It’s been twelve years this week since we inaugurated a non-governmental, non-political organisation with a mission to “lift our people out of poverty on the road to prosperity one family at a time.”
One of our Trustees of blessed memory would ask at Board meetings, “Who have you lifted out of poverty?” Not very many, I must confess despite concerted effort towards low-interest Microfinance loans to women, Skills Acquisition programmes for young people, scholarships, etc.
The events of last weekend, one in Abuja and the other in Port Harcourt have pushed me to the brink of despair. Rather than celebrate our small wins, I am pulled to the big picture of nose blindness.
It is true that if you smelled a substance long enough the smell will stop after a while. However, you will be able to smell another substance and the same loss of smell (olfactory fatigue) will happen after a while. The time it takes to reach nose blindness will defer for different people.
The Nigerian space has become a permanent residence for olfactory fatigue. I tried to have a better understanding of this physiological concept with the hope that it would give some clarity to the blur of our collective response to the stench of our nation.
The (epithelial) lining of the nose of Nigeria has (Olfactory) cells which can smell specific problems, transmitted via social media (olfactory nerve) to the Olfactory Bulb (public conscience). Recent research has shown that different smells are received in different areas of the bulb.
I have identified ten smells in Nigeria’s nose:
- Kidnapping
- Boko Haram, Terrorists & Herdsmen
- Ritual killing
- Unknown Gun men
- Uniformed men Brutality
- Delegate Auction
- Authority Stealing
- Subsidy
- Government borrowing
- ASUU Strike
Olfactory fatigue has long set in. No one bothers any more. A shrug of shoulders. Indifference. Like the Titanic, not if but when. The iceberg approaches…
Time for a WhatsApp detox.
Abiye Hector-Goma is a General Practitioner based in Leeds, UK, “Chief Servant” of Nigerian Community Leeds and International Administrator of Wakirike Development Coalition.
@KayHector