Oluyomi Ola-David Insights

The fortunate poor are always a repository of handouts, all receipts from those who claim to care about them. In the helpless state of being poor and deprived, the poor are likely to be willing to take on any intervention -  words, materials and deeds - that comes along as a fast and sweet relief.  Without prejudices, all who work to support the poor in the world and throughout history are worthy of honour and adulation. However, one of the blunders made by the poor is: taking every word spoken or written by the rich as the most authoritative voice on any subject. Afterall, their ends justify their words and means. This tends to mental slavery. In what I call the Abusive Influence of Riches (AIR), the rich being fully aware of their power of influence, may teach and train the poor to keep thinking poor, speaking poor, acting like someone poor should do and being absolutely content being so. Not all knowledge disseminated by the rich may free the poor from the enslaving shackles of pove

In the thoughtfulness of the United Nations, 2021 was christened the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV2021). In this post, I will like to advocate that IYFV2021 does not end as a cliche, it should permeate our daily lives and culture. Two aspects of consumption are vital to the health, sustainable development and prosperity of individuals, as distinct economic agents - foods consumption and words consumption. By words consumption, I refer to the pace, pattern and content (PPC) of the human learning experience. To my mind, the PPC determines the pace and pattern of human development. Learning is multifaceted, so it may involve observation as well as reception of words communicated through a variety of media.  Whenever the human mind keeps learning, it tends to stay agile, creative, and productive. On the other hand, at whatever point in the continuum of life when we choose to stop learning, a subscription to the gradual depletion of our mental resources is activated.  Ju

A proliferation in the use of social media has increased the rate at which news and information spreads across communities in the shrinking global space. Throughout history we can observe how careless words have resulted in war and conflicts as well as how thoughtful and soothing words have promoted peace and reconciliation.  While some economic agents seek to sell products, ideas and information fast, many may also use fake news and information to attract traffic to their web pages. During times like this, when societies and households are hurting from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and internal conflicts in their economies, the world needs healing and restoration of lost fortunes. In 2021 and beyond, even as we employ social media tools to advance our noble causes, let us express our true humanity via our daily demonstration of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self control and meekness. Moreover, while we employ social media tools to advance our noble cau

 Walls can speak. They do speak. Throughout human history artists have spoken loud on canvasses and walls. They crafted speeches and narrated tales with brush strokes and pencil lines. Imageries of prevailing thoughts and personalities have been preserved through carvings made out of wood, stone, clay, bronze. Whether we know it or not, arts  influenced ancient and is shaping modern cultures and institutions. If we recognize the imperative to effect institutional changes in societies and the global economy, then we should craft a suitable art-culture that can serve as the influential vehicle for that change. In the global pursuit of sustainable development and as we rethink to save the planet, we can use transformational arts.  Word arts could also be transformational; when projected, they can influence thought processes, general acceptability of right ideas, concepts and insights. We must decry all arts and culture that instil violence, hurt the planet and dishonour the human body. Ri

Business practices that brought damages to our humanity, shared prosperity and environment cannot sustain our development. Governance systems and social systems that continually widen the gap between the poor and rich, cannot sustain global peace and partnerships. When I speak of good governance, it is not an analysis limited to  national and global considerations only. Good governance parameters should, of optimal necessity be in five (5) dimensions:   ■ Good self governance ■ Good household governance ■ Good corporate governance ■ Good state governance ■ Good global governance Let us rethink to reconstruct all limiting culture, structure, infrastructure and intrastructure in our governance systems, thereby save the planet. What are your thoughts on governance and governance systems? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you! Photo credit: owsposters.org

What manner of education  and/or training is necessary and sufficient  to prepare a seafish to thrive and be fully productive at a task on land? For as little or as long a time as a fish stays active on land, it may only tend to sub-optimal survival. It may not maximize productivity. Nevertheless, if a fish receives education and training within  water, its genius is more likely to emerge with practice. Education can be powerful tool for creative societal change when humans are first trained to discover and harness their natural bent. We all must work to ensure that education is useful for everyday life. As we celebrate 2021 International Day of Education, let us create sustainable and empowering education cultures, structure, infrastructure, and intrastructure. What are your thoughts on appropriate education? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you Photo credit: UNESCO Institute of Statistics

 Nigeria and its noble people have the human and resource potential, absorptive capacity and capabilities to lead the world's next civilization arising from Africa.  This coming civilization, which I speak of, will make the progress made by frontline countries of the world pale into insignificance.  Nonetheless, for Nigeria to step fully into her great destiny as a nation, we must of urgent necessity prioritize, institute and entrench the culture of unity of purpose over parochial ethnicity, love over hatred, regional cooperation over regional competition, skills, merit, justice over impunity.  We must channel our youthful energies and elderly experience to procure the peace, unity and justice required for our collective socio-economic progress. Whenever I speak in 'we' terms, I refer to all economic units that make  any nation function optimally - Individuals, Households Firms and Governments (FIHG). We are all liable for our current state, so we must ALL work together to

 Some five years ago, I had published a blogpost on the difference between the rotating saving and credit association called Esusu among the Yoruba, and Ajo the informal banking variant (you may click here if you missed it). In that post, I had hoped to provide a simple education to a global and local audience on this social practice. Also, the post was partly due to my observation that many non-traditional people in Nigeria, who may run or join such rotating saving groups, especially within formal settings do not understand which nomenclature applies to their specific practice. An encyclopaedia entry on Esusu which I co-authored has since been published by the UCL press in the Global Encyclopaedia of Informality , with an online wiki version available here .   In recent years, I have been increasingly drawn to study more phenomena in the informal economy of developing countries, considering how enormous the informal economy is and how considerably it contributes to the resilie

The current pandemic and future ones should make us rethink and invert our education solutions for young children.                                      During lockdowns and frequent school closures, young children should not be subject to in-humane TV and computer screens for long hours. If we build community teacher databases and conduct needful screenings, homeschools for 3-5 children, can be set up in large neighbourhood home spaces. So doing: 👉 no child will be left behind in active learning. 👉 onsite parents can take observatory lessons in teaching from teacher-in-residence. 👉 children's eyesight and attention span can be redeemed. 👉 cordial  #community  relations is forged. 👉 we save the children. @UNESCO @UNICEF #savethechildren #lockdowns #school  closures #childrights What do you think about homeschooling during crisis times like pandemics? Please feel free to share your comments and thoughts. Thank you!

  2021 Outlook: Let us toast to full, complete & total (FCT) five-fold (SEEPS) recovery and restoration! 👉 Spiritual restoration 👉 Economic restoration 👉 Emotional restoration 👉 Physical restoration 👉 Social restoration Individuals, households, firms  and governments [FIHG], please mark these words in GOLD...👇 The SEEPS recovery imminent in 2021 shall only be experienced by individuals, households, firms, governments and nations that: DO the #right #things, at the right #time and #place for the right #people and #reasons to #achieve the right #results. May 2021 be your year of doing RIGHTS! With kind wishes, -Oluyomi #SEEPS #Recovery #NewYear # 2021 year #IYFV 2021 #SDGs

On one hand, many badly coordinated cooks could spoil the broth. On the other hand, effectively coordinated actions of skilled cooks could save the broth. The quality of governance systems and political leadership tends to influence a country's overall progress in development. Whenever I speak of governance systems, I address the four-dimensional balance of household, local, national and global governance systems. When leaders are discerning, understanding, and knowledgeable, the economic units they steer are more likely to enjoy long term stability through cycles of booms and bursts. Nations should ensure a balance of political will exists for stability and sustainable development. What do you think? Please feel free to share your thoughts on the role of political will in nation building in the comments section below. Thank you!

If you know me well enough , then you know my love and bent for fruits and vegetables. So, now you can understand  why I am so excited that 2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables! The essence of global economic and political power is to protect and support the weak, not to trample on the weak and vulnerable. Global growth should be inclusive to employ (thus, feed) the poor, not exclude the poor and deprived. The essence of every human life should be to make a goodly impact on humanity and the environment, not to harm humanity and the environment. During and beyond this yuletide season, let us all choose the right essence for our lives. Yes we can! Merry Christmas & A fruitful new year, full of faith, hope and love! A toast to, 2021, the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables!!!  #IYFV2021 #foodsecurity #sustainable development #foodsafety #zerowaste #sustainableproduction #humannutrition