Chinese see opportunities in what Nigerians see as challenges

Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye, the Director of the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Tuesday said the Chinese had seen opportunities in factors that posed challenges to Nigerians.

Falaiye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that it was so because Nigerians at home and abroad had yet to realise the huge opportunities in their country due to perceived challenges.

According to him, Chinese are smiling to their banks from the opportunities in Nigeria, while young Nigerians daily craved for travelling abroad because of their perceived challenges in the country.

“What our nationals and young Nigerians wanting to travel to Europe and other countries do not know is that Nigeria, in terms of creativity and development, is a virgin land.

“Nigeria, we must know is a virgin land. Nigeria is a country that is abundant in opportunities, but Nigerians are just not looking for opportunities around them.

“We complain and give excuses too much. We complain of problems of insecurity, unstable power supply and all of those challenges, but here we have the Chinese making so much money from these challenges.

“We concentrate too much on the negative things and always fail to see the positive things. Why the Chinese are seeing opportunities in what we see as challenges, they are making a lot money that we nationals should have been making,’’ he said.

Falaiye said that Nigerians at home and abroad rather than support the governments in managing the nation’s challenges had continued to give excuses for their failures and inactions.

The institute’s director, who decried the increasing rate of illegal migration by young Nigerians, added that it was imperative for them to know that those destination countries were developed by their nationals.

Falaiye said that it was wrong for Nigerians abroad and young Nigerians planning to travel Europe and other countries to continue to think that nothing good could happen in Nigeria.

The director enjoined the Federal Government to intensify its ongoing effort at creating the enabling environment for Nigerians to join foreigners in harnessing opportunities in their country.

Falaiye also advised young Nigerians against the mind-set that there were better opportunities for them abroad.