What’s up people?
Took off the week of Memorial Day weekend but still felt the LOVE from my peoples who ride and check-in with me on the Blogspot. Hope everybody had a GREAT holiday weekend, enjoyed all the cookouts and the quality time spent with family and friends. So what happened last week anyway? Anybody remember?
Ok people; let me get focused...
I was sent a good read recently that chronicled the looting of Nigerian oil in the upwards of $140 billion a year. But what stuck with me more than the theft many of you know of is the fact that two thirds of the country’s 100 million people live on less than $2 a day. $2 a Day? Earlier today, I went to get a friend a cup of coffee and that was in the upwards of $4. And now that they are charging folks 5cents a bag at retail shops by the check-out counter, I fear the day a nylon bag will carry more monetary value than a job available to Nigerians.
In America, you can purchase the following for a meager $2 at the local dollar store; stuffed animal, deck of playing cards, roll of paper towel, non-scented candles and a salt or pepper shaker, etc…
Now across the globe here is what $2 can get you;
Japan - 10 Days of Electricity
South Korea - 1 Hour of PC use
Singapore - Plain Yogurt
Kenya - 8 Cups of Milk
Russia - 2lbs of Spaghetti
Brazil - 1 Slice of Pizza
So how do my peoples back home do it? How do they survive off $2 a DAY? You know for all the stereotypes and negative images portrayed or conjured up of Nigerians worldwide people often under estimate a very common trait many of us share, the ability to SURVIVE and Go-FORWARD. For what we lack in structure and organization, we make up for it in CREATIVITY and GRIT. The innate teachings and understanding at a very young age that God is in CONTROL and does not make MISTAKES regardless of religious beliefs and tribal customs is where the strength and courage comes from to NEVER give up.
However, the vast imbalance in our economic worth as Nigerians is what cripples the country and its people. There is no middle class phenomenon in existence to speak off so its “Get Rich or Die Trying”. But this is no Rap album, this is no drug dealer turn rapper saga that sells millions of records, this is the “Naija Mentality” and has remained in our core for over half a century.
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