing became commonplace, so you still have Nigerian leaders to thank for what you got!

Dude spare me your claptrap. Go and research what your country produces. Are you not a Nigerian? Have you no shame to be asking a fellow Nigerian to show you ''proof'' of what and what is produced in your own country? Do a Google and EDUCATE yourself. It's not my job.

I am a Nigerian. Not at all ashamed. Everything that every country produces is not common knowledge. You have to dig for official studies, etc. or just be in the know.

Then go DIG!!!! You don't stand in some uppity position telling others to show you ''proof'' that Nigeria produces this or that. If you cared about the country, as opposed to sniffing your nose at it, you would be on Google right now scouring for info YOURSELF.

The poster claimed Nigeria did not produce its own refined oil. I told him we did, and mentioned other things Nigeria produces. You need to learn to follow a thread properly.

Does Nigeria refine its own oil? I'm just asking innocently. I'm not an expert on that whole oil sector.

Nigeria refines SOME of its oil. Two major refineries have just been resuscitated after years of neglect by dictatorial regimes.

Lol, so could we have been producing quality computers on a significant scale under British rule?

Don't be daft.  

ezeagu said:

silly argument, without the British where did Nigerians build motorways or railways?

I don't understand your syntax. What exactly are you trying to say here? Do you realize there was actually not a single motorway in Nigeria during British rule? The joke of a railway they built was little more than a couple of vertical routes from the north through to the southern coasts for the export of Nigerian resources, with the proceeds pocketed by London.

Anyway, if the British stayed Nigerians would be 'in bondage' but they will be far better off than they are now. Sad fact.

This conclusion seems to be predicated on little more than a wretched, in-bred inferiority complex.

There's nothing to show that the British would have suddenly began building schools, universities, hospitals, erecting water, road, and electricity infrastructure etc from the 1960s onwards, when they did no such thing between the 1880s AND 1960 - an egregious neglect of the people that led to vociferous calls for independence.

Wasn't being daft, that was outright mockery. Bringing current small scale computer manufacturing here and there in Nigeria as an example of what we couldn't have done under the British is just dumb when the very first computers were only being set up in the 40s and 50s.



Anyways, this isn't worth my time. Keep deluding yourself. 

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=592828.msg7604401#msg7604401

^^^^^

That's a pretty good summary of the real state of things.

Jen33:

ezeagu said:

I don't understand your syntax. What exactly are you trying to say here? Do you realize there was actually not a single motorway in Nigeria during British rule? The joke of a railway they built was little more than a couple of vertical routes from the north through to the southern coasts for the export of Nigerian resources, with the proceeds pocketed by London.

No, actually the railways were key in the growth of many towns it passed especially in the East of Nigeria, what would a trading town be without it? The motorways would not have been built if the British had not arrived in Nigeria and given Nigeria, Nigeria. They would pocket resources, yes, but they'd find a way to stop the conflict that left over 500 people dead in their colony.

Jen33:

This conclusion seems to be predicated on little more than a wretched, in-bred inferiority complex.

The sentence has NOOOOOOOOOO relevance in explaining your points.

Jen33:

There's nothing to show that the British would have suddenly began building schools, universities, hospitals, erecting water, road, and electricity infrastructure etc from the 1960s onwards, when they did no such thing between the 1880s AND 1960 - an egregious neglect of the people that led to vociferous calls for independence.

They did it in their colonies and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's best university was under Oxford. You might have heard of that university. Nothing to show that they would build any of those things, except that they built all those things anyway? Those that make sense? The neglect was seen in their country as late as the 80s which caused the miners strike in their own country, yes they mistreated their own citizens as well with the white settle colonies included, but lets look at Nigeria when they left and now.

Jen33:

kalokalo said:

My friend stop spewing ignorant rubbish.

It takes a lot more than ''brains'' to become an advanced nation, and limiting your criteria to name-dropping British ''brands'' and quipping like some schoolboy about ''adding value''  as if you've just discovered some great new secret is pretty embarrassing.

Really?? If what you say is true, why not think of what would happen if all Nigerians were transferred to the UK and all Brits were brought to Nigeria and give each nation about 25 years or less. Nigeria would become an advanced and wealthy nation and the UK would crumble.

It may be politically correct to deny it but you know it is true.

kalokalo said:

Really?? If what you say is true, why not think of what would happen if all Nigerians were transferred to the UK and all Brits were brought to Nigeria and give each nation about 25 years or less. Nigeria would become an advanced and wealthy nation and the UK would crumble.

It may be politically correct to deny it but you know it is true.

Another thoughtless diatribe. If transferred to Nigeria, the British would certainly not have to deal with the problems of a colonialist power having destroyed their culture, imposed foreign languages and religions on them, and lumped  them together with 250 other different, rival ethnic groups!!!

Some of you need to get it into your colonized brains that development is not just a matter of skin colour, but that a whole variety of factors - social, economic, political, and geographical - determine if, when, and to what extent a nation develops.


If the British EVEN IN BRITAIN NOW had to forge a ''nation'' comprising themselves, Germans, Turks, French, Spanish, Italians and Russians, the way they lumped Nigeria, how far do you think they will go before civil war and conflict broke out? Probably not very long.

And why was Nigeria not an advanced nation by 1960, or was it not the British that ruled in that period? Why were we not even remotely close to being developed after 90 years of British rule? Why were our grandparents ALL illiterate?

You simply cannot ignore the record of blatant incompetence, ineptitude, greed, grand theft, and corruption that defined British colonial rule in Nigeria, just because you feel inferior to them. WE DON'T, so we can see their record of non achievement clearly and without eyes blinkered by colonial inferiority complex.

Jen33:

Justcash said:


So when are you returning to your VILLAGE to live and work? You do recall that 95% of Nigerians lived in thatched roof villages with no running water or electricity during the ''good old days'' of British colonialism. You really can return to that era RIGHT NOW by simply taking the next bus to your village and arranging a farm and boys to build your thatched hut. So what's stopping you? Why are you still in the ''new Nigeria'' of cities, cars, roads and expressways, universities and nightclubs? Why are you not typing this rubbish from the village where the British left your grandparents?

You should PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS. If Nigeria has gotten ''much worse'' since the British left, there is a lot you can do to bring back those ''good old days'' of colonial rule back into your life. Why aren't you grasping the opportunity?


How many roads, motorable or otherwise, did the British leave you?

How many people could afford cars? Not the super-duper rich?

Did your grandparents own a car? Could they read and write? If the answer is yes, they were the lucky 0.2%

Bottomline: Whatever we have today is 20000 times better than whatever the British left us with from infrastructure to health, and from education to nutrition.

Far more jobs have been provided for Nigerians under Nigerian govts than under the British. What was your grandfather's job?


Far more Nigerians have access to clean, potable drinking water than under the British, taken both as a mass, and as a percentage of the population.

The British created an ''enabling environment'' for business to thrive more than Nigerian govts?

Do you realise that 96% of Nigerians did not see a light bulb before the British left? Did the British even build a national grid in their entire 90 years rule in which they exported natural resources worth hundreds of billions of dollars in today's currency?

No they didn't. So what ''enabling environment'' did the British build? In fact, I put it to you that ZAMFARA STATE has provided more of an ''enabling environment'' for business in the last year than the British govt did in all Nigeria in their 90 year rule.


Under the British, there was ''safety of lives and properties'' because no one had anything for the other to steal or covet. Poverty was universal. If you like that kind of safety and security, I'm sure you can still find it in certain remote parts of your village, so when are you heading out there?


We DO refine oil. We do much more. We produce chemicals, tyres, steel, textiles, buses, cars computers. And we are still moving forward. None of these were possible under the British. ''Economic activity'' under them was confined to building ''groundnut pyramids'' in Kano!

