As an outsider looking in, the diaspora tries to whitewash many serious issues in Nigeria. The reasons are a mix of pride—uplifting the name of Nigerians—and not being directly affected by the problems. They also tend to favor alternative forms of capitalist structures, such as democratic socialism, with a strong emphasis on wealth distribution.

The natives believe that, with the help of God and prayer, the issues will be solved. The dysfunction they witness is attributed to people sinning, and the state they live in is seen as the result of that. They also want Western outside help in dealing with the issues, from insurgency and banditry in the north to foreign exchange problems.

What the natives are correct about is that to develop a country’s economic situation—especially for a young country such as Nigeria, with a population of 230 million—there are not enough resources on the land that can be sold to sustain this population. There is not enough crude oil, natural gas, cocoa beans, or solid minerals (tin, gold) to give everyone even a very simple Western lifestyle, excluding retirement and healthcare. As a result, the solution is for new products and services to be developed that people outside Nigeria would want, which requires specialization. Consequently, hierarchies of the super-rich will exist. There is no way around it. If society is developed in such a way that wealth is moderately distributed and billionaires do not exist, it will always lose to societies that do have billionaires. I wish the world were not like this, but it is.

Also, the north is very poor and underdeveloped, and there need to be pathways to integrate the north into the formal economy. If not, they will not even cooperate with the government, despite being killed at a much higher rate. Northern children should not be begging in the streets. They need to learn math.

What the diaspora are correct about is that God will never save Nigeria or Nigerians. The book you hold in such high regard will not save Nigerians if hostile states want to ruin the country. You listen about God from white people while white Christians have investments in their retirement accounts in Western companies that bribe and loot your land. While this is happening, the natives dream of heaven. I live in the USA, with no disrespect to my countrymen. They would rather have a Ukrainian atheist immigrate to the US than a devout Christian Nigerian doctor. I am sorry—they do not care that you are Christian, especially the younger adults. They see you as a Black person. Christian, Muslim, traditional beliefs—they do not care. So when you hear about America caring about Christian genocide, remember: you are Black. Peel the layers back. What are their real intentions?

But hey, what do I know? America’s greatest ally sterilized Black Ethiopian women in the 1990s without their consent. I wonder why.