Corruption or incompetence?

Corruption is a big problem in Nigeria, but mentally laziness might be a bigger problem I am not exaggerating

We don't like to think. If the Executive is not forthright with a policy direction, nothing stops the Legislature from stepping in. But in Nigeria, impossible.


I did a study on agric value chains. I don't have a background in agric, so I picked up a secondary school agric textbook. I started there.


Unfortunately, you have politicians, ostensibly campaigning to solve problems in agric - who make zero effort to understand agriculture. The average politician is mentally lazy. Nothing stops them from taking a month off (before getting into office) to understand issues.


The surest sign of mental laziness in politicians? A politician who tells you "he will consult with experts when he gets into power". If a US Congressman's orientation is libertarian, his research supports that. In Nigeria there's nothing work with


Reagan & Thatcher studied Von Hayek. Do Nigerian politicians read anything or anyone? Do they have any direction in governance?


Nigerian politicians know that electricity is one of our major challenges, but most can't discuss intelligently about the solution to this problem. Contrast this in the US where legislators do ground breaking policy work (e.g. Senator Fulbright).


The dominant thinking is "you don't have to know anything just know the right people & get someone else to do the job". I want to challenge that. That kind of thinking is behind many business and governance failures in Nigeria.


You can't be a technical expert in everything, but you should make some effort to understand the basics.I will build my business and my brand on quality delivery. It may sound "old fashioned" (in an age of hustlers), but it's the way to go.


If I don't have the skills, I'll hire experts, but I will also study the subject matter to know as much as I can to do quality assurance. I'm going to resist the temptation to be a "hustler in a chain of hustlers". I will market, but let my work speak for itself.


I think Nigerian politicians should wisen up.