The Nigerian Dream

“It’s a story about the Pakistani dream which is, you know, to get the hell out of Pakistan” — Mohsin Hamid[1]

Today, there were reports of another attack by Boko Hiram. This time in Maiduguri. My very best wishes go out to all Nigerians, particularly those who lost loved ones.

I’m fortunate to live in America, where there are fewer barriers to achieving one’s dreams than anywhere else in the world. Thanks to the American system, I’ve been able to earn a college education and jobs that leverage my passions and skillsets. Comparing my outcomes to some of my cousins that still live in Nigeria allows us to perform a difference in difference analysis. I was originally, born in Nigeria, but left early on. My cousins who stayed on have had to fight much harder to earn their education. And when they graduate the prospects for work are dim. How can this be in a country with the largest GDP in Africa?

When I visited Nigeria in 2007, I saw first hand a bigger issue that may be the root cause of Nigeria’s issues. Rather than stay and fight to transform Nigeria into the country they’d like it to be, I spoke to many whose dream it was to leave Nigeria as quickly as possible and get on with their lives outside the country. Although I advocate voting with one’s feet, that’s not what made places like America great. America is great because determined individuals, no different from you or me, decided they’d had enough.They decided they’d had enough of taxation without representation. They decided they’d had enough of being denied access to convenient seating on public transportation.

I’m working to gain the skills to help create the Nigeria and the Africa that I think the Nigerian and African people deserve. Nigeria is a beautiful place, and tragedies like what happened today distract from that.

Wake up Nigerians. Don’t vote with your feet. Vote with your hearts.

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Notes:
[1] This quote comes from a discussion about the film Zinda Bhag (Translation: Run For Your Life). Why am I using a quote about Pakistan in a post about Nigeria? Because they are surprisingly similar countries.