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Its Time for Nigeria International...Read the full article.

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I see a common, salutary thread that seems to connect many of the people who return to Nigeria after some time abroad: A desire to contribute to the larger Nigerian society, beyond their immediate, personal needs. That can only be beneficial in the long run for our country.

What bothers me is the attitude of government, showcased in this episode, where there seems to be no effort in place to accomodate increases in population and demand for public services and infrastructure. That, I think, is a major flaw in the thinking of our governing class today; No planning! You put a transformer in place and make no effort to plan for and adequately address the demands on it due to increases in population 5 years later!

Having identified that though, it would seem to me that a true effort to address the lack of planning etc. could very quickly lead to an improvement in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

Lack of planning directly connects with what the lady who is working in the film industry said: No statistics. Without a deliberate effort to gather statistics HOW can any kind of planning be undertaken.

All said, another excellent episode of Nigeria International showing Nigerians and friends of Nigeria doing da daggone thang!

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Good analysis. Welldone Bimbo.

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Great piece.

Next time please interview the kids too. Those kids were itching to say something. I'm sure some parents would like to know what impact such move would have on their kids.

On the question of roads and social amenities, what is the relationship between the Community and their Council leaders, who benefit directly from their taxes. Do they really pay taxes? There are so many opportunities for all you real Estate gurus to make a positive impact. The Government cannot do everything. We as individuals have to take up certain responsibilities.

Food for thought.

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Very good effort. I watched all the episodes today and I am very pleased. I agree with Nonyellum that Bimbo should have interviewed the kids. Those considering relocating with their kids would benefit from knowing how the kids view the move as well. Indeed, perhaps NI can consider doing a show on schools and social activities for kids. There are a significant number of Nigerians abroad who would consider sending their kids to school in Nigeria so such a show would be beneficial for them.

It was not clear to me what Sandra does exactly. But, I found her to be very articulate and very clear on what needs to be done. I would also have liked to see comments from some Nollywood players, i.e., directors, actors and actresses, producers etc. What do they see as the problems that their industry faces?

Sha, sector by sector, we will break this development conundrum in our dear country. All in all, well done NI!!

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I've got to thank everyone here who's made the comments and suggestions above... all are well noted.

EezeeBee:
Yes, although the lack of planning pervades virtually every facet of life around here, the electric power situation still stands out as a very special case in Nigeria. Since filming this episode, we've since discovered that we've only spoken to the lucky few. Stories have since emerged about people who lost "NEPA" for 8 months due to a faulty transformer, and there's a piece in today's papers about a part of Lagos who haven't "seen NEPA" since June 2004 - again awaiting transformer repairs. But there's hope. The FG have projects in place to ease the power supply situation. We'll be watching the space.

Noyellum:
Very good point about asking the kids about their move back to Nigeria. And indeed, we have several such features in the pipeline, covering a broad range of issues. This time around, our aim was to keep the focus specifically on Lekki's infrastructure. BTW, the obvious squirming that you observed from one child was the urge to correct her dad's grammar during the interview - omo London!

Soul Sista:
Mutual appreciation. That's a very fine, and witty Diary you put together. Hope you're recovering well from your recent hospitalisation. Sandra makes "development films" - short films to change people's attitudes about specific issues. Complements NI very well, so you'll be seeing more about her and her work on NI pretty soon.


Thanks again, everyone. Keep watching and keep spreading the word.

Dele

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way to go!

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I live in London, considered the second most expensive city in the world (after Tokyo), and this city got its unenviable ranking largely because of it´s very expensive cost of housing.

However, outside the boroughs of Westminster, City of London and Kensington and Chelsea - all at the core centre of London, one could still find 3 - 4 bedroom detatched houses with gardens on rent for LESS THAN a Thousand Pounds per month, and you only need ´pay as you go´. I have friends in a few European capitals too whom I visit occassionally, in fact in Madrid an average 3 bedroom flats cost 800 Euros per month. WHY SHOULD NIGERIANS HAVE TO PAY 2 - 3 MILLION NAIRA PER ANNUM TO LIVE IN DUPLEX HOUSES IN LEKKI? It seems landlords want to recoup their investments in buildings in less than 10 years. There can only be true change in every aspect of our economy and society when the most privileged and powerful stop ´PREYING´ on their fellow citizens trying to get a better life.