MADE IN NIGERIA!

 “Patriotism is your conviction that your country is superior to all others because you were born in it”…George Bernerd Shaw

I love my country

I’d say that many a time have I heard some folks say with much enthusiasm and graceful gait thrust upon their chest and with a healthy smile upon their faces like a mischievous smirk, ‘I love and am proud to be Nigerian’, really that’s a pretty good thing that makes me happy and keeps me going, allowing me beam with hope and anticipation for a greater future, but seriously?

Ironically, every single person that makes the above declaration is probably wearing clothing apparel made in Indonesia, footwear made in Italy, perfume made in France, shades made in China, standing on tiles which was obviously imported, having fun in a Turnkey project model house designed by western Engineers, and of course wait for it, actually saying all these in a bar where they are watching with all interest an English Premiership club soccer match and of course in a pool of die-hard fans in foreign soccer club jerseys. So much for loving Nigeria by word of mouth, yeah right!

“The future is scary, but don’t run back to your past because its familiar”…Ritu Ghatourey

Back to the basics

As usual, do not get me wrong, there is unquestionably so much fun in encouraging trade exchange between nations to promote and appreciate diversity and of course allow bi-lateral relations, adding colour to the economy, creating strong bonds, acceptability and inclusion, but do we really know how far back in time we need to go in order to realize where we apparently got it wrong? Or perhaps the period of the slave trade is far back enough.

In the relatively salient law of direction, a school of thought portends or rather highlights that everyone looks for a path to follow, but the first person to actually succeed in moving towards the right direction apparently becomes the leader while other people follow in his lead, the right path in this context is however comfortably stereotypical just like a town of blind men where a one-eyed person becomes king, thus ‘follow the leader’.

Back in the slave trade era, the western folks were ahead of their game, their eyes opened in time to the reality of the world and they realized the imperatives of maximizing the potentials of mother Earth, developing their instincts for not just survival but adding much more value to life, a dream so big that it apparently required the use of extra hands by use of force.

Their superiority in exposure which birthed advancement in transportation and development of weaponry aided their successful conveyance of a majority of African population against their will to the west.

From that moment on, an enormous psychological impact hit Africans, a negative seed was planted right at the core of their hearts, minds and mentality, that Africans are inferior to the western people, and the repercussion includes a cancer called racism which gradually disintegrates us till this day.

“When NIKE says just do it, it’s a message of empowerment. Why aren’t the rest of us speaking to young people in a voice of inspiration?”…Naomi Klein

Just do it

I am definitely a huge fan of Michael Jackson (Of blessed memory) not just because he was the ‘King of pop’ who sang with his soul and danced with all his might and creativity. He also used his popularity and world wide acceptance to promote peace, love and above all action; this is evident in his hit ‘You gotta be starting something’.

High-end sports apparel maker Nike also inspired millions of people to get up and be active with their ‘Just do it’ phrase, which probably motivated us to witness the dawn of realization of doing whatever we needed to, even if we failed, an absolutely much needed paradigm shift which helps us see failure in a whole new perspective.

It might actually interest you to know that failure is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you didn’t set out to fail in the first place.

A school of thought tells us that there is a lot that we can learn from failure, when we fall short in certain actions and aspirations, we then tend to ascribe high value to them and even chase them with more hunger and tenacity having garnered experience and skills on how not to fail next time.

“People live their lives without ever knowing who they really are”…Chloe Thurlow

Be yourself

One of the greatest regrets I have is the day I rejected a gift from a dear friend because it had the tag ‘Made in Nigeria’, I know better now, but it is probably too late to correct the age-long impression. Is it my fault that I turned down the rare and amazing opportunity to catapult the Nigerian ‘ambassadorialism’ to a whole new level? Well, in as much as I’d say no, I don’t necessarily intend to justify my actions, but I want to explain my honest view.

An average Nigerian grows up not necessarily being proud of who he or she is, there is always this thirst which takes the form of a huge desire to step into the shores of foreign lands at all cost to savour the fabled greener pastures, more like the ‘see Rome and die’ kind of orientation.

This singular compass reading has over the years had an unimaginably colossal psychological impact on us so much that no matter how good we are at whatever we do, we use the western world as a point of reference, thereby making us deliberately owning up to the stereotype that the farthest we can travel is to become second best.

This is evident in our sense of style, music, accent and even sports, making us unconsciously lose our hard built and ripened culture by letting it give way to that of the western world without putting up a fight.

Yes we now dwell in a global village where information moves at the speed of light, where tourism has brought diverse cultures together allowing world economies to rub jointly and virtually letting the whole world to be married together.

The nations that still have integrity are the ones that have successfully preserved their cultures and have boldly internalized their problems and genuinely summoned the courage to solve them. A good example here is China.

