Oluyomi Ola-David Insights

Birth Nigeria  And pursue her peace Refine Nigeria Excuse and silence impurities Build Nigeria And engineer her change Make Nigeria Excuse and silence indolence Bless Nigeria And fulfill her purpose Grow Nigeria Excuse and silence poverty Breed Nigeria And light her lamp Enlighten Nigeria Excuse and silence mental slavery Be Nigeria And restore her hope Lift Nigeria Excuse and silence mediocrity

The rich Is stable enough The poor Is shaky enough Where is the middle The leader Is big enough The follower Is small enough Where is the middle The industry Is wide enough The household  Is narrow enough Where is the middle ... Belts hold the waist Rulers bridge the gap Titles tend the herd Saviours hold the stake Where is the project #SDG16

Let truth reach the clouds Let mercy touch the skies Bind up the broken Repair the ruined cities Confuse the drunkards Let lawgiver speak refreshing Let footstools be set  Make up the breaches  Restore sight to the blind Scatter the shoes  Valiant is the most high Royal is the most excellent name  Beauty adorns the mobile houses Showcase the salvation ... Power has changed hands #SDG16

Transformed from weakness into strength! Transformed from order break downs into a breakthrough enabling environment!  Transformed from veiled and blind faced nation into a visionary nation! Transformed from being perceived as a dangerous zone into being the safest place on the planet! Transformed from having just enough to get by to being breadwinner of other nations! Transformed from beggarly debtor nation into a merciful creditor nation! Transformed from mourning moans into estatic dancing! Transformed from sickness into wholesome health! Transformed from being tagged a 'shit-hole nation' into being the toast of many lovers and well wishers! Transformed from down cast country into exalted country! Transformed from fragile state into steady, tranquil, and peaceful territory! Transformed from being an impervious boundary into being a secure landmark! Transformed from an economic misery into an economic miracle! Transformed from shame and shamefacedness into glorious liberty! T

The enemies of Nigeria make an uproar. They have exalted themselves before the multitudes. The haters of Nigeria have exalted themselves above God and His people. They are acting out their crafty counsels against the Nigerian people. They have consulted worthless gods in order to subdue the holy ones of the Most High. They seek to trouble the faithful ones who take refuge in the God of their Salvation.  They are making meaningless attempts to invade the impenetrable refuge of the Most High. They have devised schemes to cut off God's elect from the land of the living. The life of God's Servant is threatened like the life of a docile lamb brought to the slaughter. The tents of undisciplined and corrupt priests and prophets of the land have also joined forces to prevent the salvation of Nigeria. They have formed and cut a covenant to silence the oracles of God's Prince of righteousness.  They have promoted abominations in the land with glee. How foolish are their thoughts; for

The human society was built on the foundations of justice. What can we do when the foundations are destroyed? For how long can society last, without tottering to collapse, with unjust judges? Can safety be sustained when all the foundations are as unstable and moveable as water? Can unstable and defiled souls prosper? What can we do when our judges show partiality to the wicked? Who will do justice to the afflicted and needy? The appointed judges of the land have become mighty in their own eyes. They have ceased being little in their own estimation. They have eaten their fill and care no less for the hungry. They have become loathesome princes, galloping in arrogance on the grounds on the poor. They have become fat with belongings of the Most High. Their souls love violence. They have entrenched strange doctrines and made the heart of the faithful to faint. They shoot bitter words like arrows at the blameless. Their understanding has now become darkened. Their knowledge has now become

Nigeria had been groaning because of her bondage. Nigeria had been crying out to God because of her heavy burdens. Nigeria's national cries had come to seek God's face because of her cruel sufferings and bondage. The All-sufficient God has now heard the groaning of Nigeria. The Everlasting God has now remembered His Covenant with the founding fathers of genuine Faith. God has now looked upon the helpless children of Nigeria. The Merciful God has now acknowledged the groaning of Nigeria. The Lord of Hosts is delivering Nigeria from the company of strange people with unintelligible and corrupt language! The Almighty God has now removed the shoulder of Nigeria from the burdens of slavery! The True Shepherd has now freed Nigeria from the shackles of empty baskets! Nigeria has called and God has delivered her from her many troubles! Deliverers are now rising up for Nigeria from the mountains of the Most High's pleasure! No longer shall Nigeria be tagged a shit-hole nation! No lo

