Nigeria In Time By Favour Benyin
Introduction
I have a firm belief that the past, present and future all exist at the same time and this is why.
Imagine that time is a planet and the past, present and future are three major continents on it. These ‘continents’ are places existing all at once. Then again, there are physical ‘objects’ which live on ‘planet time’ such as you and I, plants and animals.
Understanding how the ‘past, present and future’ relate with and affect each other; and how ‘objects’ are affected by their actions on ‘planet time’ is important to create a brighter future for Nigeria.
I dare to kindly ask anyone skeptical of this theory:
‘If the past, present and future do not exist at the same time, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESENT IS WHAT? IS IT THE PAST OR THE FUTURE?’
The longest distance between the past, present and future is perhaps a second (I only guess). Man has not yet been able to defeat that distance.
Then again, I also think that the idea of a ‘distance’ between them may have only been a product of my own spatial limitation. Perhaps the best we can do is measure our own distance from the 3 places in time.
Humans are matter, time is not. Humans are contained in one place in time (the present).
Time is continuous, and our entire lives are but an ‘experience’ in it.
The Past, Present and Future
The present is like a switch. Immediately you turn it on, the light comes on. The past and future are that light. The present is the key to other places, for it is where we are contained; where matter is ‘real, substantial and trapped’.
This is the reason for patterns in events. Nothing randomly happens in this world. Whatever happens in the present is making something else happen in the other ‘places’. As time goes on, we observe the present as it takes on the character of the future, while the past takes on the character of the present.
The past is but a ‘real-time’ record. It is like a museum. There is not much you can do to change the past. Perhaps the only way to change the past is to bypass the present and change the future instead.
As the present goes through time, the future is instantaneously updated. This is why if you simply wait for the future to change, it will not change at the pace or into the quality desired (because it exists all at once with the present and past).
Nigeria In Time
Nigeria is a 62-year-old object existing in time. Whatever actions Nigeria takes in the ‘present’ where it is contained, will update its future simultaneously.
It is these seconds of reading an article (like this one) that we have the power to decide and take action towards affecting or updating the future with a desired outcome of a positive change.
What Has Happened In Nigeria’s Past?
In the past, which I measure by a few seconds ago, Nigerians are yet to identify the ideology of their nation; some Nigerians dream of fleeing abroad and in some instances, have had uneasy considerations of being the very agent of positive change.
In the past, there are leadership problems, the degradation of institutions, impunity, corruption, lack of trust, low-self-esteem and lack of faith in the ability of things to change.
In the past, the people simply waited for a new government — a good one. Still, from the above conception of time, the future does not change itself and the past is a ‘really long record of present actions’.
What is done now, already has its place in the future. What is not done has its place too. The longer we wait, the longer it’ll take for any real change to occur.
Can we not then say that time is a just judge?
What Will Happen In Nigeria’s Future?
This is a simple question to answer. I mentioned earlier that the ‘present’ is the key to the other places.
Imagine arriving in a future that has no linkage whatsoever to the past; or defeating the 1-second distance, or even losing your memory. You would feel as though you were in a different world entirely.
Nigeria’s future is a reflection of the collective actions WE take today. Not just the government. Not even our country’s so-called ‘international friends’.
We can learn from Japan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore and China. Remember when we made fun of everything made in China; when we called them ‘chinko’? At that point of our laughter; at the very point of her own action, China’s future was updating at a fast pace.
Nothing we desire will happen in Nigeria’s future if Nigerians refuse to act.
The future will be bright if in this very second, we all act to update our future in a positive way.
I have had people tell me Nigeria will not change in 200 years. It is because of the ‘present’ they see, feel and know. But the present is a tool, it is workable and practical.
Conclusion
When we arrive in that place of the future, we will find it has gone in the direction of the present recorded in the past. It is never too late to change your life even as the future belongs to those who prepare for it.
Today, as Nigerians and as a country, Nigeria, we have time to create a bright future and a worthy past.
Nigeria In Time is a guest post by Favour Benyin submitted to and published by PositiveNaija on April 12, 2023.
Author details
Favour Benyin, a pattern thinker, enjoys writing and grew up traversing the universe in her mind with the help of hardback novels and library shelves. When she is not writing, she harps upon her writing skills and visits friends to ‘rant’ about the universe.
Contact email: benyinfavour@gmail.com
