DEVELOPMENT, on values it stands. … continued from the last article.

Nigeria is at the point in history where it needs to be pre-occupied with translating its economic growth into economic development; this is what her contemporaries like Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, India and so on are doing. While economic growth is simply an increase in a country’s total output of goods and services, economic development refers to economic growth accompanied by changes in output distribution and economic structure. These changes may include an improvement in the material well-being of the poorer half of the population; a decline in agriculture’s share of GDP and a corresponding increase in the GDP share of industry and services; an increase in the education and skills of the labour force; and substantial technical advances originating within the country. Development draws attention to changes in capacities (Nafziger 2006). The description of development we have here is certainly not where we are and surely not where we will be by 2020 and beyond going by prevailing trends.

You might say but we are building bridges, roads, schools, hospitals, training ex-militants, etc but you know and I know that we have so much more not done than have been done given the same resources. The problem? Personal interests are elevated above and beyond national interests where both of them meet. Economic development, which we all crave for in Nigeria, from the definition above, is a process that calls for all hands on deck unfortunately, it will be a dream in the distant future unless we re-align our values knowing that no economy develops beyond its ideals and values. We are at the verge of an implosion if we don’t put out the fire we have set on ourselves. Development rests heavily on values. Let’s talk about national interest as a desired value.

A person with a strong sense of national interest will always ask- what will be the short-run and/or long-run effects of my actions on majority of the people? What is in it for us as against what is in it for me? Those who are driven by this value will not for example succumb to the temptation of collecting ‘settlement’ from the road contractor so that he will build roads that will last for years and not just days (like we currently have it, especially the feeder roads).

Driven by this value, you will refuse the gratification to sit for exams for others because doing so only tells those people they are ‘helping’ that they can eat their cake and have it, that hard work does not pay and that the only way out is the short cut; traits they will carry over to their places of responsibility in the country.

I have national interest at heart when I ask my politician brother who is a public servant what he has done or is doing to better the lot of the public than how much wealth he has amassed or is amassing for himself and family and by extension, generations yet to be born .

The skills of the labour force cannot be increased, industry cannot thrive and technical advances will not be recorded for development if the means to do so is hijacked by people who don’t care about everybody else.

What are you talking about Emeka? Is it not when I see myself as a stakeholder in a project that I commit myself to it? Well, I know that for the vast majority of Nigerians who don’t have dual citizenship, they don’t have stakes elsewhere apart from here. Let me ask you pointedly; where else are your interests? This country will be good if we start seeing it as ours. If we start seeing it through the faces of those kids we teach, those who will consume our products, members of our constituencies, members of our worship centers, our friends, neighbours and so on.

A child that is nurtured and given attention will not just grow in size but also develop in capacity.

Nigeria is my child and I’m committed to her growth and development. Make this your commitment too.

Don’t forget that development is value based; one of which is national interest.

God bless Nigeria.

Be inspired!

Remain motivated!

Reference

Aiyede The State, Values and Development: Towards Re-orientating the Nigerian Youth for Positive Leadership. University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Assessed online at http://www.cbaac77.com/archives/pdf/Dr.%20Rem_Ayede.pdf

Nafziger (2006) Economic Development. New York: Cambridge University Press.

THE ESSENCE OF VALUES

A popular radio show caller and public commentator, who often refers to himself as a radio senator, Andrew Ajayi, has always advocated for value reorientation and character reformation as the panacea for the societal ills ravaging Nigeria as he participates in numerous call-in programmes in the country. I totally agree with him hence, I have decided to make them the crux of my blogs for the next couple of weeks because I’ve come to understand that we cannot build a life that will stand the test of time unless it is standing on strong values.

Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what “ought” to be. “Equal rights for all”, "Excellence deserves admiration", and “People should be treated with respect and dignity” are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior. For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and behaviors would have been more positive.[1]

We cannot reach our goals and destinations as individuals and as a country without a road-map that is detailed and usable. But each of us has many, many maps in our head, which can be divided into two main categories: maps of the way things are, or realities, and maps of the way things should be, or values. We interpret everything we experience through these mental maps…we simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be.[2]

What are those factors that influence the values we form?

v The environment: our environment includes the place we live, the people we meet and interact with, the society at large and the effect they have on us. This is a factor very powerful in determining how we see the world. Prevailing environmental circumstances, re-enforced by our continued exposure to them while being unaware of any alternative will most certainly influence how we see the world.

v Childhood programming: some of our actions and inactions are controlled and limited by the coded instructions we’ve been carrying from childhood planted there by parents, teachers and every other person who has had a direct or indirect influence on us. They shape our perception and understanding of the way the world should be.

These two factors (and any you can point out by dropping a note below) contribute significantly to how we come to form our values.

Next week, I’ll talk about the values that I believe will help us build a fruitful life of positive contributions to self and community.

See you then, meanwhile,

Be inspired and

Remain motivated!

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[1]wikipedia (online encyclopedia)

[2] Stephen R. Covey- 7 Habits of highly Effective People