Story of the perpetual failure of Nigeria’s government

[SecGen]

*Birds that grew up in a cage think other birds flying are sick*

When abnormalities become normal and the normal becomes abnormalities.

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"From their failure to provide pipe-borne water, they created a class of bottled water consumers and borehole owners.

From their failure to provide security, they created a class of bulletproof car owners with armed escorts.

From their failure to provide electricity, they created a class of Mikano generators and solar panel owners.

From their failure to provide education, they created a class of private school students, and abroad students.

From their failure to provide good health care, they created a class of abroad medical tourists.

They have so messed up our heads to the extent that those classes they created out of their failures are now the goal every one of us wants to reach.

To drink bottled water, own a Mikano generator or a bulletproof car, or travel abroad for school or medicals, have become landmark achievements that we even pray about.

Some people, in their bid to intimidate you or prove they are higher than you, say things like: what I drink is bottled water; where I school is abroad; if I have money, I will buy you all bulletproof cars; I don't use local hospitals...I use abroad hospitals; our generator runs 24/7... Etc. . .

We now take pride in things that came about because we were denied our basic rights by those we ourselves elected to provide them.

The worst any government can do to its people is to bring them to that point where abnormalities become normal, and normalities become abnormal for them.

They have so messed up our heads for so long that we don't even know that what we are going through and the life we are priding on is not actually the normal way things ought to be."

When will we decide to refuse our heads not to be messed up?

~~*Rev Fr Kelvin Ugwu, from the pulpit on a Sunday morning.*

[Seun_Ola]

Rev. Fr. Ugwu’s sermon hits home because it describes a reality we all see and live with in Nigeria. Over the years, Nigerians have learned to adapt to government failures by creating personal solutions—solutions that should never have been needed in the first place. This adaptation has become so widespread that we’ve started seeing these “survival mechanisms” as success stories or even status symbols.

1. Water: Government failure to provide clean, accessible pipe-borne water has turned bottled water into a normal way of life. Today, many Nigerians feel proud to drink bottled water instead of demanding that clean water flows from their taps. The problem here is that access to clean water should be a basic right, not something only those who can afford to buy it can enjoy.
2. Electricity: Everyone celebrates owning a generator or installing solar panels, yet the reality is that the national power grid should provide 24/7 electricity. We’ve normalized a lack of electricity, and some people now see owning expensive generators as a sign of “making it.” But we should all have reliable power without needing to spend extra money on backup solutions.
3. Security: The rich drive in bulletproof cars with armed escorts, while the average Nigerian is left vulnerable to the same insecurity that has become rampant. Instead of addressing the root cause—why there’s so much crime or why the police are underfunded—we celebrate individual safety measures. It’s like building a high fence around your house and thinking the problem of insecurity is solved.
4. Healthcare: The rich fly abroad for medical care because our local healthcare system is broken. But why should anyone need to travel outside the country for treatment? It should be a national priority to fix our healthcare system so that everyone can access good medical services here in Nigeria. We’ve become so used to hearing about politicians and the wealthy flying out for surgery or checkups that it’s seen as a normal thing to aspire to.
5. Education: Many people now dream of sending their kids to private schools or studying abroad. But what about fixing our public education system so that everyone, rich or poor, can get a quality education in Nigeria? Education is supposed to be a right, not a privilege for those who can afford it.

What We Can Do:

1. Change Our Mindset: First, we need to realize that adapting to government failures shouldn’t be seen as success. We shouldn’t be proud of owning generators or sending our kids abroad because these are signs that the system is failing us. We should focus on demanding better public services.
2. Demand Accountability: We elect leaders to serve us, not to force us to find our own solutions. Nigerians need to start holding their leaders accountable, asking tough questions about why basic services aren’t provided. It’s not enough to just vote; we need to stay engaged and pressure the government to do its job.
3. Community Action: If we, as a society, refuse to normalize these failures, we can push for real change. When people come together and demand solutions—whether it’s clean water, better hospitals, or reliable power—change happens. We need more grassroots movements to tackle these systemic issues head-on.
4. Stop Glorifying Personal Solutions: Instead of being proud of owning a generator, we should be angry that the power sector is failing. Instead of flaunting trips abroad for education or healthcare, we should demand that our local schools and hospitals are up to global standards. It’s time to stop seeing these stopgap measures as successes and start demanding long-term solutions.

Conclusion:

Fr. Ugwu’s message is a call to break out of this “cage mentality” where we’ve accepted substandard living conditions as normal. It’s a challenge for us to realize that relying on bottled water, generators, or trips abroad is not the answer. The solution lies in fixing the system, and that can only happen when we stop accepting these failures and start holding our leaders accountable.