Recently updated on February 15th, 2022 at 05:08 am
Reasons Why Many Nigerians Lack Interest For Good Or Positive News On Nigeria & Nigerians
“To poison a nation, poison its stories. A demoralized nation tells demoralized stories to itself.”
– Ben Okri
- False Stereotype
Many Nigerians have been stereotyped to believe that every challenge is peculiar to Nigeria. They have failed to understand that every standing nation had their share of hard times. Unfortunately, this notion has sunk deep into the minds of a number of young Nigerians spurring an uninterested feeling towards the positivity of the country.
- Love for Negativity
Humanity generally have a high tendency to prioritize negative over positive and this is because the potential cost of negative information outweighs far more than the appeal of the positive content. This will mean that negative information tends to sell more in Nigeria as well as other countries. So the only thing that seems to stimulate majority of Nigerians is the bad news the media focuses more on.
- Lack of Conscious Awareness
Little or no awareness is made concerning the positivity of the nation. Nigerians needs to be enlightened about the competency of the country. More empowerment initiatives and more websites like 234 Project and PositiveNaija need to be created. This awareness will go a long way in stirring up an interest and influencing the minds of younger ones.
- Competition Mindset
Another reason why many Nigerians lack interest for good or positive news associated with Nigeria and Nigerians is the competition mindset. A competition mindset has made people appreciate less of the good happening in the country. Majority are concerned about selfish ambition and seeing others succeed breeds a sense of jealousy. Instead of appreciating, they tend to criticize and put down others instead of recognising that we grow by celebrating our uniqueness and differences.
- Uninspiring Leadership
As a result of poor political leadership and lack of good governance, some Nigerians have given up on Nigeria. They do not believe in her leaders, her dictates, her anthem and all that she stands for, which leads to hopelessness and unpatriotism. How can Nigerians embrace or have interest in positive news if basic social contracts and amenities are unavailable – injustice, irregular electricity/ power supply, shabby healthcare system, poverty, numerous deathtrap roads, insecurity, insincerity of the government, etc.?
Nigerians having a positive mentality about Nigeria and fellow Nigerians will aid to her development, spur inclusiveness and present hope of our beloved country.
*This article was first written by Fego Eunice Onowori on the 23rd of November, 2018 and was last modified by Toju Micheal Ogbe on the 16th of November, 2020.
*This article was last fact-checked by Ayodeji Olowolagba on the 1st of July, 2020.
