Nigeria and the burden of negativism

I may not have any data to support this assertion but there must be few countries on earth which are victims of internally-generated, self-denigrating energies like Nigeria. Ours is a place where many citizens loathe the motherland and spew it at every opportunity as if there are prizes to be won. The emotions deployed for such vituperations sometimes appear to be attempts at catharsis, to see whereby they could achieve respite or total healing from the pain of the situations that now increasingly look hopeless and impossible.

No doubt, it’s difficult to ignore the apparent, needless shortcomings of an otherwise thoroughly blessed nation. The title of one of Ayi Kwei Armah’s novels, Why Are We So Blest, always fascinates me for the simple reason that those living inside this giant of Africa (never mind whether it’s asleep or in coma) wishing to illustrate the paradox of lack in the midst of plenty, need not go too far in search of any fitting sample. Nigerians have watched their fortunes dwindle rapidly under successive governments. They have had their hopes dashed too many times to remain hopeful in the prospect of experiencing recovery anytime soon. In the months leading to the 2015 general election, for example, the then administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had shown signs of helplessness in the estimation of many people, hence the clamour to get rid of it. It was easy for the campaign of change orchestrated by the present government to sway the voting public. But eight years after, the conditions in the country have worsened on many fronts. The cloud is darker now.

In the present circumstances, it’s even more difficult to see any good in Nigeria. Interestingly, in this same dilemma lies one reality that Nigerians should urgently interrogate: the very concept of home. There ought to exist a certain degree of bonding between the place called home and its owner for the latent but exploitable benefits to manifest. Where the connection starts from is the readiness of the owner to assume true ownership of the home and also take full responsibility for whatever becomes of it. Sadly, many Nigerians fail too often on these crucial grounds. With no strong affinity to their country, they tend to ascribe its possessing too quickly to others, usually the leaders. Therein is a fundamental error, unfortunately. From that flawed standpoint, transferring the angst originally meant for the leadership to the nation itself has become not only appealing but seems to be most rational. People will view things differently if they draw a line between the land of their ancestors and those who run it, for, while the former is permanent, the latter are not.

No one should idolise other lands to the detriment of his or her own. Whenever you surrender your country to ‘them’ or reduce it to ‘their’ thing, you fail in one vital civic duty that has made citizens of the countries you see as models tick. No extra intelligence is also needed to know that numerous developing nations have since overtaken Nigeria in terms of decent, progressive living. And there are millions of Nigerians who can recall when life was much dignified; when people could plan their lives with some predictability; when today’s heightened appetite to emigrate was absent and, indeed, when Nigerians loved their country more. Even in the days of the austerity measures in the 1980s when the virus of national disaffection crept into our psyche, the iconic advert that showed ‘Andrew’ wanting to ‘check out’ and some other interventions helped in restoring some confidence in the country.

Now, the bug to ‘japa’ (take off), leave Nigeria, is overwhelming and growing, made more worrying by the fact that not only young people are infected. To be clear, it’s very normal to seek the proverbial greener pastures or study overseas. What is equally valid is that the destinies of some persons actually lie outside their original countries, many of whom have become more fulfilled and useful that way. And not everyone who leaves hates this nation. Whichever side of the table Nigerians find themselves, one truth stares us all in our faces: No matter the strength of their aspirations and the prospects of vamoosing, majority of the citizens will live and die here. Not a cruel declaration. Only a statement of fact.

Hard as it is, we must reposition our minds and hearts to enable us to view our country more favourably. One word for love for one’s nation is patriotism. A proof that we possess the capacity for this kind of affection is that it is exhibited unapologetically and lavishly whenever our sportspersons represent us at international events. That same sense of collective pride is what is required to cherish the land we can no longer truly distance ourselves from.

Americans may not be perfect personifications of true citizenship but you can’t fault most of them on nationalism, their hosting, like in other places, some of the world’s disturbing ills notwithstanding. Their infectious, positive disposition has contributed greatly to making the United States a prime destination on earth. An opinion poll conducted by The New York Times in 2020 to ascertain the role of patriotic fervour in that year’s divisive elections yielded instructive results. Just two responses here. According to Kathleen Conway from Tempe, Arizona, “I have dual citizenship with Ireland and have seriously considered leaving America. But while I honour other countries, I love ours and cannot bring myself to leave. I want us to emerge from these terrible times stronger and more humble, resilient and focused on the common good, firm in the belief that Black lives matter and that we can rescue our planet from annihilation. I find faith in the decency of the American people and the hope of the American dream.” Well put.

The possession of an alternative passport shouldn’t be a licence to march on one’s country. Many Nigerians abroad treat their exit as an escape from hell to paradise and aggressively express such on various platforms, unwittingly demarketing the country and themselves further in the process. Haba! The adage, home is home, still subsists, even with Nigeria’s seeming irreversible descent into complete chaos.

Charles Becker from Novato, California, was even more didactic in his reaction. For him, “to love America you have to love experimentation because that’s what America is. It’s hard to love a science project; there are so many failures. That’s what motivates some conservatives — an aversion to inevitable failures. I love science, I love exploration, I love learning new things, I love grand accomplishments and spectacular failures and that’s why I love America. Elon Musk came to America to experiment and now he’s going to light up the sky with internet access and he’s going to put people on Mars! How could I not love that? If you don’t fail, you’re playing it too safe.” Beyond glaring defects, every nation has at least one thing of worth, perhaps only awaiting discovery. Many foreigners – tourists, expatriates and investors -join perceptive Nigerians to wonder why a stupendously endowed country should suffer so much deprivation? It sometimes takes conscious efforts to locate, appreciate and properly mine the wealth that lies within a familiar space that is taken for granted.

Failure to do so would keep people fixated with thoughts of ‘greener’ and ‘unblemished’ nations, deliberately or ignorantly blind to their own flaws – many times covered by better packaging, attitudes and productive policies. The negative vigour poured on our fatherland by the same people who should guard it jealously is among its worst yokes. But who gains in the end?

Ekpe, PhD, is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board.