Should the axe boast against the one who chops with it? Should the saw boast against the carpenter who saws with it? Should the rod wield itself against those who lift it up? Could a staff lift up as if it were not wood made by the Designer and Creator of all things? Should the ox speak arrogantly against its owner? The reign of idolatrous priests, who bow down to silver and gold, is now terminated!  The defeat and shamefacedness of the arrogant princes of the earth is certain in this season! The signs of the babblers are now frustrated! The covetous diviners are now driven into the madness of stupor! The wisdom of the worldly wise is now turned backward and rendered ineffective! The knowledge of the so-called wise is now made foolish! Where are the stouthearted and arrogant mighty men? Their hands have now become useless! Where is the chariot and horse? At the rebuke of the God of Jacob, they are now cast into a deep sleep! The troublers of Nigeria are currently unable to see the stum

As we move towards Nigeria's 2023 Presidential elections, I thought to share a throwback of the pre-elections survey I facilitated back then. In case you missed it, click the link to the post here (https://oluyomioladavidinsights.blogspot.com/2015/03/nigeria-decides-2015-survey-brief.html?m=1) Amongst several findings, the PDP and APC dominated respondent voters' consideration for likely patronage, while other participating political parties accounted for a meagre 1 per cent. In an upcoming voting patterns survey, monitoring and evaluation questions would be included to examine the current state of the nation and pulse of the electorate. Please watch out for the survey notification. Thank you!

Even though I am a global citizen, I am born Nigerian. This is one heritage I will always hold dear to my heart. It is a unique honour to be Nigerian. Up #Nigeria, arise and shine! Peace to you Nigeria! Nigeria, I love you always! Hello Globe, Nigeria is emerging in style.

You listen But you do not hear You hear But you scarcely grasp You look But you do not see You see But you scarcely discern You read But you do not know You know But you scarcely have You toil But you do not find You find But you scarcely keep You lead  But you do not follow You follow But you scarcely heed  You crawl But you do not walk You walk  But you scarcely run You grab But you do not get You get But you scarcely give You move But you do not go You go But you scarcely fly You talk But you do not think You think But you scarcely act You like But you do not love You love But you scarcely hate You ask But you do not receive You receive But you scarcely rejoice You cook But you do not eat You eat But you scarcely grow ... Photo credit: Oluyomi Ola-David

As prospective candidates resume giving hints on their strategic plans for the 2023 Presidential race, it is apparent from the body language of the poor and media reactions of the enlightened, that authentic Nigerians are simply fed up of chips from the old block. We are all well aware of the past wins of divisive propaganda, influence peddling tactics, a false change mantra, recycling of puppets, religious appeal, bullying strategies and many more. All these may not work for 2023. The sensible Nigerian now knows the actual difference between true national transformation and an engineered 'change' message. We can now recognize those in the polity who have struggled in their pursuit of national interest and those just driven by self-interest. The Nigerian dream may not be clearly written on many walls yet, but it is clearly engraved on most of our hearts. We need a truly enabling NATIONAL environment for our enterprising spirits and ingenious minds to thrive. We need a coun

Culture is everything. More than you may realise, culture engineers the entire global economy. The wheels of culture drive day-to-day decisions of economic agents in the global space, viz: individuals, households,  firms, governments, and institutions.  Here are some scenarios of pervasive culture: Wherever the culture of superstition prevails, the awareness creation about evil forces tends to be more pronounced than the knowledge of good forces. Wherever the culture of mediocrity prevails, how we are seen and perceived tends to become more important than how we actually are when no one is censor. Wherever the culture of slavery prevails, the people tend to be habitually intimidated and coerced into submission. Wherever the dragon culture in enterprise prevails, the substance of humanity may not count and draconian including shaming policies tend to rule the day. Wherever the culture of competition prevails, the pursuit of short-term self-interest tends to over ride the concern for lon

He came He died He rose And we won He was  He is  He is to come And we won He thought He spoke He did it And we won He prepared He fought He conquered And we won  He knew He knows He is knowledge And we won He took He bore He bled And we won  He calls He justifies He glorifies And we won  He worked He works He is working  And we won He stoops He serves He leads And we won He is first He is between He is last And we won He ruled He rules He is ruling And we won He rose He lives He speaks And we won ... Photo credit: APEX Public Relations

