This week, I continue my call on experts-who-speak in the education “industry” to offer programs to influence school curriculums towards better equipping students to succeed in the real world.
I offer a FREE preview of my new book, which is based on the same theme, for interested experts to review.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nigeria has wonderful talents that can add great value to the world. But they need a favourable environment to flourish. Today, I paid for a nice apartment (photos below) that -post refurbishing – my family will soon join me to live in here in Cotonou.
That’s the truth.
If I’d not felt stifled while based in Nigeria, I would not have moved here in April 2013.
Unfortunately despite trying hard to patriotically build my brand from within my own country, I eventually had to admit to myself, that nothing was going to change anytime soon.
I had to put my wife and kids into consideration – as well as my dreams and ambitions.
It was that bad.
Click here to read the article in which I outlined the combination of unfavourable factors that forced me to relocate.
When I muted the idea of moving next door to Benin Republic, in 2013, someone told me the problem was not Nigeria, but my attitude.
He was about twice my age, and he had run his own business for decades.
My insight came from years of carefully analysing my experiences, and comparing with what others reported in their societies.
Also, I had access to powerful books that articulated timeless success philosophies that had been proven to work regardless of geographical location.
All of the above pointed, very clearly, to the what I chose to do for a living, and my attitude of rejecting how “business” was done in Nigeria was not the “problem”.
Instead, the socio-economic environment I chose to work in was actually a major limitation to my ability to progress.
Thankfully, those books I read also proffered a solution.
And it was that sometimes one would need to change the environment from which one was trying to achieve success.
My answer would be that what I do is different from what they do. And how I choose to achieve my goals may not be how they opt to pursue theirs.
I once read a wise quote which went thus:
“To be well adjusted to a sick society is no sign of good health.” – Anonymous
My experiences confirm the above to be a very accurate statement.
It is possible that not all of them want to do business that way. My interactions with them certainly suggest that they are willing to admit that giving “bribes” or other inducements to win contracts is not right.
However, most have convinced themselves there is no alternative.
Instead, I simply avoided going to places where I would encounter “requests” to do such things to get my products and services purchased.
Since the majority of people did not believe in my approach, that meant I got less patronage than I needed.
I was consequently often just limping along financially.
But “they” again told me I was wasting my time.
That Africans were not ready to do business that way.
And all that.
When I was still in Nigeria, it appeared they were right.
I found I was not getting as much attention as I needed, despite stepping up my web marketing efforts.
In other words, if I got a client project, finishing it to the agreed deadline meant I had to run almost exclusively on generator power, as PHCN, Nigeria’s wonderful power company remained as unreliable as ever.
As you can imagine, fuelling and servicing the generator was no small expense. Apart from the hefty spending I had to do in that regard, there was the wear and tear, as well as the air and noise pollution to consider.
What was worse was that Internet connectivity was also both expensive and periodically expensive.
It was hard to take on multiple projects, out of a fear that one would be unable to deliver as promised.
But that had nothing to do with my abilities. Instead, it had everything to do with the resources available in the environment I chose to work from.
Since relocating to Benin, I have demonstrated just that with my achievements!
For instance, I have repeatedly handled multiple Web Marketing Systems development and Excel-VB Software development projects.
And in between, I’ve travelled to give talks, and write research papers that I got paid for.
Not once did I miss any of the agreed deadlines. Indeed, I have consistently exceeded my clients’ expectations.
Most interesting however is the fact that nearly 90% of sales I make for my products and services today, are to buyers based in Nigeria.
That is the SAME country I had to relocate from, in order to reach my full potential!
All of the above makes it clear that my environment was really a major limiting factor on my ability to excel while I was in Nigeria.
Just yesterday, I published my latest print/physical book.
It is over 80 pages thick but I only began writing it just 6 weeks ago.
If I had been in Nigeria, I really doubt I could have finished and put it online in 6 months, with confidence in the content QUALITY!
Another reason is the massive difference in cost of living.
Cost of food here continues to amaze me here. I spend over 4 times LESS for a plate of food, compared to Nigeria.
Now, you can imagine what that means for my family’s upkeep.
