If you live in Nigeria you would observe that money and material possessions are the center of most conversations. From the town square to the Ivory Tower. From the corridors of political power to the sacred pulpit. It is all the same. These are a people united by their drive to make money in order to buy themselves a better future. This logic is flawed because money does not guarantee a better future. A better future is created by people working hard collectively to tackle social and economic issues in their day. You must not play the money game. You must understand value creation and your contribution to your world.
The bank robber Willie Sutton did rather well at his odd profession: Over the course of his career, he stole around $2 million. One day, journalists asked why he robbed banks, and his response was simple, eloquent, and humorous: “Because that’s where the money is.” This is also similar to what we observe in society today. When the goal is to make as much money as possible, enterprising young minds will go all out to get it by any means possible. This “make money” drive has eroded the nation of values and ethics. If the goal is to make money and the work does not matter, you might as well steal, scam or even get the money through money ritual.
A common trap is the idea that we will change society when we have money. Or thinking that your success in life is measured by how much money you have. This money drive has eaten away at the fabric of society so much that we don’t notice it anymore. Money does not solve problems. It is arrogant to think that throwing money at problems will solve it. At the end of the day, wisdom, creativity and inventiveness is what solves problems. Ideas, not money rules the world. Money will always take a second place to ideas and value creation. You have to make up your mind that you are not playing the money game.