Opinion
Patience Is What We Need
Professor A. S. Hornby in the Oxford advanced
Learner’s Dictionary (New 7th Edition), defines the word ‘patience’ as “the ability to stay calm and accept a delay or something annoymq without complaining … the ability to spend a lot of time doing something difficult that needs a lot of attention and effort”. ‘
Looking at patience as a word, it connotes so many implications or applications. Endurance, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness and faith to mention but a few, are similar to patience. Of a truth, some people bear the name Patience, but could not actually exercise patience in certain circumstances of life. Rather, they are always hasty in reaction to every ugly situation without pausing and pondering.
In 1994, the word ‘patience’ was critically evaluated and analyzed on a radio talk presented by Comedian Boma Erekosima of blessed memory. He spoke on the value of exercising patience in the face of complex and trying situations in life, using the effigy of marriage involving a father, wife and daughter for illustration which goes thus:
Once upon a time, a certain king was prepared to get married and decided to find his choice by himself. He met a girl in a family one day and watched her closely and later went to the parents to disclose his intention. He made known to the parents of the girl that he would make their daughter a queen in his palace. In his response, the father advised his daughter that she would be lifted from abject poverty to prosperity. That he has nothing to give her but rather a token of word.
The father told his daughter that in everything or anything that might come across her way; she should endeavour to exercise “patience” as the best policy. Actually, the king took the poor girl for wife and made her queen in his palace.
A day came when the king asked his queen (wife) to go to the kitchen and prepare a special dish for him. She obeyed and went to the kitchen.
Though, considering her position, house attendants Objected to her going to the kitchen, that they are capable to the task. In the interim, the queen also refused, contending that she must prepare the dish for her king. So she was allowed to go ahead.
However, when she served the food to the king, in a surprised atmosphere she was demoted from the position of a queen to a house girl by the king for the fact that she lowered her queenship to the level of being a servant. In fact, she was moved to run away, but her father’s advice came to her mind – be patient in every situation. She paused and remained calm. Really, she was not allowed random entrance into the king’s palace due to this ugly situation. Nevertheless, six months after, the girl got conceived and was delivered a baby-girl. At a stage, the king sent the first daughter to overseas for educational studies.
The King’s wife asked of her daughter, she was told by the king that she should not crown on herself about the child because she was expected to give birth to a male child who would later take over the kingship of his father and not a female child. Therefore, that he (the king) has killed her. This story was itching and painful to the mother.
But once again she remembered her father’s word – be patient at all times. Thirdly, the king called the attention of his wife (the demoted queen) and related to her his intention to marry another wife who would become queen in his palace. Also that she would supervise the marriage affairs. And that she would put the bother queen’s head. Furthermore, the king went out and came in with a beautiful girl and the marriage ceremonies were going on. In fact, the demoted queen was still very loyal to every directives of the king (her husband).
At the point of placing the crown on the head of the new queen by the former, there and then the king halted her abruptly and publicly proclaimed that truly, he had tested his wife (the demoted queen) and really found her to be a true and reliable wife after 15 years of marriage. That the proposed new queen is no other person than her own first daughter, who was away for some time, portrayed (by the King), as being dead.
And that his wife is truly the queen while her daughter becomes the princess. This was the outcome of patience. It produces good results at the end.
It is quite unfortunate that a good number of people are impatient even those that bear the name patience over insignificant issues and being hasty, they lose things that are of great value. These characteristics are evident in the physical, religious, socio-economic and political domain because people want to grasp things by all means notwithstanding the consequences of such hasty ambition. It is true of the adage that a ‘patient dog eats the fattest bone’.
One could imagine the degree of patience exercised by the demoted queen when situations turned sour in her marriage as she recalled the positive advice of her father when the King (husband) stretched his hands in marriage from a poor family background. What a lesson for nagging wives and women of the 151 century those that are not loyal and submissive to their husbands or constituted authorities. Kindly compare Ephesians 5 vs 21-22.
In fact, patience could be also from the description of the virtuous woman by the wise man, King Solomon in Proverbs 31 of the Holy Bible. Many homes are in shamble as some couples are divorcing each other and building polygamous homes due to impatience.
Patience, in other words, is wholesome and a virtue to be coveted because it produces credibility, positivity, prosperity and posterity in all ramifications of life. Therefore, exercise patience in any situation that comes your way in life as did the demoted.
Ominyanwa is a public affairs analyst.
Goddey Ominyanwa
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo