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Blame It On Change

It’s no secret that Nigeria is currently facing an economic recession. A recession, many blame on the “change” promised by the newly elected president. Honestly, I am not sure how the recession came to be since I did not closely follow Nigerian politics when I was in the U.S, however, the common blame falls on the president. The current president ran on the platform of change, in which he promised to eradicate Nigeria’s corrupt politicians. Upon taking office, the president worked to make true on his promises; his administration began a witch hunt on those politicians deemed to be corrupt. This witch hunt led to the discovery of billions of dollars carefully hidden by Nigerian politicians. However, as the money was discovered, the Nigerian economy began to go downhill. Some economic theorists have blamed the recession on the mismanagement of funds by the previous administration, others have blamed the recession on the “change” promised by the current administration. Regardless of who the blame is to fall upon, Nigeria is in a steep recession.

                                                 



If you know me personally, you know that I prefer to look at the positives of every situation, including the recession. Selfishly, I was thankful for the recession because of the dollar to naira exchange rate. When I came to Nigeria, I exchanged my dollars to naira at 1 to 475. Meaning, one dollar equaled 475 naira. I was a baller!! Lol. My selfishness aside, the recession, in my opinion, has been a blessing in disguise for many Nigerians.  It has fueled their entrepreneurial spirits. Though no spirit was always there, it has reached new heights. No more are Nigerians waiting on the government to act, they are taking their financial futures in to their hands. Nigerians are the true definition of hustlers. As you drive along the streets of any major city in Nigeria, you are bound to be bombarded by people trying to sell you something, no matter how random. I’ve seen people selling, picture frames, sunglasses, windshield wipers, coolant, motor oil, children’s lunch boxes, white boards (and markers), ID holders, and a host of other things. Of course food is always available for sale. They sell fresh fruit, baked goods, cooked meat, and even plates of rice and stew. Besides the street hawking, many are starting businesses of their own. They are designing clothes, shoes, jewelries and even developing apps. 



The young people are building up what will soon be considered old money. The drive these people have to set up shop for themselves is truly inspiring. It goes to show that behind every cloud is a silver lining. These young entrepreneurs will push Nigeria to the front of the global market, they will truly bring about the change they so desperately sought in the 2015 election. My hope and prayer is that we Nigerians (home and abroad) support our own. If we do not patronize them, who will?




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