When the oppressor says He knows how to oppress well Then the oppressed will say I now know how to be a trumpet When the master says He knows how to enslave well Then the servant will say I now know how to be free When the tutor says He knows how to teach well Then the pupil will say I now know how to be learned When the ruler says He knows how to rule well Then the subject will say I now know how to be a curve When the justice says He knows how to judge well Then the innocent will say I now know how to be a judge When the thief says He knows how to steal well Then the victim will say I now know how to be secure When the lion says He knows how to roar well Then the prey will say I now know how to soar high When the boss says He knows how to drive well Then the worker will say I now know how to take a walk When the captor says He knows how to imprison well Then the captive will say I now know how to escape When the emperor says He knows how to decree well Then the handyperson will say I

Call me black Yes, I am dark And you seek my tan all summer So I still tick Call me ancient Yes, I am historical And you plundered artefacts from forebears  So I still tick Call me weak Yes, I am work-in-progress And full of rare strength that you hunt  So I still tick Call me backward Yes, I am late-in-coming And I see no-go-tracks from your mistakes So I still tick Call me traditional Yes, I am ingenious  And I create pieces you may not dare So I still tick Call me failure Yes, I am learning And I don't like succeeding at wrong work So I still tick  Call me laggard Yes, I am steady And I like to navigate my own lane So I still tick Call me useless Yes, I am valuable  And I know where my usefulness counts So I still tick Call me coward Yes, I am thoughtful and wary And I choose battles I always win So I still tick Call me kinky Yes, I am natural And I love the curls you like to copy So I still tick  Call me misfit Yes, I am an outlier And I stand on ideals I conform to So I still

It is indeed a pessimistic fact that Africa may have 90% of the world's poor by 2030. However, lessons from history point to an optimistic future. Our colonial masters thought out a system of education that churns out experts and managers for established business systems, political order, and constricted economic structures. Here is our 21st century outcome: a teeming population of entitled 'educated unemployed' people with nothing more than certificates to brandish. Moreover, with Africa's ever growing population and relatively stagnant absorptive and industrial capacity, our rising unemployment and poverty rates should not be surprising.  My stance is that Africa and its development thinkers can forge and institute sustainable systems of re-orientation, critical and creative thought, and balanced education that can release empowered nation-builders and wealth creators.  Africa has all the creative, human, and natural resources it needs to minimise its incidence of pov

Deep within Nigeria's and Africa's inundating socio-economic problems lay streams of opportunities and potential for socio-economic strengthening. However, more often than not, a considerable majority of indigenous populations, who may be without visionary perspectives, merely bemoan the numerous challenges. Thankfully, the inflow of human capital and financial capital from oversea territories increasingly serve to jolt local sleeping giants to action. For instance, soon after a stream of foreign-owned firms expanded the output of the Nigerian telecommunications sector at the turn of the century, an indigenous telecommunications firm emerged to claim part of the market share. Moreover, several cases of knowledge spillovers from 'foreign presence' in various industries are apparent in the recent development history of Rwanda, Madagascar, and Kenya amongst others. In the light of these, foreign direct investment as well as portfolio inflows to Africa's largely untappe

This weekend, I am reminded of one of the soulful speeches of a founding father of the American heritage, Patrick Henry: The famous "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Declaration. The speeches and actions of the founding fathers of African hope and independence from perceived oppression, were equally daring, patriotic, and visionary. They all knew that true liberty is about taking absolute responsibility for the outcome of one's decisions and actions. Yet they all lived very long enough to pen the kind of constitutions and build institutions that could guarantee the fulfilment of the dreams they envisaged. The sustainable future of generations yet unborn lie subject to our collective and unselfish commitment to building nations and societies that work for all. We can all work to promote peace and security, people development, shared prosperity, protect planetary boundaries and build partnerships that save the planet. We are better working together for a sustainable future

Africa is a continent of beautiful and bright colours, with rich and diverse cultures, and a promising young population; all of these assets contribute to its prospects for growth and development. Even though the scars of self-hatred subtly engineered by colonial rule and dependence may abide in the mindset and lifestyle of the average African, there is hope for development on the continent and wholesome expression of African dignity. Africa's many development challenges, from energy insecurity and low manufacturing capacity to poor healthcare investments are only opportunities for forward-looking investors.  For instance, many indigenous and foreign-vested firms are currently facilitating enterprise development through the provision of technology-enabled business and personal finance solutions. Thus, improving access to finance, which was once touted the main obstacle to business start-ups and growth on the continent. As African individuals, households, firms, and governments incr