Wednesday, August 23, 2006
OUR DEPLORABLE CULTURE
NIGERIAN BUSINESS CULTURE
The other day I was meditating on the culture, business ethics and behaviour of KT people in general and the picture I arrived at was so grim it is worth sharing. KT is a subset of Nigeria and so what applies to it equally applies to the whole country. There could be pockets of exceptions here and there. For example the south and Kano are places where we see less of some of the negative things described below.
As a premise consider these hard facts of KT: wilful unemployment is more than fifty percent in all age categories in, level of entrepreneurship is nearly zero and amount of hard work by the few who are gainfully employed is at the minimum. And all these are self inflicted attributes that have been entrenched largely by a wrong interpretation of religious injunctions. What then are the evidences of all these. Consider what I posit below.
In KT there is a substantial social pressure against becoming successful. Whether at your work place or in your business, people generally do not wish you to succeed. Success is gauged by the type of car you ride, the house you build and the clothes you wear. Therefore becoming a winner in KT makes you the object of envy and resentment. Your relations are usually the first to show you by making impossible demands on you. Failure to comply pitches you against them in a running battle of backbiting and character assassination.
How many people have started businesses in KT only to be brought down by those who collect on credit but refused to pay? How many budding business men and women were ruined by this general behaviour of KT people? Very few remember to pay back. And very few are willing to enter into a legitimate business deal with their counterparts in the town. Hence the journeys to Kano to buy things that may have been made in KT.
In contrast, successful people in America enjoy high esteem and respect from members of the public.
Nigerians are generally not known for their drive, boundless energy, tenacity, hard work and perseverance. This is more so in KT.
In KT business ethics and personal ethics are essentially the same. Deception, bribery and lies are the order of the day whether in business or personal affairs. These are even encouraged, expected and rewarded by the larger society.
The other day I was meditating on the culture, business ethics and behaviour of KT people in general and the picture I arrived at was so grim it is worth sharing. KT is a subset of Nigeria and so what applies to it equally applies to the whole country. There could be pockets of exceptions here and there. For example the south and Kano are places where we see less of some of the negative things described below.
As a premise consider these hard facts of KT: wilful unemployment is more than fifty percent in all age categories in, level of entrepreneurship is nearly zero and amount of hard work by the few who are gainfully employed is at the minimum. And all these are self inflicted attributes that have been entrenched largely by a wrong interpretation of religious injunctions. What then are the evidences of all these. Consider what I posit below.
In KT there is a substantial social pressure against becoming successful. Whether at your work place or in your business, people generally do not wish you to succeed. Success is gauged by the type of car you ride, the house you build and the clothes you wear. Therefore becoming a winner in KT makes you the object of envy and resentment. Your relations are usually the first to show you by making impossible demands on you. Failure to comply pitches you against them in a running battle of backbiting and character assassination.
How many people have started businesses in KT only to be brought down by those who collect on credit but refused to pay? How many budding business men and women were ruined by this general behaviour of KT people? Very few remember to pay back. And very few are willing to enter into a legitimate business deal with their counterparts in the town. Hence the journeys to Kano to buy things that may have been made in KT.
In contrast, successful people in America enjoy high esteem and respect from members of the public.
Nigerians are generally not known for their drive, boundless energy, tenacity, hard work and perseverance. This is more so in KT.
In KT business ethics and personal ethics are essentially the same. Deception, bribery and lies are the order of the day whether in business or personal affairs. These are even encouraged, expected and rewarded by the larger society.
