NIGERIA is a nation with many abstract pundits. By that I mean those who analyze Nigeria’s problems without any historical or concrete evidence to prove that their analysis is correct. Mention Nigeria’s problems and you will be confronted by these pundits. They all claim to have a good grasp of what ails Nigeria.

Yet, the solutions they proffer, even when implemented, have not resulted in lasting solutions. These pundits remind me of the proverbial visit seven blind men made to the elephant. After groping the animal, they each gave a different and inaccurate description of the elephant based on the part of its body they touched.

When the question is asked: What is the problem with Nigeria? The answer you get depends on who you ask, the time you asked and the interest they are seeking to protect at the time.

Yet, history has proven that any nation serious about solving its problems must understand those problems thoroughly. In fact, in a world that is increasingly globalised, conscientious nations understand their problems to the point where they can relate them to the problems of other nations. For Nigeria to solve its problems, they must be analysed in line with global trends. Indeed, any analysis of Nigeria’s problems without proper comparison to those of other nations is an abstract analysis. The reason is because Nigeria cannot afford to ignore current global issues while trying to address problems that the rest of the world has put behind them many decades ago. It is important that both current global issues and Nigeria’s peculiar problems be addressed simultaneously. But Nigeria’s abstract pundits are parochial. They do not understand global issues, especially economic ones.

For instance, abstract pundits are now arguing that all the government has to do to put Nigeria on track toward economic growth is to make electricity services reliable. The premise for this argument is that the private sector will pick up and drive Nigeria’s economic growth once electricity supply becomes constant. While no one can argue that a reliable supply of electricity coupled with a modern infrastructure is not a good start for Nigeria’s economic growth, it is important not to overestimate the results of such measures. When the question is asked: Is fixing electricity and other infrastructure the approach other countries are taking to solve their economic problems? The answer is a resounding no.

What other countries are doing is strategic government involvement in calibrating and providing support for the private sector. From Japan to China and even to the United States – an ultra capitalist country – governments are taking strategic actions to win the global race for the future. The most common action these governments are taking is sponsoring research and ensuring excellent university education. It is only those not abreast of these global trends who argue that constant electricity is all it takes for Nigeria to get on track for the race to win the future.

While a constant supply of electricity and other infrastructure improvements should be a priority of the Nigerian government, it should not lose sight of other strategic actions as well. For instance, the government should encourage research, education and technological innovation. This is the only move that will guarantee Nigeria a realistic chance of becoming a major player in the race to win the future. To prove my point, here is what President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address back in January: “For America to win the future, it must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-compete other nations”. In saying this, President Obama set a global strategy for the future. China, Japan, and India have all adopted the same strategy. So, for Nigeria to achieve reckonable economic growth, the government must follow these quantifiable global strategies. It must not be distracted by the analysis of abstract pundits.

Any analysis of what will solve Nigeria’s problems should be serious and well thought out by a competent economic team. Such analysis should also take history as guide. Remember the early 1980s when companies like Peugeot, Toyota and Pfizer operated in Nigeria? Power supply then was just as bad or even worse than it is now. Communications were not nearly as effective in Nigeria as they are now; yet, these companies thrived. Today, these companies are all gone. Private businesses now find it harder to survive in Nigeria. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the naira as a currency was more powerful than the dollar. Yet, Nigeria was in the throes of a long civil war that destroyed almost all infrastructures. Between then and now, something went fundamentally wrong. And, the problem is not electricity supply. Infrequent supply of electricity and the lack of other infrastructure is only a symptom of what went wrong, and not the cause.

However, abstract pundits have a simplistic understanding of Nigeria’s problems. But the rest of us know that Nigeria’s problems have metastasized. It is no longer reasonable to argue that starting to solve Nigeria’s problems from one point will guarantee a spill over to other areas. The only sensible solution is one that will address different areas simultaneously.

HAMILTON ODUNZE, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.