Nigeria is a developing country. In developing countries, especially large, highly populated, diverse ones, it will take a lot of time and effort to get society functioning to optimal levels. This is why for instance Ghana has 24 hrs electricity (according to some), yet India, one of the developing world's most promising and vibrant economies, a nuclear power no less, is still grappling with power cuts, mass poverty, and bad roads. Brazil is filled with slums. Unemployment is a major problem there.

You can name almost any developing nation with over 50 million people, and you will find serious social/economic problems that they are grappling with. In time, these nations, Nigeria including, will stand tall.

[b]Before the British left, they had a serious master plan for Nigeria, especially the growing urban centers like Lagos, Calabar, Onitsha etc Unlike Calabar that they succeeded in touching properly with their master plan, other places like Onitsha and Lagos were partially touched before they left. Don't you wonder why a place like calabar is so well planned, while places like Lagos and Onitsha have all transformed into giant slums? Imagine how Lagos and Onitsha would have been if they had succeeded in touching them the way they wanted? You simply don't get it, Nigeria has been running around the same circle for over 50 years. We definitely deserve to be way beyond the level we are at the moment.
I am not saying that the British are saints, and less evil, all I am saying is that they are way more pro-developmental than all the leaders Nigeria have ever produced.
Talking about Education, would you compare the educational standard now to what was obtainable in the 50s and 60s? Imagine if the British had the chance to  manage our educational sector till now, do you think we'd be where we are now? We would definitely be way beyond this level, and even competing with the best schools in the world.
Talking about electricity, yes it was not widespread when the british were here, but they left the country for Nigerians to make it widespread. The question is how widespread is it now? Do you truly think that If the Colonial masters were left with the task of making it widespread, they wouldn't have gone beyond the level that Nigeria is at the moment? They did it in South Africa, and the speed of rail road development in Nigeria (Which was globally in vogue at that time)  under their watch is a pointer to how pro-developmental they were. The question is what happened? Even the railway system established by them is in an irredeemable state.
Countries like Singapore that we have been talking about since stuck to the original plans that the British left for them. The British had identified the country as an important international shipping point, so a lot of their efforts were made towards building ports in Singapore. When Singapore gained independence, they leveraged on the ports that were developed by the British to not only create an enviable global shipping point, but to attract tourists, and investments.
The British left Agriculture in Nigeria. They made Nigeria the biggest black nation to dominate Africa in terms of domestic consumption and military strength, they left a good transportation system (Both rail and road), they also left important global ports and Education for Nigerians among other things. Question is where are all these things that were left? Even our military strength that Nigeria has managed to keep intact for many years is gradually dwindling (Imagine MEND sending our military men to their graves like ants). Where is the rail transportation? While many other countries have developed the rail system that the British left for them e.g. The Monorails and Rapid rail systems, Nigeria is still battling with resuscitating the obsolete locomotive rail transportation system.
You should be ashamed to say that you have seen alot of developments.
As for a nation that is above 50 million that is moving on smoothly, check out China and India. You cannot in anyway compare those countries to Nigeria. Their major urban centers are with all the major basic infrastructures. They have developed models to create employment for their population and their standard of living is way higher than whatever you see in Nigeria. Imagine India, a small nation when compared to economic resources and capability with Nigeria, they have left Nigeria behind a long time ago. They have carved a niche for themselves in the globe. They have more population than Nigeria, but their poorest people live way above the standard of the poor in Nigeria. Talking about slums in Brazil, we all know that you cannot compare the amount of slums you see in Nigeria to the size you see in Brazil. Onitsha and Lagos alone have big enough slums to cover a whole nation like Ghana. Still the Brazilians are making noticeable efforts to counter the effects of these slums. They are fighting crime and rebuilding the slums.
You made a very naive statement about why there was safety of lives and properties under the British. You are wrong about that. Nigerians at that time had properties that could be stolen. Many men in my home town, including my grand-father had vehicles e.g. Peugeot 404, big modern houses were being built at that time, Money were kept at home (Cos Nigerians were still getting used to the Banking system), beautiful wives slept in their husband's homes without their doors tightly locked to avoid getting violated etc. The only bane to criminal activities was an effective police force. At that time, the police force was effective. That was what discouraged people from stealing and committing crimes because they knew that they wouldn't get away with their crimes. What we are experiencing now is because Nigerians did not develop the police force that was left for them by the British. The force was ignored, and crime capability overtook the capability of containing such crimes. If the police grew with technological development, do you think committing crime in Nigeria would have been easy? Look at what happened after Fashola took little steps to update the Police in Lagos state abit. Crime rate dropped. Imagine if the Nigerian police had been updated steadily, crime would be very very low in Nigeria.
Was it not under the British that graduates were given options in terms of job availability? Graduates were offered jobs after they graduated. This continued to happen till around the 70s when the anti-development attitude of Nigerians killed it. How will there be job when Nigerians have not made efforts to diversify their economy? Do you know that providing an enabling environment for business in the East alone can make Domestic and FDI investments to skyrocket and create 100 of millions of jobs for Nigerians? Now imagine if Agricultural development is added to that? Do you know that if basic infrastructures were efficient, entrepreneurial development alone can create jobs for more than half of Nigeria's unemployed? Then add jobs from the oil sector? Add the banking and telecommunication sector. Add jobs from government agencies and parastatals etc You will see that Nigeria has a capability of actually creating jobs that can cover way beyond the 150 million population of Nigeria. Imagine how many jobs the telecommunication and banking sectors created when they were briefly revived and updated?
Nigeria is so not moving forward. We backslid after the independence, and believe it or not, Nigeria is 30 years behind the global developmental trend. Little wonder why Nigerians die to live in messed up countries like Cambodia, yet get rejected and deported. SMH[/b]

Jen33:

And why was Nigeria not an advanced nation by 1960, or was it not the British that ruled in that period? Why were we not even remotely close to being developed after 90 years of British rule? Why were our grandparents ALL illiterate?

I don't know who's grandparents you see, but all Nigerian grandparents are not illiterate. Let's not be ignorant.

Jen33:

kalokalo said:

Another thoughtless diatribe. If transferred to Nigeria, the British would certainly not have to deal with the problems of a colonialist power having destroyed their culture, imposed foreign languages and religions on them, and lumped  them together with 250 other different, rival ethnic groups!!!

Some of you need to get it into your colonized brains that development is not just a matter of skin colour, but that a whole variety of factors - social, economic, political, and geographical - determine if, when, and to what extent a nation develops.

If the British EVEN IN BRITAIN NOW had to forge a ''nation'' comprising themselves, Germans, Turks, French, Spanish, Italians and Russians, the way they lumped Nigeria, how far do you think they will go before civil war and conflict broke out? Probably not very long.

And why was Nigeria not an advanced nation by 1960, or was it not the British that ruled in that period? Why were we not even remotely close to being developed after 90 years of British rule? Why were our grandparents ALL illiterate?

You simply cannot ignore the record of blatant incompetence, ineptitude, greed, grand theft, and corruption that defined British colonial rule in Nigeria, just because you feel inferior to them. WE DON'T, so we can see their record of non achievement clearly and without eyes blinkered by colonial inferiority complex

Look here my friend, you don't have to throw insults at me to make your points. Put forth your arguments in a mature way and you will be heard. What does my points have to do with inferiority complex? Knowledge has nothing to do with skin color. What matters is what you do with it. We know what to do if we want to develop but we are not doing it. So who is to blame for that? Free your mind from mental slavery.

The quality of life in a place is just a function of the quality of thinking in that place. We are backward because we are yet to emancipate our minds.

kalokalo said:

Look here my friend, you don't have to throw insults at me to make your points. Put forth your arguments in a mature way and you will be heard. What does my points have to do with inferiority complex? Knowledge has nothing to do with skin color. What matters is what you do with it. We know what to do if we want to develop but we are not doing it. So who is to blame for that? Free your mind from mental slavery.

The quality of life in a place is just a function of the quality of thinking in that place. We are backward because we are yet to emancipate our minds.

Bros you cannot tell others to be mature when you make stuppid comments like ''if you took all the British to Nigeria and Nigerians to Britain, the former would be developed in 2 weeks and the latter would collapse in one day!'' That IS thoughtless inferiority complex. If that is what you call contributing in a mature manner I've a bridge to sell you in Okokomaiko! Rubbish.

Justcash said:

Before the British left, they had a serious master plan for Nigeria

kai,  but colonial mentality na bad thing sha.

So, you think your colonial master had some real great plans for you, right?

So what took him 90 years to develop such plans?

Do you realise that Britain built their first engineering schools and universities in their Indian, Egypt, SA, and other non black colonies right from the 1800s?

Why do you think they did not do that in Nigeria? India was not more developed than Africa when the Brits invaded. The British actually deliberately denied YOU your rights as a people. They colonized your land, milked its resources for 90 years, and left you without an electricity grid, as late as 1960 when it took a Nigerian govt to begin constructing things that should have been done a century earlier.

You need to rid yourself of your ''white worshipping'' disease, and understand that you were clearly and heavily EXPLOITED by people you have no business defending for even one second. By right we should not even have been grappling with infrastructure problems by 1960 when the British left. If they had re-invested just 20% of what they made in those 90 years exporting our resources, we would have been fully developed by 1960 before they handed over. Was South Africa not developed by the 1940s? Was it not because the whites RE-INVESTED part of the proceeds of their exports? Do you know they built universities there as early as the 1840s?? By the 1920s they had modern infrastructure throughout the country. In Nigeria by contrast, everywhere was jungle, slum or desert, apart from Ikoyi, right up till 1960. And you're here typing rubbish?

especially the growing urban centers like Lagos, Calabar, Onitsha etc Unlike Calabar that they succeeded in touching properly with their master plan, other places like Onitsha and Lagos were partially touched before they left.

I've no idea what ''masterplan'' you're yammering about. Calabar was a backwater with its major streets lined with MUD HUTS when the British left, after 90 years in power. Lagos was little different. Their ''masterplan'' for Lagos certainly did not extend beyond Ikoyi GRA where we find their colonial houses till date, and from where blacks were barred. Any ''masterplan'' for Lagos that actually means something comes from the likes of Jakande, Tinubu, and Fashola, not the British, unless IKOYI is now representative of Lagos.

Imagine how Lagos and Onitsha would have been if they had succeeded in touching it they way they wanted?

The way they wanted? Tell me. does it take 90 years to plan and build a city? What stopped them from executing their plan even 50 years after they took power, say in 1935? South African cities where the whites knew they would settle in, were built up using the proceeds from SA resources even as early as the 1800s.

So what are you talking about the British still ''planning'' for you as late as the 1950s?

I am not saying that the British are saints, and less evil, all I am saying is that they are way more pro-developmental than all the leaders Nigeria have ever produced.

How can they be more ''pro-developmental'' when they refused to build a national grid?

When they left our literacy rate at 7%. (That figure is now 75% under black rule)

When infant mortality rates were at 250 per thousand? (That figure down to 93 per thousand under black rule)

Do any of you actually go on the UNICEF sites etc to LEARN how far we've come using basic statistics, or you're so lazy you sit somewhere hallucinating about an ''Eldorado'' life under the British which NEVER existed?

Talking about Education, would you compare the educational standard now to what was obtainable in the 50s and 60s?

What percentage of Nigerians enjoyed those ''high standards of education''?

I'll tell you the figure - Approximately 5% of the population, after 90 years of British rule.

Is that what they call being ''pro-development'' in your village?

Imagine if the British had the chance to  manage our educational sector till now, do you think we'd be where we are now?

Hell no we wouldn't. Our literacy rate would have jumped to 10% if that.

Thankfully, because we kicked out the British, we introduced MASS EDUCATION. The Western Region introduced mass FREE education utilizing Nigerian resources for the benefit of the Nigerian people - something the British never did. All the British did was create a tiny class of educated yes-men, the rest of the population left to eke out a living in illiteracy and penury.

In fact had the British still been in power today, there is a 99% likelihood that YOU would be an illiterate stuck in the village like your predecessors.

We would definitely be way beyond this level, and even competing with the best schools in the world.

Sorry, but I would much rather the vast majority of Nigerians are educated, than to have 5% educated in the ''Nigerian best schools in the world''.

If Jonathan decided to do like the British and have just one university, pouring all education funds into it, it would also become the ''best university in the world''.

Would you praise Jonathan for that? Answer: NO.

So why are you praising the British for it?

Because they are white people?

If the British had built Abuja, you would have erected a shrine to them in your backyard, worshiping night and day. But Nigerians built it, so you probably call it a ''waste of resources''. Or at best ''nothing much to write home about'', etc etc, because in your warped, colonized head, only a white man's work is worth anything.

Talking about electricity, yes it was not widespread when the british were here, but they left the country for Nigerians to make it widespread.

Don't give us that ''it wasn't widespread'' baloney. Say it loud and clear: The British CRIMINALLY NEGLECTED to create an electricity system/grid for the nation despite 90 years of plundering her resources. When they left, 96% of Nigerians had not experienced electricity. It was only AFTER they left that Nigerian regimes, even the so called ''evil, corrupt'' regimes, began building an extensive national grid that forms the basis for the power we generate today. In fact, Jonathan has just ordered the construction of a $3.5 billion national Super Grid to end power failure for good.

THANK GOODNESS for Nigerian leadership. It is far from perfect, but at least they WANT to do the right thing, and therefore, WILL get there eventually.

You are sitting there, worshiping slavishly a nation that did not WANT to do anything for Nigeria, but milk it dry.

You're a classic example of a colonized African.

The British left Agriculture in Nigeria. They made Nigeria the biggest black nation to dominate Africa in terms of domestic consumption and military strength, they left a good transportation system (Both rail and road), they also left important global ports and Education for Nigerians among other things. Question is where are all these things that were left?

They are right there in your imagination where you dreamt them up. A ''good transportation system'' left by the British? What transport are you actually talking about? The rail was not at all extensive and less than 2% of the population were even aware of its existence let alone use it. Roads? They built a couple of two lane roads here and there. No expressways.

Most cities and towns had very little or no tarred roads. Villages were completely neglected. Most people used traditional medicine when they fell ill as they were no modern hospitals or clinics in the number we see today. These things were not ''new to the world'' during British rule. They were very much standard fare across the world. The British simply REFUSED to re-invest the profits of her plunder in the country.

Even our military strength that Nigeria have managed to keep intact for many years is gradually dwindling (Imagine MEND sending our military men to their graves like ants).

Your ignorance stinks. What ''military strength'' did the British leave Nigeria?? So you really think the British invested in the Nigerian military They didn't even build primary schools for the masses but you think they gave us a proper military? Can you list our military inventory in 1959?

Of course you can't. But hey - they were whites - so Mr resident Uncle Tom just knows they left him with an ''excellent military''. (shakes head)

Where is the rail transportation? While many other countries have developed the rail system that the British left for them e.g. The Monorails and Rapid rail systems, Nigeria is still battling with resuscitating the obsolete locomotive rail transportation system.

On the contrary, Nigeria is building at this moment, a PROPER RAIL NETWORK across the nation, not the single gauge antiquated caricature built by the Brits that led simply from north to south for export of our resources, and was hence economically unviable under indigenous rule. As I type, not less than 6 Nigerian cities are constructing either mono rail or light rail systems, including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu, and Calabar.  When they are done, you would have NIGERIANS to thank for it, not Winston Churchill.

