Develop local theories; share local stories…

Develop local theories; share local stories…

Many times, I have found that it is difficult to hold a noncontroversial view.

Few days ago, I had a conversation with Seun Oladele about investment in education and its impact on growth and development (whatever that means). One danger of poor investment in education is this: ‘…[T]heories do not work in Nigeria…’

I can bet that you have said, or heard, or believed this lie once.

Let me try to explain:

I bet that you have seen an LPG tank being ‘baptised’ with water to ‘cool’ it down. The material used for the tank overacts in Nigeria’s temperature, hence the need to cool it down regularly. If Nigerian scholars have found or developed a material that blends well with our temperature, it would be safer, reduce running cost, hence selling price of LPG.

Also, I had a conversation with Abiodun Kayode-Alli some months back where I told him that Nigerian cars should not be heating up (I don’t mean overheating). If the idea of cars were developed in Nigeria, the Engines would have been developed in a way that ‘cools’ not ‘heat’. The EU/US/China developed using materials that blend with their cold temperatures.

As long as we continue to ‘defund’ and ‘unfund’ education, we will continue to complain that theories do not work. There are universal theories, but even those universal theories find expressions within confined spaces. As long as we rely on theories developed in communities with very different scenarios, we will keep complaining that they do not work in Nigeria.

How would European economic theories work in Nigeria? It is simple – take marriage advice from your friend, and without consideration to your peculiarity implement it in your home; see the result.

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Also, use local stories to motivate your audience. Civilisation did not start in Nigeria when colonial invaders came in. People have lived here many centuries before the colonial invaders.

Use their stories… ?

It is easier for a Nigerian to accept a vehicle named 'Zeus', but not 'Sango'.