Africans; Nigerians(Money & Value).
Now one observable tendency amongst Nigerians and by induction, Africans are "MONEY ILLUSION". There seems to be obscurity in the distinction between MONEY and VALUE. I would like to begin the argument from armchair perspective, nothing conclusive.
Nigerians are not socially secured-people, for the proper mechanism that delivers critical PUBLIC GOODS and ESSENTIAL UTILITIES to all and sundry adequately is largely missing. A mechanism that is a function of Good Governance and Institutional Quality. For instance, Healthcare Services are critical and so are education, clean water, power, good road networks, decent housing, food security, fundamental human rights etc.
As the African States perpetually fail to achieve a stabilized and social-secured environment for the benefits of the citizens, the immediate implications is that Out-of-Pocket Expenditure is brought under catastrophic pressure. The explanation is not far flung; for every "Utility" you must access and enjoy, even after the due exercise of civic responsibility of payment of tax, you must pay either wholly again or in part from your pocket. You must fuel your generator set, for the bills paid never create more watts nor provide electricity as you require, pay IMPLICITLY for bad roads, sink your own boreholes, and in the face of failing health you are hardly covered.
So either you are paying twice or even endlessly to the Government, for a VALUE that was never provided or individuals are pursuing the same set of utilities from profit-driven Quasi-investors when state institutions or agencies could have been the sole provider of such so pricing is kept in check. This is part of the reasons the Nigerian Naira reflects no competitive value because it is not largely backed up by VALUE. We require MONEY more than we actually NEED, build your own house, provide your own Grid, do everything for yourself, but pay tax to the Government that won't create meaningful VALUE.
Africans crave for money to enjoy VALUES they can't or won't create, but Developed World create VALUES and then money is just incidental. Let's look at a few evidences.
Football is now a multi-billion dollar venture, out of which developed countries have created massive and almost endless value chain. The UEFA, English League, Spanish League etc. The value attached to the detailed organizing, richness of content is the reason Nigerians will die just to watch these series, we love these VALUES, but what has become AFRICAN LEAGUES? NO VALUE!!! The same with ZOOLOGY, visit any Zoo in developed countries and see how VALUE that has been created with stock of animals that are healthy and well-fed. The scenery, landscape, the warmth of the attendants etc are all so detailed to make you want to keep visiting. Visit any Zoo in Nigeria, and come back with testimony. What about Academics? Have you heard of the Ivy League Schools? This is just the synopsis of our life as Africans. We do not love to create VALUES but we love to enjoy them.
What happened to our first generation Universities? They are all merely struggling for recognition on the global scene when Malaysia is doing so wonderfully well. The Nigerian environment depicts no VALUE, so much noise and dirtiness that one could go insane.
What about our Cocoa? Cotton? All the Cash Crops? All gone. When the whites were here, our textile was one of the best in the world, UCH in Ibadan was a globally renowned Healthcare and Research Facility, one of the best. Where are the VALUES today? Gone with the Whites!!!
Brazil created competitive VALUE in Agriculture even though she's not so blessed with arable land. What about transport? China will dazzle you with VALUE, where is the VALUE in Africa??? Billions of youths wasting away, malnutrition in the face of arable lands and favourable climate, political embarrassment.
I am so passionate about Africa
