Tag: Nigeria

Change, Politics

A Demonic Oppression Called Quota System

Jilomes

In my previous article, I talked about hope on the horizon regarding the rebirth of Nigeria and I got a fair tackle from some persons who have become desperately pessimistic about the prospects of Nigeria. But whereas I remain adamant that Nigeria is changing, I acknowledge that the change is seemingly too slow for many reliably disappointed Nigerians and that one of the chains unwilling to allow Nigeria to attain its full degrees of freedom is the famous quota system, which has become a principal demon fashioned against Nigeria.

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Change, Inspiration

When Nigeria Happens to You

Jilomes

“May Nigeria not happen to you.”

In recent years, this phrase has become quite commonly used among many Nigerians. To the onlooker, it would seem as if the name “Nigeria” has become synonymous, or worse, eponymous, with “evil”. At the root of the usage lies a deep sense of disappointment, regret, and sometimes bitterness at misfortunes that some Nigerians see as entirely attributable to their being Nigerian or their being in Nigeria. But maybe the tide is changing, howbeit, slowly.

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Change, Politics

To Tax Nigerians with All Our Strength

Jilomes

If Uncle Jeremiah had been alive in this era, he may have had second thoughts about naming his second book as “Lamentations”. As an empathetic person, after seeing the torrent of complaints by Nigerians, maybe his own book would have been the Book of Less Worrisome Jewish Lamentations. But poor jokes asides, Nigerian social media spaces and even offline conversations these days tend to highlight a common pain point around taxes, just like the irreverent sapa, attempting to strangulate people.

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Change, Energy

Cutting the Head of the Cobra Effect

Jilomes


In economics, the concept of “Perverse Incentive” commonly refers to a situation where an incentive leads to detrimental outcomes for the enablers of such incentive. The most popular example comes from British Colonial India where an attempt to eliminate cobras in Delhi by paying for each killed cobra led to people farming cobras. Due to self-interest, the socially or morally optimal outcome will never occur as humans would rig the system to perpetuate the incentive. This is the rabbit hole that Nigeria needs to escape from.

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Change, Energy

A Different Kind of Petrol Subsidy for Nigeria

Jilomes

Recently, in a think-tank of sorts ensconced within a WhatsApp group, the issue of petrol subsidies came into play. Clearly, in Nigeria today, the issue of petrol subsidies, whether they are needed or not, whether they exist or not, is a serious discourse set within the context of a struggling economy. When someone suggested addressing the subsidy issue by digitising purchases tied to NIN, I had an eureka moment with an idea that could be seen as silly and unimplementable or provide a solution to a serious socioeconomic challenge.

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Change

An Anthem Better Than a Silver Bullet

Jilomes

Very few persons will ever have the privilege of witnessing surreal ingenuity as magnificent as the silver bullet to national malformation. Jodi Picoult, the American wannabe pessimist once claimed that “…There are no silver bullets in life, there’s just the long, messy climb out of the pit you’ve dug yourself.” But even Auntie Jodi would be enthralled to live in the same era as the wise men in two chambers who have discovered Nigeria’s short walk to freedom.

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Inspiration

The Land is Green; Or Not

Jilomes

The Nigerian singer, TY Bello, sang a hit song asserting that “the land is green!” Interestingly, not a few Nigerians would argue otherwise because as it is commonly said, “the land appears greener on the other side”. Maybe we can say that all parties are both right and wrong, or as some cool Nigerians would say, “1:0; goalless draw!”

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Energy

Lost Decades of the Petroleum Industry

Jilomes

“A business ecosystem is just like the natural ecosystem; first, needs to be understood, then, needs to be well planned, and also needs to be thoughtfully renewed as well.”

Pearl Zhu

What would life on earth be like without lightning strikes, or without flying insects? Most persons are likely to see no significant use for these two, except maybe they sit in a science class and learn that lightning is an important player in the nitrogen cycle, which affects viability of plants (ignore artificial fertilisers and hydroponics), and also learn that insects are critical for pollinating plants to produce fruits (aka food). You see, life functions in many aspects like an ecosystem where different players need to be in the game, else we get stunted growth at best, or bedlam at worst.

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Change, Randoms

P&ID Fiasco: Eleven Billion Lessons for Nigeria

Jilomes

It is all in the news. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is not liable to pay an obscure firm a total of ~US$11 billion arising from a bizarre contract concerning non-existent gas facilities. Considering allegations that the Central Bank of Nigeria either lied or executed “strategic miscommunication”, Nigeria surely had no way of forking out that many benjamins right now. Our closest options would have been either to give international law the middle finger (and outrightly destroy our economy) or negotiate some longer-term payment plan that would effectively turbocharge our debt burden (and further degrade our economy). Fortunately, neither option is currently required. But before we get drowned in the euphoria of a little respite for the naira, here are a few lessons to avoid the next gang of swindlers.

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