The convo I threaded above is super revealing because it says a lot about how we decide the leaders we stan for. Here’s how. It’s a popularity contest for us. Achieve fame and all is forgiven.
Here’s a guide to achieving this fame which will absolve you from ever speaking up. 👇🏾
First step - chase international fame.
If you chase international fame, we’ll stan for you. Even if you say nothing about our plight or about #EndSARS, we’ll excuse your silence. After all, you’re doing us proud by repping us internationally. Omo naija! 😍
You shouldn’t stain your white with local Nigerian affairs. The white massah that’ll give you that international role is uncomfortable with you talking about your country’s issues. We understand. 🤗
Do you have to take any action that directly or even indirectly impact us? Do you even have to be good at the job you’ve been hired to do? At all at all! You being Nigerian is enough. Omo Naija! Please sit and enjoy your cushy position while Nigeria burns to the ground. 💅🏾
When it’s time for us to discuss potential leaders, we’ll look at your fine pictures with white massah and beg that you come and be president of Nigeria. Hanging out with white massah makes you presidential. Taking responsibility to fix Nigeria doesn’t. 🙅🏾♀️
Here’s what you should definitely not do if you want to be popular with us. If you want us to consider you leadership material, do not try this. Do you consistently speak out for us and demand accountability from the government? Ah...error. That’s a one chance bus fam. 🚍
Whatever you do, do not be seen as an enemy of the govt. E don be for you.
The govt will attempt to ruin your reputation and we the Nigerian citizens will believe them. We’ll accuse you of seeking attention, of trying to get a govt position, of being political. 🙎🏾
Does it matter that you don’t have to bother about Nigeria and that you can also go ahead and keep silent as well? Does it matter that you’re sacrificing a lot to speak up? Nope.
Why would you do any of these if not for personal gains? Are you a mumu? You must be. 🤨
The message is loud and clear. Forget Nigeria. Keep silent and chase your personal ambitions. We’ll be proud of you - especially if white massah endorses you. Speak up at the cost of your welfare and we’ll treat you like an opportunist or a mumu...or both. 🤷🏾♂️
Until we all learn to slow down, give gratitude to those who’ve demanded for accountability in Nigeria, and take responsibility for ensuring WE all demand for a better future, this will remain the game plan. 🎮
Let’s stop making excuses for any Nigerian. If you’re not speaking up against injustice in Nigeria, you’re implicitly in support of it. We must all use the positions and power we have been given to take responsibility and speak up. ✊🏾
The best part of putting this permutation of rules together is watching it work when applied across everything. Looking forward to watching it scale. ⚡️⚡️⚡️
There's nothing it doesn't improve. It even layers the design thinking process and makes it easier to understand. We spoke about this here.
It's hard, but I have to learn to balance my productivity while staying engaged on #EndSARS. It's such a consuming energy.
Who else feels the same way? And what have you done to design your productivity? I'll share some things we're trying out below. #EndSWAT
1. We start by slowing down. We *try to* avoid getting on Twitter immediately we wake up. Instead, we outline the most important tasks we wish to get done. 1-3 tasks are ideal. We arrange them according to priority. Then start working on them. #EndSARS#DesigningProductivity
2. We plug times for these tasks into our calendar. Give reasonable time slots to get things done.
Then we set out chunks of time to #deepwork and get the first task done. Focus. One task at a time. Definitively finish one, take a break, then we move to the next. #EndSARS
We're grateful that our first ever song as @ezekstwins artists is a call to speak out about police brutality in Nigeria. Please listen and share. ✊🏾 #EndSARS#EndSWAT#EndPoliceBrutality