Development is not Achievable by Pledge and Quests of Mind by Olaniyi Abdulwaheed

        The need for human and national development is not by making vows. It is just a means to it. Good ambition spates in the mind of everyone, to the developed, developing and underdeveloped nation intense goals is the common phenomenon, while individual in society nurtures personal development in mind every dusk and dawn, making promises and wishes in the mirage of self plenum. Thus everyone claims the nomenclature that has no chain of relation to his Adam. It is achievable, the phrase they pestle in their utterances while nation steps forward to be the leading horse in the race whereas her hind legs always cripple. How do we achieve development, through mind?

        Increased skills and capacity is the emblem of individual development. Development is realized by any individual through the acquisition of skills. The skill(s) one acquires is measured by capacity to maintain it. The sustainable factor towards conserving the benefit of your skill is the level of your capacity in achieving the desired goals. It is worthy of note that the level of skill is a great determinant to self development.

Anyone desiring development must have it in mind that skill is the foundation while capacity is the aid to make the skill acquired. Nevertheless, a lot of people in society always skip this vital step in the cadre of human development. So, many people usually wonder why their goals get crunched in the middle of the way in life. When this happens, there is no need for worry. The question is how do you acquire your skill and how efficient your capacity? The cause of this is not farfetched. The skill to be acquired by one sometimes may not be equitable to his capacity. Many always think that some skill(s) may be acquired with pleasure, whereas their capacity for it is insufficient. Capacity in the sense that the requirement you need to acquire such skill may be deficient while you think it is enough. Thus, requirement for the acquisition of skill may be physical, mental as well as psychological to mention a few-therefore, logical reasoning, abstract thinking may be needed while man power development is not left out sometimes. Such is the case of some students aspiring to have university education, study prestigious courses while their efforts towards making their dreams become a reality is not something to write home about. While some can even strive to attain such level of education, the only challenge left is capacity to acquire the skill.

       Creativity and freedom is pivotal for human development. Development is feasible to anyone who is creative to attain greater freedom. Freedom must be achieved in its entirety. This helps in making innovation to the skills acquired. Is it all fields that require creativity? Of course it is necessary to be creative in all facets of life one may found himself. But many people set goals without realizing this important requirement for the development. Being focus in life is really good but creativity is required to attach a new idea to what is on ground before. This makes one to be distinct and unique-in fact nothing good is worthless. The world today realized its changes as a result of the human creativity which is the hall mark of the development. Competition between market capitalization, expenditure as well as profit-all requires virile reason.

        One other way to have intense development not by pledge is preference to mental development among youths rather than certificate. Nigeria should not view success or development through certificate; rather what determines the success of society rather than worshiping certificate-opportunity should be opened to people who have ideas to develop in their skulls. It is a pity that Nigeria thinks one’s class (in the certificate) is the architect of success. In the developed countries for instance, most people who have contributed immensely to the development of the world are not even university graduates while those that have college degree do not have genesis of their success to the certificate they obtained from the university. Bill gate for instance, has his ideas (used to development) Microsoft from the infancy. Where are his course mates now? In our country here, Prof. Wole Soyinka’s stride in literature has no chain to his university strive for the certificate but development of personal conceit. Though college degree is a means to success but human creativity is the success! Therefore, development is not by pledge for stride in degree(s) but ability to finance the needs to achieve success (development).

       On the part of government, the ear is tired of political manifestos, imaginary pledge sugar-coated by the silvery oratory tongue through the mask of  vocabulary, rather the most expectancy of common citizen of this nation is how to live under his roof and have three-square meal per day. Anyone living before one dollar daily cannot be expected to think of the ornament of where he gaze neither fight for his right nor strive for peaceful co-existence in his environment. If to be faithful to his nation, such a person might argue in support of his nation while talking to a foreigner and pledge for national development while the grudge for national hatred germinates new roots every day in his belly. These kind of people may be educated ones or semi-literate who manage to know what is going on in his society and hope for change. On the part of government, the need for change is not by promise bu by efforts towards making the country sit at the front desk of development.

      Truly, things Nigeria needs are so myriad but one of the means to development is eradication of poverty. Poverty is one of the diseases sucking the soul of progress in the country. It is the boulevard of misery in which people suckle the milk of penury. But quite all right that so many steps have been taken by the government and non-governmental organizations to curb the web of poverty in the nation. Why is it not resolved till this moment? Fine it is commendable that steps have even been taken but how has it been taken? Is it by pledge or through efforts, that is through strive? To be candid, many developed countries like America, China, Japan and so on are always the mirror of our nation but the truth is all these are just pledge (vision in the mirage), but to achieve success in this ambition, there is need to look inwardly in the cause of the problem in the country and restructure the economy into the native form, which can also stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the world.

       In a nutshell, individuals wish for good and society wish for change that will transform to development-that is competition among nations in the world. But the main thing pivotal in setting goals is techniques (practical one) suitable for the country as well as individual is the most paramount thing to embark upon instead of nurturing good wishes by the stream of saliva in the tongue, cemented by the words written in the document. We must all know that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride!