Majoring within the minor” is a phrase usually used to explain the act of specializing in insignificant particulars slightly than the bigger, extra vital points at hand. It might discuss with conditions the place folks turn into overly involved with minor particulars or trivial issues whereas neglecting the broader, extra important facets of a topic or process. After all, this will usually result in inefficiency, distraction, and a scarcity of progress on extra vital issues.
As a continent, Africa thrives in prioritizing much less important facets of a scenario, slightly than addressing the extra vital or central points. As leaders and followers, our fixed attraction to misallocation of consideration and assets, the place we turn into overly involved with minor particulars on the expense of the larger image or most important goals deserves some evaluation. If solely this dedication of an extreme quantity of our time, consideration, or power to comparatively insignificant or trivial issues will be utilized to the extra urgent problems with governance, safety, healthcare and schooling. If we decide to prioritizing and specializing in what really issues to attain significant progresss, maybe then we can be on the trail to the African renaissance.
Admittedly, the continent is extremely various, with a variety of cultures, economies, and social buildings. Thus, it’s important to take into cognizance the complexities of the challenges equivalent to poverty, inequality, political instability, and lack of entry to schooling and healthcare. In these contexts, efforts to handle seemingly minor points might generally be a mirrored image of restricted assets or capability slightly than a misplaced sense of precedence.
That mentioned, there are actually cases the place misplaced priorities or inefficient allocation of assets might contribute to challenges in African societies. In these circumstances, it’s vital for leaders, policymakers, and residents to critically consider their priorities and work towards addressing the basis causes of points in a strategic and sustainable method.
Idiot Me As soon as, Disgrace On You
Each week, we’re inundated by media narratives together with these from the federal government that generate sufficient frenzy to maintain us busy. Even when these are newsworthy gadgets to be celebrated, we mustn’t ever lose sight of the purpose – good governance and accountability. However not all of the distractions are minor, some are as critical as will be, however the purpose is similar – to purchase time.
In The Gambia, the information concerning the attainable repeal of a legislation banning feminine genital mutilation (FGM) has been sustained within the media for a couple of month – eight years after the federal government took a daring step to eradicate the dangerous apply. The repeal is a transfer that’s set to roll again years of progress on lady’s and ladies’s well being and security from one of the barbaric types of gender-based violence. All these in opposition to the backdrop of a bleak financial and political outlook based on the African Improvement Financial institution.
Earlier, the Ghanaian Parliament handed the Human Sexual Rights and Household Values Invoice, a proposed legislation that will introduce wide-ranging restrictions on LGBT + rights on 28 February 2024 with bipartisan assist and can solely come into impact if signed into legislation by the President. Do not forget that Ghana can be dealing with its fair proportion of financial and political woes with actual GDP development slowed down, rising inflation coupled with fiscal and financial challenges and a detrimental outlook by the AfDB.
Senegal appears to have overcome its personal fair proportion of sensationalism with the optimistic outcomes of the elections and put behind propaganda on arrests of political opponents, imprisonment and ban of opponents. Right here in Nigeria, one can select from the a la carte of the arrest, prosecution and detention of a well-known cross dresser, the shenanigans of a controversial prophet in London or the cat and mouse sport between a former governor who’s a self acclaimed “white lion” and legislation enforcement brokers. For the enormous of Africa, the challenges vary from insecurity to sky rocketing inflation and corruption.
Sadly, the one group of people that at the moment mine this penchant for specializing in minor points to their benefit are the political class. They regularly feed our starvation for momentary dopamine whereas distracting us from the weightier problems with governance and accountability. Whereas the political class might have us fooled as soon as, we now have no excuse to stay ignorant.
Idiot Me Twice, Disgrace on Me
Whereas you will need to study from our errors by not permitting ourselves to be fooled repeatedly, we’re reminded to be vigilant and discerning in our interactions. As quickly as some political consciousness begins to spring up among the many populace, one thing sensational and controversial hits the media and essentially the most potent ones often bothers on social, spiritual, and cultural norms and extra not too long ago, the rule of legislation.
In terms of nationwide points, Nigerians could be majoring within the minor by focusing excessively on comparatively trivial issues whereas neglecting extra urgent or elementary points dealing with the nation. This might manifest in a number of methods together with essentially the most potent which is political distractions. Ever so usually, we turn into preoccupied with minor political controversies, character conflicts, or sensationalized information tales, diverting consideration away from vital points equivalent to governance, financial improvement, or social welfare.
Equally, precedence could also be positioned on ethnic or spiritual variations over nationwide unity and improvement resulting in conflicts and tensions that detract from efforts to handle broader challenges dealing with the nation. Whereas corruption and governance points are important challenges in Nigeria, generally the main focus could be on particular person circumstances or minor scandals slightly than systemic reforms wanted to fight corruption and enhance governance in any respect ranges.
Additionally, as a substitute of specializing in long-term infrastructure improvement and sustainable financial development, consideration could be diverted to short-term tasks or initiatives that don’t handle the basis causes of underdevelopment. Lastly, whereas safety is a vital difficulty in Nigeria, generally the emphasis could also be on particular incidents or conflicts slightly than addressing the underlying components contributing to insecurity, equivalent to poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Addressing these points requires a shift in focus in the direction of tackling systemic challenges, selling nationwide unity, and fostering sustainable improvement. It requires prioritizing the key points that have an effect on the well-being and prosperity of all Nigerians, slightly than getting slowed down by minor distractions or divisions.
Eyes on The Ball
So, whereas we quickly distract ourselves from the myriad of challenges on the continent for our psychological well being, we additionally have to hold our eyes on the ball to keep away from shedding focus for too lengthy. There may be nonetheless a lot to be finished to handle historic injustices, failures in governance, and missed alternatives for improvement. There should be sustained advocacy to authorities to implement reforms and insurance policies aimed toward addressing underlying points and stopping comparable errors from occurring sooner or later.
In any respect ranges, we should demand that authorities encourages innovation and creativity to search out new options to outdated issues via investing in analysis and improvement, supporting entrepreneurship, or harnessing new applied sciences. On the similar time, we should demand sturdy and clear establishments that are important for selling accountability, upholding the rule of legislation, and making certain equitable entry to assets and alternatives.
For now, allow us to take pleasure in a victory for all Africans by a outstanding Nigerian of the Chess in Slums fame who has simply achieved a file 60 hours of continuous chess in New York over the weekend aiming for the GWR. Now that could be a worthy media hype!
“The people who succeed essentially the most at what they do usually are not the most effective” – Tunde Onakoya.