“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently”…Friedrich Nietzsche

Corruption

Actually this is undoubtedly a topic for another day due to its intense depth and sensitive nature, but perhaps we can touch its periphery.

What is corruption really? In as much as it seems easy to describe, there has been loads of misconceptions as to what corruption really is, so much that it has either been massively over-flogged or vaguely under-rated.

Adopting the systems approach in understanding what corruption is, we keenly discover that it is imperative to dissect it into strata, for instance money can have many names such as when making a payment it is known as a fee, in the church tithe, for a penalty fine, as a divorce settlement alimony, for scholarship a grant, for a bride it’s called a dowry and so much more like that.

When it comes to corruption it also takes several shades such as; an inducement by improper means to violate duty; the destruction of someone’s honesty or loyalty; moral perversion; lack of integrity; decay of matter and also a state of progressive putrefaction.

By implication, considering the fact that third world countries where majority of the population are grossly deprived of education and are inevitably ravaged by poverty of the mind, there is no denying that there will always be misplaced priorities, lack of professionalism, dishonesty, favoritism and unhealthy scrambling for the crumbs meant for a greater population by a few unmerited ones, thus further diminishing the tendencies of development, vital characteristics of corruption.

“True education does not consist merely in the acquiring of a few facts of science, history, literature, or art, but in the development of character”…David.O. McKay

Models and Mentors

Who are you looking up to…and why? This comes in the nick of time when it is being preached to young lads that it is absolutely important for kids to have in mind a clear picture of who they would want to be like in the future. This way they are convinced that it is possible to achieve fantastic feats set by others, and it is also our duty to inspire them to do much more and even surpass existing records.

Highly placed individuals such as celebrities, entrepreneurs and world leaders have so much influence on people so much that they have automatically become role models and even mentors, with high population following them in whichever direction they choose to go, either positive or negative. In the light of this, the onus rests on these categories of people to set the pace by being ambassadors with positive and pro-active characters that encourage rich local content.

Imagine how it would be like if our celebrities, entrepreneurs and leaders proudly speak like Nigerians, wear made in Nigerian apparels and passionately promote Nigerian cultures and sports especially local football clubs. That way we would believe in ourselves more, and it will reflect in our lifestyles and the multiplier effect will be absolutely amazing.

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”…Anais Nin

By the way, remember the poor old little lad that gave me a ‘made in Nigeria’ apparel some years ago? Well, she now has her own designer clothing line. She’s indigenous and proud. She also started small, but with the kind of faith and courage she exudes while believing in herself, one thing is for sure, she is soon getting there. And did I apologize to her? That’s not even a question; I’m a proud stakeholder in her establishment.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola (akinzogee@yahoo.com)

Sources:

Google

Wikipedia

Brainy Quote

Good Reads

Search Quotes

21 Irrefutable laws of Leadership

7 Habits of highly effective people

Katie in love

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THE #POWER OF YOUR VOICE!

“Your silence will not protect you”…Andre Lorde

Voice away

The tongue they say is the most powerful thing, tool, organ or whatever; the point is that it has enormous power capable of either building up or tearing down dynasties, cities and even great kingdoms. In as much as silence does come with a lot of perks, sometimes it is highly important to express yourself in whichever way possible of which speaking is definitely high flying among them.

Actually, April 16th is World’s Voice day which was founded on July 4, 2012 by a group of speech Pathologist, Doctors, Professors, voice scientists, Audiologists and other voice professionals. The mission of the group is to share the excitement of voice science, pedagogy and the vocal artist with the public by organizing the global celebration of World’s voice day.

It is not just about singing, it’s the power of your words and communication, as it’s a waste for you not to use your voice in the fast paced world that we currently live in.

“Words fitly spoken are apples of gold in pictures of silver”…Proverbs 25:11

 

You are a speech

I was going to say it’s a relatively dark world, then I realized that it actually depends on who you truly are, which by implication determines how you view this uniquely designed world, intertwined with life so precious, that is thinking systems by the way.

Well, since it is quite unavoidable for us to ignore the very unpleasant things such as accidents, natural disasters, assaults, hunger, corruption and wars, it might as well be a welcome idea to either creatively adapt to them or be smart enough to stand up to our challenges by changing the situation.

My point? Our voices go a pretty long way in helping us adapt to the circumstances and also giving us hope that we’ll survive the condition or that we might be inspired enough to proffer sustainable solutions.

“What cannot be said above all must not be silenced but written”…Jacques Derrida

We must carefully observe that we are extraordinary beings filled with courage, moved by emotions and packed with indescribable potentials such as energy, enthusiasm and insatiable crave for achievement of goals that will make us fulfilled, all characteristics of mysterious beings, usually a spiritual kind, that’s us.