I still earn income the same way, but I’ll be making HUGE savings when they get here.
Even getting a hair cut, transportation, photocopy, electricity, water etc costs so MUCH less in Benin. I offered some price comparisons in this article that explains why I relocated.
Even housing is much LESS expensive!
For my nice new apartment, which only needs painting and slight refurbishing, I paid 6 month’s rent, plus a one month “refundable security deposit”, and the agent’s commission (one month’s rent).
Now, at the expiration of the 6 month period, I only have to pay monthly.
Despite that fact, the space, and finishing of the property here in Cotonou is way better!
Also, in Nigeria, you pay for 2 years and afterwards you pay annually. People have to run around to raise funds to pay rent. Some subsequently struggle to feed their families for weeks, before they recover. Life is made needlessly harsh in Nigeria!
So far, the only major exception – in terms of costs – is my Blackberry subscription.
Here in Benin, I pay the equivalent of 1 month’s fee in Nigeria, for a week’s access.
But that is well covered many times over, by the multiple savings I make in virtually all other areas.
The Nigerian Factor stifles Nigeria’s ability to make it’s gifted citizens willingly come – or stay – home. Here’s how I define it:
“The Nigerian factor is what makes things that work elsewhere fail to work in Nigeria. It is also what makes doing the wrong thing acceptable and doing the right thing condemnable” – Tayo Solagbade
I believes that anyone who truly loves Nigeria will want her to develop to the point where many individual Nigerians will no longer feel a need to flee for Europe and America (and in the case of people like me – Benin, Ghana or even Togo!) in order to achieve worthwhile goals.
Perpetuation of the Nigerian Factor currently makes this development process difficult, if not impossible.
Why?
Because I believe every business organisation will find her chances of survival and profitable existence threatened, if negative influences that prevent stabilisation of political and economic conditions persist.
Individuals are also guiltly of making the problem worse in Nigeria!
The irony is that those responsible for cutting corners in Nigeria for personal monetary gain are NOT all in government.
Some are individuals in society who think it is smart to exploit the existing loopholes.
Maybe that is why many Nigerians seem incapable of insisting that things be done as expected. They can ask for a while, but they soon give up and accept anything they are told hoping that the problem will resolve itself.
The following quote reinforces this:
“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to, and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them” – Frederick Douglas
Even though I have chosen to work from outside Nigeria, I continue to make myself available to add value to Nigeria and Nigerians using my products and services.
I do this because I LOVE my country and want to help her develop.
My experiences have taught me that people willing to let Nigeria develop are in the minority, both in and out of government.
The majority have found a way to exploit the chaos in the country for personal gain. And so they don’t want things to “change for the better”, for obvious reasons!
So, I know this is not a battle that will be won quickly.
Howeve, with help from the creator, I know we who are of like mind, will join forces, over time, until we win!
In this unusual book, Tayo Solagbade narrates 5 true stories about a dizzying variety of (sometimes shocking) escapades he engaged in – while schooling – that repeatedly landed him in trouble, causing his parents avoidable heart breaks.
In the first story, Tayo suffers the embarrassment of having a female classmate falsely accuse him – to their class teacher – of peeping at her in the girls’ room!
He would however shake off the potentially traumatizing experience, to earn a double promotion into enter secondary school one year ahead of his class, in 1980.
At the age of 10, in his first year in secondary school, Kukuru Danger™ (Tayo’s alter ego) joins a notorious group of students, in a bid to escape frequent bullying from bigger and older classmates.
At a point, Kukuru™ begins stealing money from home, to play the slots. But he soon gets caught.
By the school year’s end his mother is shocked to read the principal’s comments at the bottom of his report card, saying “To repeat for cheating”.
“Any school that teaches this “formula” will discover her products – who apply it diligently – will never beg for jobs, or experience “unemployment”, talk less of poverty.
If you think that’s a reckless claim, I challenge you to read this report with an open mind. Unless you detest authentic success, when you’re done, you’ll be EAGER to learn and use the “formula” – and to also teach it to your child – or students!”
