The “3rd world” leadership mindset

I am going to be diminutively blunt and avant-garde today, because the issue I am briefly touching on requires being homely as much as I possibly can. To start with, ours is a very religious country, but so God-less! We go to mosque, praying five times a day and we go to church seven times a week, yet we pinch what belongs to the masses. We vainly and unproductively profess to be so close to God and love God—who we cannot see, but we disgust, disfigure and exterminate our fellow-citizens—who we can see. Those who are not religious like us are obviously treating themselves better than we are fond of treating ourselves in Nigeria.

Backtracking slightly, I do remember when one governor-elect wanted to be sworn-in as the Executive Governor of one of the states in the fine-looking nation of Nigeria. He was given a Quran to swear with it, but he rejected it. Also, he was given a Bible to swear with it, he equally turned it down. To cut the long story short, he was sworn-in, in a traditional way. It is on record that while he was in office, he did not take beyond his legitimate bread of office!

Everyone who has stolen money and what money can buy in Nigeria is either a ‘Christian’ or a ‘Muslim’.  Over the years, I have seen the futility of religion and the nothingness of those of us who assert to know and love God. Our claim that we love God is false on the condition that we hate our fellow citizens. It is a waste of time going to either a mosque or church when we consistently filch what belongs to the widows, orphans, voiceless…

Let me take this burning issue a little further. In Nigeria, we depend on prayers and prophecies alone to make Nigeria become a 1st world country. I am not saying those things are not good, but studying even nations as Israel and Saudi Arabia, you would understand that contemporary and modern-day nations do not become economically strong just because they are religious. In fact, most of the poor nations on earth are very religious ones!

Over several years, I have scrupulously read through the economic growth models of nations as Botswana, Rwanda, Brazil, China, Japan, India, Singapore and Malaysia, and I have come to conclude that any nation can become economically strong on the condition that she is sincerely and enthusiastically ready to pay the price of growth. Nations do not pray themselves to economic greatness while being lazy, disingenuous and lawless! And nations do not become great economically by going to the “Wailing Wall” and Saudi-Arabia without thinking, planning and working assiduously.

This is where I am coming. The truth is: 3rd world leadership mindset cannot give birth to a 1st world nation. It is absolutely unfeasible and unattainable. If we are sincere about transforming Nigeria into a 1st world nation, then we need to understand how leaders of 1st world countries think, plan and work hard and start thinking, planning and working hard like them. This is non-negotiable.

About five years ago, I hosted a leadership meeting—where leaders and would be leaders were taught how to live a 1st world life in a 3rd world country as Nigeria. It was a mind-blowing conference! Why did I host that meeting? I did host it because it is appalling and horrendous to live a 3rd world life in a third world country and die without tasting a 1st world life. I do not have all the time in this world to start mentioning all the principles that were taught those who attended the mentioned conference. One of the principles I undressed that day is the code of passion for knowledge. I took my time to show them how I have been able to move from where I was to where I am—as an effect of my adoring passion for knowledge. I have made long trips because of knowledge. I have trekked for hours because of knowledge. And I have kissed sleep and food goodbye times without number because of knowledge. Buddy, to live a 1st world life in a 3rd world country as Nigeria, you need to know what others do not know. I said all that to say this, as it is with an individual—so it is with the whole nation. For the whole nation to move from 3rd world to 1st world, our leaders will need to change their mindset, way of thinking and outlook, because no nation rises above the corporate quality of thinking of those leading her.

At the moment, I am unveiling one of the ways the leaders of 1st world countries think. I call it the principle of ‘sitting where the followers sit’ in leadership. First world country leaders are not above their followers. In fact, they are below their followers! In 1st world countries, their followers sit on them, but in Africa, their leaders sit on them. In 1st world countries, the leaders exist for their followers, but in Africa, their followers exist for them. Two years ago, because of the harshness of their economy in Russia, their leaders, including the ‘first man’ did not go on break during Christmas. Why did they do that? It is because they are sitting where their followers are sitting. True leaders do not sit in comfort when their followers are dying of hunger. How did Mahatma Gandhi become very powerful (without no gun and bullet) in India? He simply sat where the masses sat. He identified with them!

In Africa, our political leaders do not sit where their followers sit. This is one of our biggest banes in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Nelson Mandela was born in South-Africa, schooled in South-Africa and in his dying days, he chose to be treated medically in South-Africa. He refused to enjoy what his people did not have an access to. In Nigeria, the fad is not the same. Our political leaders do not understand the principle I am espousing today. As harsh as the current economy is in Nigeria, the masses have been told ceaselessly to endure while the leaders are still swimming in the clean-pool of comfort.

Rounding off, it will be absolutely impossible for Nigeria to become a 1st world country on the condition that our political leaders do not learn to sit where helpless the man on the street is sitting.

See you where great leaders are found!