Mind what you post about your country, on social media and elsewhere. Artificial Intelligence (AI), is already defining reality and the future will get much more dependent on AI. Everybody has agreed on that. AI has already taken over so much, and the possibilities are endless – from guessing the minds of human beings, learning a lot about us to be able to advise us, and making itself available for us to use in daily life and business. For, now, clearly those who know a bit about AI will get some advantage – get stuff done quicker, excel at many things because of reliance on AI assistance, shine among friends who have no clue how they get things achieved, and so on.
However, what you find is that the best of AI simply draws on what human beings have written, documented, done, or posted on the internet in one way or another. It cannot create much else beyond what humans have created… at least for now. Yes, some people have expressed the fear that AI could develop capabilities to become antagonistic to man, by using the same information we have trained it to master against us. There have been instances where AI actively ensures that humans are not able to develop alternatives to it, by sabotaging innovation. Sounds scary, but this is a reminder of the kind of future we are condemned to live. But even in that future, AI will only build on what it has learnt in the past. So, you may hate your country and hate yourself. No problem. There is usually that age – between the teens and late 20s when all human beings are pugnacious, hot-blooded, and likely to act rashly based on inadequate information. But maybe one day in the future you will start realising that you need to love yourself, to calm down and appreciate people and events that you had not given a chance earlier. On that day, we will all be judged by the reality of what we have inputted online. Sometimes, you will be judged mercilessly.
I see young people quoting @Grok a lot, usually to justify their angry position about Nigeria. Grok has a way of getting some of the more informal stuff from what I’ve seen. So, it confidently quotes one Nigerian blogger or content creator over a serious issue such as the economy, as if a blogger was a Nobel Prize winner. Other AI platforms such as Gemini.ai are more nuanced. Chatgpt for me has a lot to catch up with. I haven’t found the time to test the Chinese platforms for accuracy, nuance, originality, or depth. They are all improving, I guess. But for Nigeria, I think we got too cynical and may allow our past to determine our future. God forbid. Our future must be our future – full of achievements, in spite of ourselves.
Already, most of your enquiry about Nigeria will be laden with cynical references to subtle hopelessness. You cannot get most AI platforms to write about Nigeria without them referring to corruption, violence, poverty, crime, fraud, disease and what not, in ways that portend that those things define this country. But those things don’t. And there are many countries around the world far worse than here on many of those counts. Those who have japa-ed will tell you that Nigeria is great. She is a growing country, with her many problems but surely she will outgrow them. And even the problems are opportunities anyway. That is why I quarrel with those folks who repeat by rote that poverty is killing all Nigerians. Very wrong.
I know people who have done incredibly well for themselves by dint of hard work, focus, tenacity, the ability to seize opportunities, great customer service, leveraging on their good nature, right here in Nigeria. Folks in businesses like catering are making huge sums – why did Amala joints of different brand start opening big everywhere – all cashing out. Exporters are doing well. Many people in the apparel subsector seem to be doing great. Where aren’t we learning from the successful people among us rather than dismissing the very platform upon which they have succeeded – Nigeria. Manufacturers are turning things around. Bankers and fintech bros are minting it. Don’t let cynicism preclude you from your own opportunities. Even if you believe the government has failed you, don’t let ALL your friends and family fail you, too. Where there is no government, there are friends and family that you can start with and begin to make something of yourself. In fact, they are your first port of call. How do they perceive you? Do they see you as calm, trustworthy, hardworking, worthy of investing in? The problem many young Nigerians have today is they want to ‘blow’ in 3 months, while some will seek to defraud and cheat when given an opportunity. Some will want to take over the business of their helpers or divert customers. And when they are found out and chucked out, many will say Nigeria is an evil place. No, she’s not.
So, every time you write something positive about Nigeria, or post something hopeful, or refrain from posting another terrible thing about your country you are not only doing Nigeria a favour. You are doing yourself and your offsprings a big favour in this AI world. In the most successful countries – some of which have even more problems than we have – they have made sure that good, positive information floats to the top. It’s like the search engine optimization trick that pushes up some brands while the majority gets lost in the maze. Therefore, we must make sure that good money drives our bad money as far as Brand Nigeria is concerned. Good news, good vibes, good information, good narratives, must drive out the bad as far as Naija is concerned. It is not about politics. It is about reshaping our future, so that when you get to middle age you will not face up to daunting challenges partly caused by you. Do yourselves a favour.
I have been doing a bit of research – as I usually do – reading the size of a book daily in different contents. They say reading makes a ready man, but writing makes an EXACT man. I found out how Nigeria suddenly became the country with the highest number of poor people a few years back. India is STILL that country with the highest number of very poor people. Mumbai alone will shock most people even though they are trying, just as we are, to make their people’s lives better. But 58 million extremely poor people suddenly disappeared from India’s numbers because they understand the politics of a good perception and worked on World Bank enumerators. We too should learn the politics and not sit back and get intimidated by the world. It is what you call yourself that the world will call you. The Yorubas also say that it is what the world turns you into that they will use to mock you tomorrow. Ohun t’aiye ba so e da sebi ohun ni won a fi bu e bo d’ola. Presently, India is working on projecting itself as one of the most ‘equal’ countries in the world, putting forward a Gini coefficient that has dropped from 0.437 to 0.25, way better than Nigeria at 0.35, USA at 0.44, South Africa at 0.63. India is projecting itself from the 108th worst country in terms of inequality just a few years ago, to the 4th most equal country today. And that is a very classist society. It sounds like a joke. Many Indians have written articles wondering how this is true. But they understand the politics. If you say you’re a slave, the world will send you on errands unfit for wild animals. The economics plays out well for Indians, because investors like to go to where people are doing well, or where there is hope. Indeed, money attracts more money.
Young Nigerians, be wise.