As for a nation that is above 50 million that is moving on smoothly, check out China and India. You cannot in anyway compare those countries to Nigeria. Their major urban centers are with all the major basic infrastructures. They have developed models to create employment for their population and their standard of living is way higher than whatever you see in Nigeria. Imagine India, a small nation when compared to economic resources and capability with Nigeria, they have left Nigeria beyond a long time ago. They have carved a niche for themselves in the globe. They have more population than Nigeria, but their poorest people live way above the standard of the poor in Nigeria.

Again, you are talking so much inaccurate drivel. India has half its population illiterate (500 million). It's poor live as bad as, and often worse, than any poor people in Nigeria. Malnutrition is rife. Do a Google on ''Mumbai slums'' and see the condition the majority of Indians live in. Failing which you can keep hallucinating about them having ''all the basic infrastructures''.

Talking about slums in Brazil, we all know that you cannot compare the amount of slums you see in Nigeria to the size you see in Brazil. Onitsha and Lagos alone have big enough slums to cover a whole nation like Ghana. Still the Brazilians are making noticeable efforts to counter the effects of these slums. They are fighting crime and rebuilding the slums.

Again, try VISITING Brazil and staying in a favela for even 30 minutes before typing IGNORANCE and singing their praises. You're an ignorant foool with a complex who thinks everywhere else is better than Nigeria.

You made a very naive statement about why there was safety of lives and properties under the British. You are wrong about that. Nigerians at that time had properties that could be stolen. Many men in my home town had vehicles e.g. Peugeot 404, big modern houses were being built at that time

You're a bloody LIAR. Tell us the name of your village let us go and see the ''big houses built under British rule''.

And, considering that Peugeot 404 only came into production in late 1960 after the British had been kicked out, your village must have been living in the FUTURE at the time, with waves of 404s streaming through it in the 1950s under British rule.

BORN LIAR.

You're an example of the extent an African slave would go to defend his massa, even to the point of telling bare faced lies on his behalf. SHAME ON YOU.

ROSSIKE:

Do you realise that Britain built their first engineering schools and universities in their Indian, Egypt, SA, and other non black colonies right from the 1800s?

Britain weren't even on Nigerian soil till the 1880's and even then Nigeria wasn't a British colony.

ezeagu said:

Britain weren't even on Nigerian soil till the 1880's and even then Nigeria wasn't a British colony.

I actually meant the 1800s, as in the 19th century. ie 1800 to 1899, not simply 1800-1809.

The British effectively ruled Nigeria after the conquest of Benin in 1897 although they essentially controlled the region from at least 1885.

ROSSIKE:

ezeagu said:

I actually meant the 1800s, as in the 19th century. ie 1800 to 1899, not simply 1800-1809.

The British effectively ruled Nigeria after the conquest of Benin in 1897 although they essentially controlled the region from at least 1885.

How do you start building universities in a region that was still hostile till around 1902? Anyway.

ezeagu said:

How do you start building universities in a region that was still hostile till around 1902? Anyway.

So when the people stopped being ''hostile'' in 1902 it took the British approximately another 50 years before they built a university? (Actually it was a ''half'' university they built - University College Ibadan)

How would you like the Nigerian govt to suspend all investment in higher education for the next 50 years?

Will you be singing their praises at the end of that period?

Even if they left you one elitist  ''university-college'' that ''competes with the best in the world'' while 99.95% of our young minds rot in illiteracy?

Would you praise them for their ''achievement''?

So why would you praise the British??

ROSSIKE:

ezeagu said:

So when the people stopped being ''hostile'' in 1902 it took the British another 50 years before they built a university?

How would you like say the PDP govt to suspend all investment in higher education for the next 50 years?

Will you be singing their praises at the end of that period?

Even if they left you one elitist  ''university college'' that ''competes with the best in the world'' while 99.95% of our young minds rot in illiteracy?

Would you praise the PDP for their ''achievement''?

So why would you praise the British??

I just think your picking at things. They built a whole railway before 1920 but we will still pick and say they built it to exploit. It's okay, the British did nothing for Nigeria except build the whole thing.

