I am up my dear but there’s no light in Nigeria.
I’m up my dear, but there’s no light in Nigeria.
It seems like the saddest reality though. How can there be no power? It doesn’t seem fair and makes no human sense. It also saddens my heart that this should be a reality.
The problem is not that we cannot afford Solar Energy Power for individuals the issue is that that is the issue. Resolving the problem for one individual who can haphazardly afford the solar system does not resolve it for the large system of people. It’s high time we look beyond ourselves and solve this problem so that the common man can afford it.
And I’m not talking of such cheap solutions here and there perpetuated by some silly money mongers. We need a real solution to thrive in the meantime, a course of 7–15 years before we are likely to get a government that cares.
Power returns to the people when they are useful to themselves and solve their problems regardless of the government. While studying American literature from Bill Gates' book ‘Business at the Speed of Thought’, he made mention the fact that America could not think of making electronics before they resolved electricity. They weren't interested in jumping the gun and as a matter of fact, they could not even jump the gun.
Nothing should interest us in a life of showmanship, it’s too small of a life and mediocre in all senses and ramifications. Nobody truly honors a man or a woman without his or her community or home, because when the dust settles and everyone returns to his tent, a man without a home or a people will be buried in a shallow pit without a legacy.
We can never garner enough respect in the success or name of just one African, it’s impossible. A people is a people and it never signifies a person. And no matter how poor and mannerless our people are, they are still our people. We will try and look on the bright side.
Earlier I made mention of this same fact to a group of engineers, the fact that we will have to return to the first principles and fundamentals. Mind I say, we don’t have electrical power in Nigeria because we don’t know how to generate one! We are not educated enough to that extent, the apple doesn’t fall far from the apple tree. We need not hide under the sorrowful cover of deception.
America couldn’t advance industrially without electricity. Their initial power generation was to drive their industrial machines. They had steam engines to drive their trains, pump water to mines, etc. They solved every problem they needed. It's of great note that we should notice that while they were running steam engines, they didn’t have electric bulbs rather they had their burning lanterns and yet they had petrol engines.
But they had steam locomotives and kerosene-burning lanterns yet they didn’t have bulbs? Yes of course they didn’t! Electric bulb was another thing entirely and they never invented AC Power or DC Power since they never required it.
Has a matter of fact, the invention of electricity was a separate matter and the later invention of the electric bulb was another separate episode which are independent and also interdependent.
It’s such a shame that Africans can never imagine the possibility of having a steam engine yet never a reason for having electrical power. Steam engines are not necessarily expected to generate power!
But get this clear, we are somewhat silly of a people because we don’t know history and we don’t seem to give a damn about it. And the issue is, we can’t do anything about a problem we know nothing about. We have to become a problem-solving community. And it’s just fine to spend our years in life-solving a problem and not arriving at a solution, at the very least we will know we kickstarted a contribution on which other generations can continue.
We have to stop being prey to superstitions that explain our realities away and render us powerless against unforeseen forces and circumstances. Why won’t you have a bad dream when you are sleeping inside a room like an oven?! Mumu man!
Please remember that you won’t be the last African and thank goodness you are not the first. And whatsoever you do or do not do will determine so much for the future of the African child. Your great-grandchildren will be bullied in darkness because there isn’t power. Imagine if this were a future prophecy regarding you and your great-grandchildren, how would you avert it in your lifetime?
Peace out!