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One of Fela’s most popular songs when I was a child was :”Yellow Fever” – released when I was 6 years old, in 1976. I LOVED that song. Still do too(see Youtube video below)! He was basically challenging skin-bleaching black men and women, who wanted to become “white” by force, out of an inferiority complex, to change their ways.
Click to watch on Youtube here.
And of course he constantly challenged the individual African to treat him/herself with respect.
I named my first child “OLUFELA” in 1999, in honour of Fela! Just like his daughter said in this pictured poster, he was – and remains – a major influence on my thinking about how to be a PROUD AFRICAN.
Sadly, many hypocritical parents/adults focused on his weed smoking as a convenient excuse to ignore his wise – and prophetic – counsel.
Most of Fela’s songs, always carried clear and powerful messages to either the common people, or the government of the day, or “colonial” powers.
Today, I travel around quite a bit, and I see that the problem is worse. Women especially, African WOMEN in particular, continue with this sickening habit.
I look around me and it appears every time I see 5 normal skinned black persons, at least ONE rainbow coloured skinned woman passes by as well!
And all sorts of crazy skin creams are arriving the markets, to feed this madness!
The sad thing is that they NEVER end up better off…as Fela points out in his lyrics.
===
Original and artificial he dey!
Bom bom bom, tell me now…
Original catch you
Your eye go yellow
Your yansh go yellow
Your face go yellow
Your body go weak
I say but later if you no die inside
The yellow go fade away
Artificial catch you
You be man or woman
Na you go catch am yourself
Na your money go do am for you
You go yellow pass yellow
You go catch moustache for face
You go get your double colour
Your yansh go black like coal
You self go think say you dey fine
Who say you fine?
[Chorus]
Na lie, you no fine at all!
At all, na lie!
My sister, who say you fine?
[Chorus]
Na lie, you no fine at all!
At all, na lie!
Yellow fever
[Chorus]
You dey bleach, o you dey bleach!
You dey bleach, o you dey bleach
African mother
You dey bleach, o you dey bleach
====
Read the lyrics to the song here (http://www.lyricsbay.com/yellow_fever_lyrics-fela_kuti.html)
This need to avoid a loss of identity, as an African, is one of the reasons I have vowed to coach my own kids to be comfortable with who they are, and what they look like.
That is, to have what sane human beings know as SELF-ESTEEM.
It is why I’m publishing my new book titled “Kukuru Danger™ about my own childhood search for self-discovery and purpose.
I too suffered a need to belong, and to be accepted, right from my early years and even in my later adult years. But by listening to Fela’s lyrics, and also reading books about self-development, I learnt to believe in myself, and never feel inferior to any other human being.
Today, that mental attitude serves me well in my dealings with people – regardless of who they are, how important they are (or think they are) or where they come from – even if from MARS!
And if we ever needed proof of the above stated fact, well Lupita Nyong’o’s example perfectly fits the bill. And luckily for us, she herself shared a familiar story that proves she knows what others with her skin complexion pass through.
But she arrived on the world stage and discovered it was willing to accept her, if she accepted herself.
Today, she is celebrated by virtually everyone who is anyone in her industry…yet her complexion remains the same, and so does the hair on her head!
How I wish African women and their men (some tell me their women look “more beautiful” after bleaching!) will wake and rediscover the pride and essence of being who they are.
How lame! Goes right back to the lack of identity and self-esteem I started this article with.
“Look, white skinned people get sun tanned skins by spending time in the sun, or using sun tan lotions. But the effects are never permanent. If they stop, their skin changes back to it’s natural white. But a black skinned person cannot get a white “tan”, you see. That’s why when a black skinned person goes “yellow” or “white”, s/he never changes back. Now, you can say it’s “toning”, if you like, but THAT, is what I call SKIN BLEACHING (to borrow Fela’s very apt terminology).” – Tayo K. Solagbade
Should Oprah not be the role model we should all try to emulate in that (and other) respects???
The truth is that the world will be a much better place for us to live in, when we start respecting ourselves.
Only then will others really take us seriously and respect us as well. But if we keep acting as if we’re inferior (and we have NEVER been), then those who relate with us and who see that, will naturally treat us that way.