Rossike has finally met the Lying, field nigga, the "white massa" lover: JUSTCASH!!!

Arguements on this thread are emotion-ladened. As a result, lies have been peddled.

Come off that high horse, the UK sits on a very high pedestal and the sources of their wealth have not really been comprehensively discussed here.

ezeagu said:

I just think your picking at things

.

Picking at things? You call a 7% literacy rate at independence ''picking at things''?

It's not your fault actually. Afterall, if the Nigerian govt had not decided to bring mass education to the people, you would not have been here typing praise to those who preferred you to be illiterate!

They built a whole railway before 1920 but we will still pick and say they built it to exploit.

BECAUSE THEY DID!!!

What ''whole railway'' did the British build? One track that went from Nguru (north) to Lagos (south). Another that went from Maiduguri (north) to Port Harcourt (south). All tracks led to the PORTS.

It's okay, the British did nothing for Nigeria except build the whole thing.

Defender of colonialist THIEVES.

They built NOTHING. Maybe they built YOUR house or your father's house. But for the vast majority of Nigerians, the British colonial rulers did a big fat NOTHING.

That is why, despite, your ridiculous objections, the vast majority of our grandparents and great grandparents were STARK ILLITERATES.

NOT because Nigeria couldn't afford to educate them, (afterall where did Awo suddenly find the money to enact free education right after independence?).

But because the ROGUE COLONIAL REGIME you slavishly support deliberately WITHELD education from the majority.

bkbabe97Y said:

Rossike has finally met the Lying, field nigga, the "white massa" lover: JUSTCASH!!!

I see he has a reputation for ''bending over''.

ROSSIKE:

ezeagu said:
.

Picking at things? You call a 7% literacy rate at independence ''picking at things''?

It's not your fault actually. Afterall, if the Nigerian govt had not decided to bring mass education to the people, you would not have been here typing praise to those who preferred you to be illiterate!

I don't know where you're getting the percent from, literacy was different from area to area. You're picking at things, and you have no solid point except for "the British were bad!" We're not talking about their intentions, we're talking about what they did and what they were going to do, and much of it was positive for Nigerians. You're here arguing in English and you say it's because of the Nigerian government. I wonder if this is the same Nigeria where people would rather go to University abroad.

ROSSIKE:

BECAUSE THEY DID!!!

What ''whole railway'' did the British build? One track that went from Nguru (north) to Lagos (south). Another that went from Maiduguri (north) to Port Harcourt (south). All tracks led to the PORTS.

So a railway stretching several hundred miles to a port isn't a whole railway? Two they built. So the railway did nothing for Nigerian cities and economies?

ROSSIKE:

Defender of colonialist THIEVES.

You sound like a mad person on the street instead of someone that's trying to explain themselves. Or do you not just sound?

ROSSIKE:

They built NOTHING.

Mad.

ROSSIKE:

Maybe they built YOUR house or your father's house.

Definitely the talk of a mad street person.

ROSSIKE:

But for the vast majority of Nigerians, the British colonial rulers did a big fat NOTHING.

Hospitals, roads, education, ports, new cities, planned cities, nothing?

ROSSIKE:

That is why, despite, your ridiculous objections, the vast majority of our grandparents and great grandparents were STARK ILLITERATES.

I think this is a regional thing then, because the majority of old people I've met can speak English better than younger Nigerians today. If you're grandparents are illiterates it does not mean everybody else has illiterate ones.

ROSSIKE:

NOT because Nigeria couldn't afford to educate them, (afterall where did Awo suddenly find the money to enact free education right after independence?).

But because the ROGUE COLONIAL REGIME you slavishly support deliberately WITHELD education from the majority.

Maybe they withheld education from some regions for political games, okay, but there are many people who will remind you of schools built as early as the 1890's. I'm not slavishly supporting anything, I just like to say the truth when I see it, and let me say it again.

[size=18pt]Nigeria would be better now if it were still a British colony.[/size]