Revealed: Sore losers of the Nigerian Monopoly

Some of us are all too familiar with the game of Monopoly, where the object is to buy up as much real estate as possible and cripple the other players financially; hence you become the winner.  In real life, this game plan means that everyone is a loser. 

Most developed countries know this and put laws in place to counteract the human tendency to muscle out the competition and to essentially monopolize commercial opportunities; political space; education, you name it.

However, in Nigeria, we see attitudes and practices of monopoly go unchecked, to all our detriments. We see it in our practice of tribalism: where one tribe wants to dominate the political space as though leaders could only come from one part of Nigeria. We celebrate democracy day whilst exemplifying the very antithesis of democracy. 

We see it in our practice of business – where a hand full of moguls are left unrestrained, thereby suffocating the free market and stifling competition, which is the oxygen of organic growth and progress.

In so far as we restrict the greatness of others by unfairly favoring one side over another, to that extent we are enemies of progress and enemies of the state.

We are such hypocrites! Or are we so short-sighted? None of us would want to be operated on by a doctor whose main qualification is that she is from our village or the son of some rich man and yet we habitually endorse such appointments and foist them on the rest of society.  What are we afraid of? Surely at the peak of the mountain, there is oxygen enough for all of us?

If merit-based, productivity is handcuffed, then we as a people are doomed to mediocrity at best.  Ultimately, it tends towards a downward spiral of degeneration and a cataclysm. 

It is soul destroying at its essence because it severs the individual from the umbilical cord of hope: where the individual born into a certain society could have hoped that with hard work and an application of their talents, they could make significant contributions to nationhood; the practice of monopoly tells them that no matter what they do, power lies in the hands of an undeserving few. Crushing!

Doubtless, we cannot and must not go on like this.  We must begin today to foster social ecosystems of true competitiveness and meritocracy in our homes, our schools, places of work and business and of course in our corridors of power. 

We must impartially stand against monopolistic practices. Except we build a nation where anybody and everybody can be winners, we are setting the stage for a situation whereby ultimately, we will all end up as losers.