In Nigeria it is almost impossible not to lose your temper, not to get annoyed. It is only by the special grace of God that one manages to keep his shirt on. Pure divine intervention, period. I feel for anyone who does not know the true God at this end times. Why? Nigeria is a country that enjoys mediocrity, revels in stupidity and abides in substandard performance. Nigeria is a country so blessed; it should be swimming in an ocean but continues to paddle in a small pool, which if we are not careful will soon be shriveled to a waterless dry patch.
I have never seen a collection of people who have no appreciation for excellence and high standards as Nigerians. Sure, we all know what is good, we all want to live in fine houses, drive excellent cars, wear the best clothes and throw the best parties, yet deep down we abhor this excellence so much, we are never ready to do the real work that will achieve it.
Nigerians love to manage, everyone wants to make do, cut corners, and take the short cut. Nigerians all love a bargain, something for nothing, never wanting to pay the price. Nigerians love to compromise, sacrifice quality on the altar of price, not wanting anything to last, or work. We love to build and not maintain. It is the average Nigerian that wants a well paying job with no extra working hours, and a lot of time off, plus foreign travel and all other benefits. It is the average Nigerian that truly believes that he is doing his job and employer a favour. It is the average Nigerian that wants to be tipped or bribed for doing what he is already paid to do. It is the average Nigerian that does not believe anything can work normally, that things that are taken for granted in other countries cannot work in Nigeria. It is the average Nigerian that always cheats on his employer, compromises the quality of his work and consequently cheats himself.
The average Nigerian has very little or no pride in his job, no matter how well paid; he derives very little or no satisfaction from doing his job well. He has no happiness from an excellent environment. He compromises everything from the door knob of his office to the boot of his car. His mechanic has managed everything that is manageable on the car, nothing works or lasts. Take his personal behaviour, he has no love for excellence in what he wears, the way he behaves, how he eats, what he says, how he conducts himself, what he does. What about the home? Nigerians have no excellence in the home. From the design, to construction, to the furnishing, to the inhabitation, to everything, everything is compromised. Nigerians have a love for building a large house in Victoria Island, but will compromise on the type of sand, on the wood, on the finishing. Nigerians want the whole house fully air-conditioned but will compromise on the make and quality of the air-conditioner. Any wonder most things break down? Nigerians have this elaborate opening ceremony and have a house warming party only for them to be unable to maintain the house two years down the line?
What about excellence in the office and work place? This is perhaps the most glaring! Nigerians spend a bomb redecorating the office, yet they cannot pay their staff well. When things breakdown, they cannot be repaired. Nigerians always compromise and settle for less, when they can get the best. We compromise on the quality of the work, doing much less for much more. We finish a letter and use hours to make corrections on it. Nigerians never give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. We are always managing, managing, managing; consequently, we are never satisfied and are usually grumbling. What about in staffing? We always manage and settle for the mediocre people and the ones that are marginally good think they are worth their weight in gold.
What about excellence in the nation? What works in Nigeria? NEPA or PHCN? No. NITEL? Dead. The hospitals? Only a miracle! The Airport? A bedlam! The Railways? A joke! Water for all? A dream. The Universities? No teachers, unwilling students. Government parastatals – a source of milking the economy? No excellence anywhere. How do countries like Japan, Singapore, USA, South Korea and Germany manage? How do they make things work? Are they not run by people, human beings? Are the repairs and maintenance not done by people with flesh and blood?
I have strived so much for excellence. I found however that because I live and work with Nigerians, it is virtually impossible and where minutely possible, they make it so expensive. For small problems that any concerned person can solve, for small repairs that can be easily done, everyone folds their arms and say it is impossible, it cannot be done, let us compromise, it cannot be achieved, it is not affordable. There is need for excellence in Nigeria. If we don’t change, the cost of excellence will cost us our nation.