The choice is yours. What will you do? And what will you TEACH your child to do???
I know what I already do, and I have begun teaching my kids to do it as well. In my family/clan will always be black and proud sons and daughters of Africa!
“And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside.”
I now offer those same words, as a parting message, to my fellow black skinned African women and men who may be tempted to “bleach” their God-given complexions lighter, to feel better about themselves.
Yesterday I had a Skype chat session with a Pakistan based Poultry Farm CEO, about my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager. At a point, he wrote: “it is good to see that kind of work from Africa”(screenshot below).
I knew he meant it was rare to find an African based in Africa, selling functional, and customizable Excel-Visual Basic software to a global audience.
Incidentally, he was not the first to do say that to me. Others have expressed similar sentiments in the past.
He’d found my Excel Heaven website, and after watching my video demos, sent me a web form message to express how impressed he was.
Below: This video demonstration of a Financial Reporting App I built for a large Lagos based hospital in 2007, was one of those that got his attention:
He also pointed out that I could make a few additions to some of my demos, for better effect.
In that regard, he was referring specifically to an enhanced version of an MS Excel workbook for engineers, that I’d downloaded from www.structural-engineering.fsnet.co.uk – which (I think) is now also accessible via www.structural-engineering.co.uk.
See screenshot below.
I replied saying I really did not have much interest in doing more than I had already done, as I doubted that potential buyers in my target market (Africa), would be interested in that kind of solution.
My only reason for going as far as I had, was to “test” the idea that came to me after I’d browsed through the workbook. When I saw how the query interfaced I’d added really boosted the speed and reliability of data retrieval from the different spreadsheets, I decided to put it online.
[NB: Back then, my spontaneousdevelopment.com domain was still active. So I’d sent it via tayo at spontaneousdevelopment dot com. As I’ve since explained on this blog, that 9 year old domain got taken over by Aplus.net, on 4th may 2014. Click here to learn why/how that happened.]
My Singapore based enquirer pressed further, saying that if I made the modifications he proposed, it would be MORE useful to others from developed societies.
I then told him I’d created that improved version and offered it for FREE download, only to give interested persons from any part of the world password free access to study what I’d done, and improve on it if they so wished.
[NB: I’ve since relocated from Nigeria, and have been based here in Cotonou since 1st April 2013. ]
As he put it, he did not imagine anyone from that part of the world, could produce Excel-VB driven apps of the quality that he’d seen on my site.
I replied that I was indeed a Nigerian based in Nigeria.
He countered that he’d checked the headers in my emails and found they were coming from servers in the US.
I explained that I used a US based web host (Aplus.net at the time), and that that was why the headers showed GMT data suggesting my mails originated from that end.
This was so as to prove to him that I was indeed physically in Nigeria.
He agreed.
So, I dialed his number and on the first ring he picked up, and we spoke for about 20 seconds. I asked if he now believed me, and he said he did.
We then ended the call and returned to exchanging emails.
It was an interesting experience. Two developers from opposite ends of the world, more or less, establishing what would go on to crystallize into a long standing friendship.
And over the years we have shared all sorts of project ideas.
I recall one time I had a request from a large hotel in Allen Avenue area of Ikeja, in Lagos, Nigeria.
They wanted me to make my Excel-VB driven Hotel Records Management Software automatically tap into the electronic door key cards software database.
And they wanted it to link each guest’s name with my software’s modules for accommodation, restaurant, laundry etc. That way, each guest’s bill would be generated by my app without need for manual addition of corresponding records from the electronic door key cards software.
I tried to meet with the MD of the electronic door vendor company. He was initially reluctant to give me access to the disk for the software, so I could determine how best to connect to the database from my Excel app.
That is, until the Manager of the hotel told him they would NOT purchase the key card software, unless it was established that it would work with my app.
But by the time I was able to examine the software on the hotel PC, and the files on the installation disk, I discovered it was a normal MS Access database that the key card software used!
That made the task much easier than I’d thought it would be.
