MOBILE CULTURE AND THE NEED FOR INVENTIVE NIGERIAN MINDS

MOBILE CULTURE AND THE NEED FOR INVENTIVE NIGERIAN MINDS

When new technological gadgets come out, Nigerian are amongst the first people in world to use them but when it comes to the creation of these gadgets, Nigerians are no where to be found. The question is who is fooling who? The west or us.
Day in day out technological gadgets are produced that are redefining the face of the earth and even transforming the way we live our lives in these contemporary times. This transformation is as a result of the “mobile age” we are in.
Yes culture is the totality of the way and how we live our lives. No one can live their life outside it. Our culture in this sense gives meaning to the way we see and interpret the world.
Today, the present generation of young people are living in what I would describe as the mobile culture. They want everything fast because they don’t have time to waste. They are always on the move. This explains the reason for the creation of technological tools to meet their diverse needs.
In taking a bird’s-eye view of happenings around the world today, I will say this is one of the best ages to live in because human existence is truly realizing its full potentials in all spheres of discovery, thereby making the world a better place to live in.
Man has succeeded in creating a global community where people have the necessary technological gadget/tools to communicate with each other.
The question that comes next is, who is doing the creation and who is doing the consumption? Europe, America and even recently Asia (China & India) are major stakeholders in the creation race while places like Nigeria and by extension Africa appear to be the consumers hence making their societies a dumping ground for all kinds of western ideas (technologies).
Many years have gone by since Walter Rodney wrote his famous book “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”, yet it appears the issues Rodney discussed in this work remain pertinent and applicable to us till date.
Why must we remain behind the rest of the developed world and pretend to ourselves that we are amongst best simply because we use the latest technological gadget the products.
Truth is, the west will not take us serious no matter how much we buy from them until we begin to task our mind to create technologies that will compete favourably with theirs. China and India are doing it, so why can’t we.
Dr. Chiedozie Okoro of the dept of philosophy unilag opines that “Any society that does not cherish and sustain individuals with creative and inventive power and the urge to discover, will find it difficult to develop.”
Truly speaking, if we must raise our shoulders high amongst the committee of nations, we must start to create, else we would continue remain at the back waters of history.
This informs the need for the tutoring and grooming of the inventive Nigerian mind. The youth of this country must therefore rise up to this challenge. They must not continue to wallow in other peoples hi-tech inventions rather they must task their minds to redeem the name of their father land.
The rise of this mobile culture age must not lead to the death of creativity amongst us instead it should spur us to show the world what we too can do.
Karl Marx was right when he stated that mans essence is in his labour because the works of his labour are the expression of his creativity. Until we begin to create, we have no business complaining about what others create and we must ready to become a huge dumping ground for all kinds of stuff because as it stands, the west have not shown any indication that it will stop creating and just like every living being, consumption is necessary for survival.  This means that the vicious circle will continue unless we take our destiny in our hand.

Yek keme
Dept of Philosophy Unilag
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