There’s a saying in Nigeria that goes: better soup, na money do am – which essentially means that money equals quality. I don’t think so.
In my first week home, I’m realizing that it’s not as if I was wary of returning because things would suck. My main fear boils down to one thing: things wouldn’t look nice anymore. Sounds silly right? But let’s think this through. Instead of well-planned streets, it would be semi-planned streets without sidewalks and medians. It’s not like the roads wouldn’t be paved, it’s just that it’d be done haphazardly in some cases, or ignored in others. Instead of clean, symmetrical, inviting shops, it would be shabby lopsided boxes as excuses for entrepreneurship. In fact, what one would consider a low-end bodega in New York is priced way above Whole Foods in Abuja and could pass as a high-end shop.
I’m aware that I sound like I’m complaining so let me unpack this a little. What happened to the desire to make things look nice? What happened to demanding that the walls be absolutely straight and the paint work be impeccable when masons complete a house or shop for you? What happened to packaging and presentation? It’s not like we lack the materials present in other countries. It’s the presentation of it that becomes the deal breaker 9 times out of ten.
Stories in Nigerian cinema are clearly riveting to its audience. It’s that extra step of white balancing so the picture doesn’t look cheap and washed out, or editing so the sound is that much crisper that is missing. There are entrepreneurs every which corner. However, what makes one stand out from the pack is presentation and not necessarily the contents in his or her shop. The quick buck seems to always win out against the planned investment. At Mr. Bigg’s (Nigeria’s main fast food chain) – it’s the same thing. The drabness of their presentation makes it that much less appealing, still this franchise is making bank because it even attempts some form of decor in a country where there is none. I realize it takes money to do certain things, but I’m not talking about those types of things. I’m talking about making the most of what’s available to you. Having standards and expecting the best that you can afford. I’m talking about going the extra mile just when you’re tempted to settle because it’s all you see around you. I’m talking about stewardship. About symmetry than about quantity. About presentation than about reinvention.
I know we have it in us. Just look at the variety of clothes at church on a Sunday morning. The styles, the ingenuity, the flare. If only we’d put the same efforts into our homes, offices, shops and cities that we do into our clothes! It’s the cumulative effect of such small things as people taking the extra step to make their surroundings pretty that speaks volumes of how much they value themselves and how much they expect you to value them. Putting all that effort into clothing speaks more of vanity, which in the Nigerian situation, deserves its own article.
Wake up Nigeria, we’ve got work to do. Lots of it. And this time, I’m afraid to break this to you, it has nothing to do with the government.
Real talk. Where’s the incentive though? People can get away with it as it is.
Mallam True talk. Even though I agree that talk is cheap. It happens to be the first step in addressing any problem. So let’s get the ball rolling. Do us proud.
i agree that we should expect more, and i get disheartened by how often there is no spirit of excellence, even with the little bit we have. My question is similar to one already posed, how does the problem get solved? Is not the “presentation is everything”/”competitive edge” something that is learned and ingrained by a society, meaning that it would take a reformation of the things our societies value? I mean in essence its an issue of what we value. Do we value the aesthetic quality of things? And if we don’t, how do we cultivate this value? i was also intrigued by how u called it an issue of stewardship – i hadn’t thought of it that way.
Packaging has always been a problem. Sometimesit is a catch 22. The economy makes adding teh final touch – and therefore increasing the cost less attractive. There are exceptions though.Eg TFC (tasty fried chicken) with its high quality food and decor – if you r in Lagos, check out their mrina restaurant; but by focussing on quality, they have remainrd much smaller and higer priced.
An example that continues to inspire though is Guaranty Trust bank, and i still think tey have the best customer care i’ve seen in a bank even outside Nigeria! and it works.
I totally feel you bruv. In Lagos they even try a bit (especially on the Island). I know you’ve been in Kaduna for a time, it’s not all that bad though(when you contrast it wit J-town sha). The truth is this, when you are used to sub-standard, a little change seems like a whole lot, thus you find people here settling for mediocrity as substantial change.
But this has been the way from the beginning of Nigeria as a country. You find that the political elite, who is actually used to high standards, once he takes up the reins of power, to ensure that he makes bank over and over again, gives a people who don’t know the difference, “sub-development”. And he is praised! Praised!
Next time you witness sub-standard, don’t blame the people too harshly, they really don’t know to expect better, or demand for same…
Regarding whether people know what they’re missing, there’s no doubt that they do. Quality is obvious and plain for all to see. Many Nigerians have access to television and they can see how people in other parts of the world live. People know a good thing when they see it. Especially because it is so obviously different from a bad thing. If you ask anyone off the street which LOOKS better: a dirty stall versus a clean one. A crumbling wall versus a sturdy one. An ugly plant versus a pretty flower. The answer won’t ever be in question.
Excellence and beauty have been left for us to see. The real question is why we don’t see even while we’re looking.
I think the main problem is people don’t expect quality to be theirs. Yes they see quality on TV, but in their mind it is for ‘dem oyinbo people’. You complain about shoddy work and people laugh and ask you were you think you are.
What we need is for a few people to present better quality at the same price. I am sure Tasty Fried Chicken does not need to be priced much higher than Mr. Biggs, but they probably count basic quality as a luxury instead of the norm. I am also impressed by GTB. When a few people start presenting quality as the norm then everyone will be forced to do so as well.