Change can be positive or negative. Something can change for worse or for better. In our context in this article, we are looking at change as that process of transforming something from what it is to the best it can be. It can also be defined as the process of making things better and making better things continuously.
Why must things change?
The world itself is constantly changing. We have had several world orders that have brought one form of change or another to the world through their cultures and technologies or way of life. The Assyrian Empire. The Babylonian Empire. The Persian Empire. The Greek Empire. The Roman Empire. The British Empire. What happened during Noah’s time is not what is happening today. There have been changes in knowledge, thinking, circumstances, lifestyle, attitude, and the economy.
From our perspective of positive change, there is always a better way of doing things. Before the advent of colour television, we had black and white TVs; before that, there was TV without sound. Now we have the satellite TV. We have had the Betamax, the VHS, the CD, the DVD and now the Blueray. The Global System for Mobile Communications phone technology and electronic mail have now become commonplace. Before, we had to rely on telegram and analog phones for our communication purposes.
There is something waiting to be discovered by you.
The men and women that led these discoveries and made these changes of monumental proportions are men like you and I. They did not have two heads, or four eyes or 15 fingers. They were willing to pay the price to see change and be the change agent. They were willing to lead change.
Nigeria must change
What was Nigeria like in the 1950s, 60s and 70s? Nigerian universities were among the best in the Commonwealth in the 60s. We were the leading exporters of cash crops like cocoa, palm oil and groundnut. Our green passport was highly respected; nobody frowned at you or looked upon you with contempt for owing and carrying one. Sometimes in the 70s, our then head of state stated unequivocally that lack of money was not our problem but how to spend the much available. We lent money to other nations. The naira exchanged at good rates with the dollar and the pound sterling. Nigerians didn’t have to travel abroad for medical check-up.
What is the situation like today? There is no power supply; the roads are bad, our medical infrastructure is so deplorable that treating malaria and typhoid fever has become a problem for our doctors. There is no food, and people are going hungry. Education is poor, with those who can afford it sending their children to the United States, United Kingdom and even Ghana, Botswana and South Africa for higher education. The private schools have virtually taken over the primary and secondary education sectors, yet there is no improvement in O’level scores. Unemployment is at an all time low, our currency and economy are weak and cannot support basic manufacturing and trading processes. The attitude of the people towards their nation is weak and deplorable. In short, things are tough.
Why are things the way they are?
How did we get to the situation we have found ourselves in? Several reasons could be adduced for our problems with the main one being leadership or a lack of it. We have had poor, uneducated, uniformed, visionless, uncommitted leadership by largely selfish and ignorant people who lack proper training and character.
