By Ndidi Nwuneli


Some years ago, I was invited to a meeting between stakeholders in the Nigerian civil society community and Bill and Melinda Gates. A few weeks after the meeting, I received a letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a group photograph from the meeting, which I proudly placed on my office bulletin board. Whenever visitors came to the office, they would ask, “Who is that in the picture, Ndidi?” and I would proudly respond — “Bill and Melinda Gates.” In disbelief they would often say, “That cannot be Bill Gates. He looks so ordinary. His clothes look plain. His watch… Is that his wife, Melinda? It cannot be. She is the only one stooping. If it was really Bill and Melinda, they would be seated and then the rest of the participants would be standing around them.” After much back and forth, I would eventually convince them that Bill and Melinda Gates were actually the people in the photo.

It is important to point out that these visitors who commented on the photo were extremely intelligent people and this article is less a reflection on them and more a reflection on what Mr and Mrs Gates represent in the Nigerian context. For the average Nigerian, rich people should look rich. Their appearance should ooze wealth. One should not have to guess if the people in question are rich — there should be clear signs of wealth from their hair, all the way to their shoes. In addition, they should carry themselves as wealthy people would — never lift their own bags, arrive fashionably late, always have advance parties and entourages, and in all staged photos, NEVER be caught dead stooping.

This vision or version of what ‘Bill Gates’ should look like is not unique to Nigeria and is rooted in the ‘image/status trap’ that pervades many developing countries and low-income neighborhoods in wealthy nations. This mentality pushes people to put their limited income towards the purchase of expensive items, which may make little financial sense but provide more of a ‘prestige’ value. For example, a single mother who lives in an inner-city neighborhood in the United States may spend $200 on a pair of designer shoes instead of buying books or milk for her children. Similarly, a working mother in Lagos might spend her entire salary on an expensive cellular phone, hair weave, or aso-ebi, instead of saving a portion, buying school books for her children or taking them for their immunisations.

This trap pushes the average Nigerian to attempt to dress in more expensive clothes than a Hollywood star, and to compete with the rest of the world for limited edition bags, shoes and jewelry. Sadly, the pressure never ends as one moves up the income ladder — from my generator or cell phone pass your own; all the way up to expectations about club memberships; class of travel; holidays abroad; homes in the village; multiple cities in Nigeria and abroad; models of cars; boats; and even planes. This pressure often compels us to live way above our means, and in many cases, to cut corners and engage in corrupt practices just to maintain a certain image. Have you ever wondered why some of the ‘wealthy’ people in our society are often late in paying their children’s’ school fees, struggle to settle debts (ask your local banker or even your local gold trader if you do not believe me), and even pay for their business class tickets in installments?

I recognize how easy it is to fall into the ‘status/image trap’. I am sure that even Mr Gates is not immune. After all, unlike his friend Warren Buffet who has chosen a more austere lifestyle, Mr Gates lives in a sprawling mansion, uses private planes and enjoys numerous luxuries. The key difference between Mr Gates and us is that he can afford to live like a rich person, because he is! More importantly, as the photo indicated, he does not let his wealth define him. Instead, he has chosen to appear relatively simple and approachable, and to effectively allocate his excess wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which is making a significant difference across the globe.

For those of us who are not on Mr Gates’ level yet, resisting the status/image trap takes a significant amount of self-will, discipline, humility and sacrifice. It also requires surrounding ourselves with a few true friends who can hold us accountable and keep us grounded. Finally, it demands that we teach our children the value of money, the importance of hardwork and sacrifice, and the virtue of contentment.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/5698777-146/story.csp

This is a good write-up.