At this point we perhaps realize the reason why we get goose pimples and burst with an inexplicable spate of excitement when we hear that line in a song that we love, that line of speech that strikes a chord, that act of good deed an innocent little kid shows to another, that beautiful model showing off a beautiful apparel in style, the splendid Master of Ceremonies that performs with unique panache, that fine rendition of poetry by a simple looking lady, and the fine words to describe it all, this is who we are, slave for words that are very well put together.

“The angel ended, and in Adam’s ear so charming left the voice, that he awhile thought him still speaking, still stood fix’d to hear”…John Milton

Packaging

You do probably love biscuits and chocolates, who doesn’t? They are absolutely yummy and even aggravate unchecked cravings which of course have massive downsides adding to the combined leading causes of hemorrhoids and obesity, but I wouldn’t blame the pastry companies, they are more concerned about the bottom line and even make it difficult for the government to fully sanction them as they pay huge taxes. Anyway, what really got us munching away is the colourful and attractive ways in which they packaged their snacks.

“To talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop”…Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Also, inedible things such as engine oil, toys, sanitary pads and even very toxic materials are so very well wrapped up that you can almost long to eat them, that is the power of packaging, and likewise can be done with words. Some people are so wise that they know how to say terrible things in pleasant ways. Even marketing agents are trained in ways such that they can sell absolutely anything, its all in the power of voicing the same words we use every day in exceptional ways.

“We speak not only to tell other people what we think, speech is a part of thought”…Oliver Sacks

Speak

It is believed that the world started to exist by God’s good use of words. He simply said ‘Let there be light’ and voila the sun lit up like a cheap candle till this day.

Safe to say that powerful words are what have impacted the changes that we witness in the world today as our lives depend on voiced words even in apparent writing.
Men are revered to as great and have a massive following due to their choice of words in proportion with their actions and what they stand for which eventually molds their brands after a period of consistence.

Basically, we have loads of information scattered all around the purview of our thought systems, but there is great power in bringing it all together in an organized perspective.

This is why the great men that have walked the earth include those that have honed their gifts of voice such as the power of delivering influential speeches like Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. (OBM), Marvin Gaye (OBM) who expressed his emotions through soul music, Bob Marley that united nations with the peaceful spirit of Reggae music, Winston Churchill that displayed leadership prowess with effective communication, Barrack Obama that proves the evolution of man’s brain by dishing out highly intelligent speeches at the tip of his fingers even within short notices just like a good rappers’ freestyle competition, or William Shakespeare’s unique use of words and not to make little.

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them”…Maya Angelou

There is unbelievable power in our unity, and so much more in the combination of our voices to achieve common goals. This is where the glory of union organizations, parties and several other movements too numerous to mention do come in. The beauty and level of influences that both individuals and organizations possess depend on their brand, what they stand for and how effectively they communicate it with an undertone of emotional intelligence.

“My father always said too many words cheapened the value of a man’s speech”…Patricia Briggs

So, there you go, if you knew the power of your voice what would you do with it? Would you sing a song that can strike chords and beyond a pleasant melody ignite an explosive feeling causing joyful goose pimples to listeners? Or would you would you let your brain synch with your voice to present a fantastic speech?

 You might wonder if I’ve side-tracked those individuals that cannot speak, that is dumb and even the downtrodden folks whose voices cannot be heard, well, in as much as that is not an express justification for their perceived muteness especially when you consider the communication prowess of Helen Keller who had impaired speech and sight, you have the opportunity and the power to let your voice represent that of the voiceless. There you have it, you’ve got the power.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola (akinzogee@yahoo.com)

Sources:

Google

Wikipedia

Vocal Road Warrior

Standing in the spotlight blog

Cari Cole

Seeing Voices

Raven’s Shadow

Paradise Lost

ARE WE READY…?

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind; some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I have brought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see; now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”…Dr. Seuss

Head-on

Where do we start from to describe or reiterate the countless instances that are proof that the troubles we face, by challenging us bring out the best in us, making success sweet and our triumph glorious?

Well, it’s pretty much a new age, and squaring up with your problems head-on has quite taken a new dimension far away from the stereotyped frontier, more like trickled down case studies of our forefathers coupled with the power of the knowledge of principles and emotional intelligence, thus, of course, reasonable optimism which some just call hope.

Facing our troubles in this relatively new age has never been easier as we are now more aware of multi-tasking, problem solving, leverage and so much more creativity and strategy to make an impact and mark upon the Earth.

 We have perhaps aside during the time of war of weapons never been this fearless even when now there is greater threat and more to be wary of. Yes we have made mistakes and challenges also lay ahead, our courage, knowledge, synergy, faith in God and power of will has given us confidence to march forward with graceful strides thrust upon our gaits.