And I soon setup the needed code to dynamically connect my app to the database.
The point I’m making however is that if I’d needed support to do something much more advanced (which KC had thought would be the case), I already had a competent online colleague/friend I could reach out to.
And that happened courtesy of my decision to put my work online, from my small corner of the world right here in Africa.
My Youtube video for the Poultry Farm Manager had led him to me (See below)
But when I read what he wrote in the comments field, I knew again that the stereotype about people from my part of the world was causing some “noise” in my marketing message, for him.
So, when we finally had our chat session on Skype, I was not surprised when – after I’d supplied detailed responses to his queries – he wrote:
“it is good to see that kind of work from Africa”.
Even what I do using my own brand of Web Marketing, to generate search engine based leads for myself, and my clients, is something I’ve had people from developed societies express surprise at.
I periodically encounter this (often involuntary) stereotyping online, and also offline when I meet non-Africans face to face – even here in Cotonou.
But very few have been interested. Not even those who studied IT or some related subject. And those who showed interest never had enough passion to develop the needed proficiency to excel at it.
For some reason our people always want to take the “easy” route. Especially something that does not require much mental exertion.
I am hopeful that the work being done by a few of us will over time inspire more of our people to wake up and take their destiny into their own hands, like we have done!
“After listening to each of my subordinates give me a self-appraisal of their performance, I have come to the conclusion that I have only three types of people working for me – Stars, All Stars and Superstars!” – Gunther Brink
In one of his books, Robert Kiyosaki noted that many people in paid employment today continue to demand to be paid more for doing less work!
Think about it. Some people go through a whole week (or year) without doing anything more than their jobs’ basically demand (sometimes they don’t even do up to that!), secure in the knowledge that come rain or sun, their salaries would be paid.
And this is true.
In many companies, for as long as you remain on the payroll, you will be paid – even if you perform poorly or averagely (especially with the labour union there to “fight for workers”).
Now, before you challenge this point, I refer you to Zig Ziglar’s observation about people going to work each day without doing anything differently from the day before.
It is indeed – as he put it – A FACT.
The irony is that many find it easy to close their eyes to the FACT that they are asking to be paid more – or promoted – despite not adding any extra VALUE to their jobs!
The only time they change their reasoning in this regard, is when they start their own businesses and their own employees make similar demands of them!
Only THEN does it dawn on them that such employees’ requests are unrealistic!!
The obvious exception to this rule are crooked persons who acquire unearned income e.g by taking bribes, stealing, cheating etc
The real world demands that you prove yourself worthy of every reward you get.
You must sow before you reap. You have to give in order to receive.
And that’s why when many people retire from well paying jobs, they are unable to adjust to surviving in the real world.
This is because they discover that (contrary to what obtains in paid employment), just putting in minimal effort does not result in multiple fold income returns.
Just being out there does not prove that you are “there”. What do you do with each day you spend there?
I refer here to fellow entrepreneurs, some of who choose to take the easy way out by failing to deliver promised value for payment they receive.
How well do the products and services you provide to paying clients, fulfil the promise made to buyers?
This has happened to me several times. Just before you pay they are all polite and friendly. They assure you their connectivity has not match in the area.
When you start using the service, it often works as good as they promised.
So you pick up the phone and call them. It takes maybe 10 attempts before you get someone who picks up. And s/he basically tells you “Well, from our end here, everything is working perfectly.”
To add insult to the injury, s/he may even go further to say “In fact, you’re the only one who’s calling to complain. All our other users are getting along just fine. Maybe you need to check your computer, and see if there’s a fault at your end.”
Saying this usually makes many people feel uncomfortable, as they are made to look like trouble makers. So, even when the problem is unresolved, they don’t call for support again.
Unfortunately for them, they did not know someone like me would show up…!
Experience had taught me to hook up with at least one other person who used the same platform.
So, I’d always call him up. 99% of the time he often had the same problem.
Once I confirmed I was not alone, I would call support and ask them what the problem was.
If the agent tried to bamboozle me with the usual crap, I’d then tell him/her what I’ve already confirmed through my friend who lived in a totally different area.
