Thread by @ronaldnzimora

I was going to say anything about this thread because today is Christmas and frankly I do not care to argue on Christmas Day, but I can't put it off for longer.

This is not going to be an argument.

Read my pints below and learn if you want to.

https://twitter.com/fimiletoks/status/1077266636942520320

As I said before, the thread is good, but up to a point. The only good point the thread made is about the need for Nigerians to see and recognize opportunity.

But there's where it's goodness stops and it's "badness" starts.

The author of the thread basically...

criticized Nigerians for not "seeing" opportunities that people of other nationalities see when they come here.

I agree to some extent. That extent being that fresh eyes see better. I was in Russia. I saw opportunities that probably many Russians arent seeing because of close...

proximity.

And success in any endeavour is not about "seeing" opportunity alone. You need to have the capacity, awareness and psychological/mental training to see it. Only education can help you do that and our educations is shit and shot to hell, but's story for another day...

These Indians that he spoke about who came to Nigeria and while driving in traffic saw plantain chip sellers and suddenly switch from their original plan, I agree, pointing it out is good, but the FACT is THEY SAW EXISTING PLANTAIN CHIPS, manufactured/sold by Nigerians already...

This means that Nigerians are ALREADY SAW THE OPPORTUNITY because any Indians, Lebanese or whichever nationality, so criticizing Nigerians for not seeing this opportunity is moot.

But that's not even the main thing. The main thing is like I said before, seeing opportunity...

is only the beginning. When you see it, you have got to be able to take advantage, and if it's business, this requires money, and depending on the kind of business, it requires A LOT of money.

What our author probably doesn't know is that Indians can go back to India and get...

single digit loans, guaranteed by their Govt which they bring in here and then invest in these opportunities.

I don't care how business savvy you are, if you want to get into the FMCG business which is where plantain chips can be categorized in, and you're starting out small...

and you have to compete with an Indian who came in with a lot of money, you have disadvantages stacked against you from the get go. Can it be overcome, yes, you probably can via hustle but it will take many years, far longer than the Indian who has money backing his efforts.

Banks here won;t let you money because you want to start a plantain chips business, you can go and try. But guess what, they'll loan an Indian because his Govt most likely will guarantee it. His Govt will do it because he'll repatriate most of his profits home.

You see now?

The real person to blame is not the average Nigerian whose Govt has provided zero help to, not financial, not infrastructure, and not education or any other thing, the real person to blame, is the Govt.

Nigerians are hardworking and they see the opportunities, trust me.

Why is it not surprising that Nigerians excel and make headlines news around the world the moment they go to countries where the system is set up to incentivize hard work and initiative?

Your real enemy is the Govt, the govt that prioritizes handing =N=10k to women who sell...

tomatoes for populism over creating real working policies that lead to economic growth. Your real enemy who deserves criticism is the Federal Govt that appropriates all natural resources to itself leaving states as perpetual breast sucklers whose Governors have no incentive to...

create anything and only wait every 30 days for Abuja to share money. Your real enemy, and they deserve a fate worse than criticism is the Govt that is only interested in stealing from the coffers without commensurate value added.

If Nigerians are taking advantage of...

aren't taking advantage of opportunities in their country, it is not the fault altogether. They already work too hard, but experience has taught me hardwork is not enough. You can dig a well with a shovel. That's hard work, or you can dig it with a soil driller. In sane countries

the Govt creates a system where owing or at least sourcing the driller is within the reach of everyone.

Let's give our people a freaking break. They deserve the stick sometimes, but on this one, let's leave them alone at least.

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