“There are two things we should always be, Raw and Ready. When you are raw, you are always ready and when you are ready, you usually realize that you are raw. Waiting for perfection is not the answer, one cannot say ‘I will be ready when I’m perfect’ because then you’ll never be ready, rather one must say ‘I am raw and I am ready just like this right now, how and who I am”…C. Joybell. C

Perfection

The first time my dad told me never to rely on luck, I didn’t quite get it, perhaps then I was too young to understand. He constantly emphasized the imperatives of persistent hard work, and of course coupled with heart which translates to emotional intelligence and also spiced with a little sense of humour, which, to me is brewed by positive mental attitude.

Moving forward, we all are obsessed with getting it all right, even at the first time, but a school of thought teaches us that perfection is a mirage, and no human is actually perfect, only God is.

I love music, you probably do too. Some love Blues, some Jazz, others are obsessed with soul, reggae, then rap, calypso, juju, fuji and not to make little.

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience”…Emily Dickinson

 The point here is most if not all of these successful musicians passed through hard times honing their crafts and talent before they were able to earn the attention, admiration and love of fans that have appreciated their rhythm and content for different purposes such as fantasy, entertainment, enlightenment or even projects such as movie soundtracks, major events or even for school education. Of the entire song genres, you would most surely have your preference and probably dislike the rest, you may even have a singular use of a particular song or genre to portray a message not minding or not having a need to bother if it is an interesting or a sorrowful song. By implication, nothing is perfect, not even that number one song on the billboard, the unsung song may be the one that will open up the gates of inspiration in your mind, giving a clue to solving national crisis or easing a major world issue.

“If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning and waiting for it. What you should be doing is getting started”…Drew Houston

Just do it

We all need exercise to stay healthy right? It gets better when you get better to the extent where you step up your game by observing your exercise in style, that is where high end fitness brand Nike comes to the scene. Nike has the reputation of providing quality apparel, and they have over the years been innovative enough to take fitness to the next level by inspiring people to live healthier lifestyles and also adding the wakeup call of ‘just do it’ as a motivation which positively affects our lives in general as well.

Procrastination they say is a thief of time, so if you have enough enthusiasm to make things happen in a jiffy, I’d say that is a great option we cannot afford to throw away.

“To be prepared is half the victory”…Miguel De Cervantes

A school of thought tells us that life is perfect, it might as well mean that life is whatever we make of it, and nothing is impossible. We earthlings constantly face troubles every now and then either big or small, problems ranging from economic meltdown to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. With the world and age we currently live in however, our increase in knowledge, experience, and faith has helped us develop awareness to reality and the imperatives of getting prepared for whatever the world has to offer us, allowing us appreciate the importance of leadership and planning.

“For all days be prepared, and meet them ever alike. When you are the anvil, bear. When you are the hammer, strike”…Edwin Markham

Not a choice

My former boss and renowned Estate Surveyor and valuer Charles Adebiyi of blessed memory used to boldly say and even reiterate the following words carefully ‘Be innovative or die’. Wow! It was of course as scary as hell, but it has always been a bitter truth, we don’t have a choice but to keep moving forward, even if we are failing. Although no one actually sets out to fail, else technically it would be a total waste of time, but being ready makes a whole lot of difference as it enables you to plan and even do the relevant research.

“I can’t change the past, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from it. I can’t the future, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be ready for it”…Kenneth de Guzman

Where we presently are is as a result of the multiple mistakes that we have graciously made. We have become wiser through the advent of wars, accidents and natural disasters. This is where attitude comes to play, our disposition to life and what it throws at us determines what we’ll do with our future if at all our actions help us to continually live.

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is really ready, the teacher will disappear”…Lao Tzu

The Future

Staggering statistics from the world over as regards avoidable deaths, hunger, recession and terrorism h constantly leaves us to become united in fear, insecurity and apprehension for the future.

There is a sharp increase in lots of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, AIDs and so much more even newer diseases being discovered each day which are majorly as a result of our poor lifestyles crammed up with complicated, unhealthy and artificial high calorie foods and yet we destructively criticize obesity and stigmatize diseases that we caused by mortgaging our health and future for the bottom line of fortune 500 companies.

I hate to be a prophet of doom, but with the current trends and the direction which our present generation is heading towards, trends such as racism, homosexuality, terrorism, corruption, lust, and discontent, there is bound to be increase in self-inflicted diseases and curses without us seeing that the cause is directly underneath our very nose, literally.

I don’t think we should be scared of the possibility of a gigantic asteroid crushing planet off the space radar; rather we should be concerned with our selfish and careless actions that are about to put us in a self-destruct state.

So ask yourself truthfully, are you ready for whatever is coming?

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola (akinzogee@yahoo.com)

Sources:

Google

Brainy Quotes

Good reads

Wikipedia

Cnn

Punch Nigeria

Time