Most times when I did this, s/he’d ask me to hold on. And then s/he would miraculously return saying they’d been informed that a fault was being rectified by “our engineers” in some zones!
But if you ask them if all’s well, they’ll often say everything’s OK.
Why?
It’s simply because they cannot bear to pass up sales by telling buyers that kind of truth.
Now, I understand their need to sell. But I disagree with their negative philosophy.
That way, you will have no need to lie and deceive people who want to sign up with you!
But people with this kind of mentality, rarely want to do such hard and honest work.
They prefer fleecing their buyers…giving as little as possible to get as much as possible.
James R. Cook once wrote that “there are hidden penalties working against those who seek to get something for nothing.”
Those who act in the manner described above, be it in paid employment or elsewhere, VERY rarely endear themselves to others who work honestly.
What’s more, employers/clients who get cheated by them often find ways to break up with them.
With very few exceptions, they rarely achieve long term authentic success.
If you do not wish to end up like them, I recommend you seek to add equal or greater value to everyone you meet – especially those who pay you to serve them at work or elsewhere!
I call it the 21st century parenting dilemma. How do you convince your child to accept that stealing, cheating or lying for instance are “bad”, when s/he often sees them happening routinely? This ranges from adults s/he sees (or hears) about in public office diverting state funds, to sports persons found guilty of doping, as well as musicians who steal other people’s songs…and lecturers who plagiarize (or sexually harass) students they are supervising.
How do you explain to the child, why most of those who do such bad things, even when found out, rarely pay any serious price for it in the long run?
In past articles, I’ve written about the rampant examinations malpractice palaver in Nigeria.
It started as a small flame. Today, it’s burning like a wild fire. Indeed it is a pandemic of sorts!
One day, I was outraged to hear the students tell me (while taking them extra classes in Agriculture, Maths and Physics), that I was stressing myself needlessly.
When I asked what they meant, they told me I would be in the exam hall to read out the answers to them. So why not wait till then, they asked…like it was the most normal thing in the world!
To them, it was only fair that I did that. After all, I was their teacher. I would be “wicked” to “let them fail” they added.
Amazing. These kids had no idea that what they were asking for was wrong!
I told them that was not possible, and they all laughed at me. So, during the exams, I made a point of staying away from the halls.
As it turned out, I was the uninitiated.
The head teachershad apparently known what the practice was, because he was one of those who made it happen!
That explained his casual response when I’d complained to him that the students suggested I would be reading out answers to them
He must have thought to himself: “Who is this funny youth corper guy. Does he not realize that when you’re in Rome, you have to act like the Romans?”
I even included a passionate cover letter. In it I challenged the editor to consider the damage that would happen to the educational system, if that practice was allowed to continue.
Not a word of response came back to me from The Guardian, or the Editor.
Later on, it became obvious that I was the one who was not in touch with reality, when I told one of my sisters about my letter and its contents.
She also basically laughed in my face. Then she told me worse things were happening in Lagos. At the time, she had just taken the exams, if I recall correctly. And she told me stories that left me dumbfounded.
Today, those students who “passed” exams using that crooked approach back when I was a youth corper, are NOW parents of their own kids.
And not surprisingly, they are openly and actively collaborating with invigilators, to do the same thing for their kids.
Sadly, the older generation who could have stopped it, have allowed themselves to be compromised.
They do this either by accepting some form of gratification (cash or kind e.g. sexual favours) or by getting themselves into situations in which they can be blackmailed into agreeing to anything.
Not all, but quite an unhealthy majority, of the older generation, are implicated in this manner. As for the rest of the “oldies”, they’ve chosen to either stay silent or look the other way.
Just look at what sells on TV for instance today.
More events being sponsored today often promote nudity, and sexual indiscretion. Less effort is made to develop programmes to repair the social fabric.
That’s why our young people pay less attention to adults who tell them not to copy dressing styles of celebrities who go almost naked.
As a matter of fact, some religious leaders, in increasing numbers it would appear, are even getting caught in acts of indiscretion.
For most of those engaged in the naughty acts described above, they had to adopt deception, and insincerity as a way of life to do them.
By so doing, they lost the moral courage to correct others – whether young or old.
Which is why things have been falling apart: There are effectively fewer people willing – and able – to correct those doing wrong!
I feel nothing but pity, laced with contempt, for older persons who hold such views.
They fail to learn from the examples of Zig Ziglar and Jim Rohn….as well as the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
All three men stayed active in influencing society till they passed on. And there have been others like them.
Today, Wole Soyinka, a Nobel prize winner, is 80 years old. Yet he continues with the same tradition of being a Social Change Agent: A journey he began in his early twenties!
Just as this problem is happening in the educational sector, so it rampages in the other aspects of societal life.
Just like back when I was as a youth corper, I remain uninitiated today.
Indeed, I refuse to be initiated into wrong doing habits of any sort!
Not just for my own sake. But also because I happen to have kids of my own – who are exposed on a daily basis to people who do all these, in society.
The truth is you cannot hide a child away from the rot, because it is everywhere.
So, you need to diligently invest quality time and effort to DRUM the morals and values you KNOW the Creator expects them to uphold, into their little heads 
I know what trouble I got into while a child, in a much saner Nigeria.
The Nigeria of today offers so many temptations to young people! What’s more, deception – indeed the ability to tell barefaced lies without remorse, as well as doing wrong and producing crocodile tears while denying it, has been elevated to an art form by today’s kids.
This is the time to do it – while s/he is still under your care, living under your influence and authority. You still have a chance to detect and correct any character flaws that s/he may pick up from corrupt society.
You owe yourself, and your child, a duty to play your role, so you do not have cause to regret when s/he becomes an adult, and leaves home.
I say tell him/her NEVER to accept that standard – no matter how attractive it appears.
I say make yourself a shining example of a superior standard, and let him/her know that the Creator approves of that standard: That is, a standard which does NOT condone cheating, lying, stealing, deception or wrong doing in any form.
Do so by walking your talk with pride and dignity, even if it means having to accept humbling circumstances for a while, until the Creator elevates you.
Do this without fail, every waking day, and by the time that child leaves home, NOBODY will be able to tempt him/her to go off track.
S/he will therefore always be a source of pride to you, and your entire family.
Don’t waste time. Start doing it today. Your child’s future most likely depends on it.
Good luck!
1.Is It RIGHT To Do Wrong, So As To Fulfill FAMILY Obligations?
This is a True Story Narration. It is available as audio (MP3) & as a video presentation, and PDF on CD/DVD. You can listen to the audio on your phones. This is Part 2 in the Self-Development Education for Parents Series titled “Kukuru Danger™: Adventures – & Misadventures – of a School Age Child Trying to Make Sense of the World and his purpose in it!”
===Narration Begins===
This is TayoSolagbade again. This time around I’m going to tell you another story.
But this story, rather than take you forward in my life following my experience of getting asked to repeat my first year in secondary school.
I’m actually taking you back to a time, I think about a year before I left primary school, ehm, in which I had a particularly (pause) ehm, how do I put it now…even talking about it now still irritates me.
\
I once had someone phone me up (in 2002, my first year in business), requesting that I come down to Falomo on Victoria Island from my Gbagada base, in Lagos (more than 30 minute drive on a good day) saying my services were needed. I got there to find that I was only being mocked! The person was nowhere to be found, after two hours, and her husband kept sending me around in circles, smiling impishly all the while!
She did this twice before I caught on to it, and stopped responding.
That same woman called me up many times afterwards, over the following months, to mock me on phone. She would ask questions like “How is business now?” while intermittently erupting into loud laughter.
What did I do to deserve this treatment? Well, I had one time in the past gone to their company to attend a Visual Basic training (which I paid for!), and during the 3 month period, we’d had discussions that touched on how I left paid employment to become an entrepreneur. And I had told them the big plans I had. That was all!
Based on my experiences up till date, I have come to the firm conclusion that the definition of a "Nigerian entrepreneur", will not differ much from that of those in other parts of the world – especially America.
And here’s how I would define an entrepreneur, based on my extensive studies and personal experiences:
"A strong-willed, independent minded individual who ultimately achieves financial success and social recognition, by delivering innovative products/services, and/or developing a new way of doing things, that IMPROVES the lives of others. Most times, such persons will have started out with little or nothing. And in cases when s/he may have started out with a lot, s/he will most likely have lost it all and had to start all over before finding success.
Most times, such a true entrepreneur, would have had to depend on nothing more than his/her idea, and an unquenchable thirst to make it work. This is why entrepreneurs have been described in certain quarters as people who create something new out of nothing – taking risks that threaten their very survival, but overcoming all odds via persistence, to do what most would have considered previously impossible."
Examples include absence of support systems (e.g. social welfare/security systems) that entitle you to some base income/unemployment benefit as obtains for an American for instance.
They can provide a valuable cushion effect. Entrepreneurs in Nigeria get NO such thing.
You simply have to sort yourself out. Having said that, I believe that obtains across most of the African continent – to be fair.
But I will add that from living here in Benin Republic, I know things are significantly less challenging – especially as it relates to feeding.
Food is dirt cheap here, and if you’re not lazy what you earn from doing a few odd jobs will keep you going. And there is constant power supply, which has a multiplier effect of keeping costs of products and services low, since people do not have to generate their own electricity.
In Nigeria, too many things not in place make living costs very high. Entrepreneurs have to run expensive petrol/diesel powered generators to keep their businesses going.
So people find they often in danger of running out of money. And that make "hustling" imperative!
Imagine the dilemma, then, of the entrepreneur yet to achieve stable income!
It’s not a pleasant subject I know. But that does not make it less worthy of discussion.
Especially as I have seen it happen just too often!
The crabs in a bucket analogy applies here.
I have seen people try to pull another down (including yours truly), for reasons as petty as ensuring you do not invalidate their alibis for failing to start their own businesses, by succeeding in your chosen endeavour.
Others are actually people who have been in business before you – who may want you to pay them homage. When you don’t they take offence.
I do not exaggerate here.
That I survived and am going strong today, I believe, is due to my resilience.
As well as the fact that I had other alternative arrangements put in place that kept me going despite the efforts made by certain persons to sabotage me.
And of course, I always kept an unshakeable faith in the Creator, to protect me.
A good example is the short story I began this article with. But let me assure you that it’s actually one of the milder cases I have personally experienced.
The true stories I will share will illustrate, in graphic terms, just how potentially traumatizing it can be, to function as an entrepreneur in Nigeria.
Especially when you are new in the game, have no connections and lack funds (as was the case with me!).
Yet it remains a reality that can STOP you from succeeding, even if you have all the competence of a world class entrepreneur.
And the example of NEXT newspapers, run by a Pulitzer prize winning Nigerian born journalist, who tried to apply best practice independent journalism in the Nigerian market was mentioned.
Instead, he failed because his adopted approach of journalism with integrity, and objectivity, put off those who had funds to advertise in the paper. So they froze him out – influencing others to toe their line of NOT advertising in NEXT newspapers.
So, without money coming in, the NEXT newspaper, despite aspiring to world class standards, died.
[Read the BBC article, for a real life account of what led to the paper’s demise, and how a Nigerian BIG man predicted it!]
I believe that by forewarning persons who plan to do what I am doing, I can give them a better chance of surviving the rough terrain they have to travel to entrepreneurial success in Nigeria.
You see, there are certain people who are unwilling to do what it takes to achieve entrepreneurial success/significance with honesty and integrity.
Yet they will not let others who are ready do so!!
That instinct that will enable him/her successfully evade the many attempts that will be made to frustrate him/her – via the Nigerian Factor.
It was what drove ME to exploit my multipreneurial aptitude to generate multiple income streams – making it difficult for those who tried, to stop me.
And that is what keeps me going today.
I earn income via both active and passive streams, from a growing variety of channels and activities. And I LOVE doing what I do, the way I do it!
1. BBC News – Letter from Africa: Doing Business in Nigeria
2. Pulitzer winner’s Nigeria newspaper 234NEXT stops printing
