Given the high levels of want and privation prevalent in under-developed societies, one would expect that the few individuals who manage to “make it” would invest their surpluses wisely in productive ventures to keep their heads above water and lift more people out of poverty for good. Wrong! Ostentation – the display of wealth, qualities or achievements for purely personal and emotional gratification (and the very opposite of investment) – is a trait closely associated with poor communities!
Patrick Chabal & Jean Paschal Daloz (in their book, Africa Works: Disorder as Political Instrument) graphically observe that, “It is common on the (African) continent to notice the greatest displays of luxury in an environment of poverty and squalor, most particularly in the urban areas. Magnificent mansions sit square in the midst of slum areas. Gleaming white limousines make their way down dank and filthy alleyways. Prosperously rotund businessmen mingle readily with disheveled and dirty children. Remarkably, there appear to be few outward signs of resentment, envy, even less aggression, vis-à-vis such blatant, and apparently callous, displays of wealth. On the contrary, what is noticeable is the extent to which the less fortunate show their appreciation of … ostentation … as though it reflected well on them. Wealth thus revealed appears, indirectly, to be a symbol of their collective prominence, according to a process which we identify as ‘vertical symbolic redistribution.’ ”
Similarly, Prof Ali Mazrui in his book, Debating the African Condition: Governance and Leadership, notes that among African Americans ostentation was partly a reaction to liberation and manifested not only in lifestyle (dress, bearing & general behavior) but also in choice of surnames the liberated Negroes chose for themselves, the genealogy they were tempted to claim, and the titles that some of the more prominent ones among them took. To illustrate, Mazrui quoted Prof Essien-Udom who observed in his book, Black Nationalism, that: “(Marcus) Garvey was elected provisional president of Africa…As head of the African republic he envisaged, his official title was, “His Highness, the Potentate.’”
It seems that ostentation is a behavioral reflex to poverty, a balm that soothes deprivation or a “reward” for long suffering. Whether it is innate in certain peoples and cultures, or it is a reaction to prolonged deprivation, ostentation is clearly a marker of backward communities.
In more progressive societies, there is a less obvious gap between the haves and have-nots. Yes, the homes, cars and vacation destinations of the rich will always be more impressive, but the basic elements of human welfare – nutrition, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education – are more widely available and within reach for the majority.
I never stop imagining what could have been if the Nigerian State had poured all the resources and energy it used in building a new capital city in Abuja into creating a functional national industrial complex. Nigeria could have been where China is today – a defacto world economic power. But we chose unmerited grandeur over sustainable development. This is another illustration of ostentation accompanying underdevelopment.
It is curious that when it comes to spending on jumbo allowances and fancy contracts, Nigerian governments at local, state and federal levels excel. But when it comes to visionary investment they look for foreign and private investors to pick the bill. Clearly, a nation with Nigeria’s current human development indices does not deserve the grandeur of Abuja and similar white elephant projects all over the country. It is like a man who is starving and sick, and then he wins a lottery and decides to use all the money to buy a sports car and a big house! Such priorities are definitely wrong. It would have been wiser, in his circumstance, if he invested in food and healthcare first.
Closely related to ostentation in poor communities is the appetite for consumptive living. By this I mean a tendency to spend rather than to save; to consume rather than to produce; to import more than to export; to receive rather than to give; to use rather than to make.
With highly ineffective people, a large part, if not all of what is earned, goes into sustenance – food, drink and staying alive. Saving, deferred consumption or investing for long term reward is almost non-existent. Perhaps this is a function of the small incomes people earn being barely enough for survival. Perhaps it’s the very habit that led to poverty in the first place. Perhaps it’s both factors working together in a vicious cycle.
For the past 50 years or so, for instance, Nigeria has been selling little other than crude oil in the international market. This is despite being so rich in other resources. In return, she imports nearly everything under the sun – from toothpicks to food and SUVs, even refined petroleum products from its own crude! The little processing and manufacturing that is done in the country is dominated by foreign nationals. Yet, when Nigerians have surplus money in their hands, they splurge on houses, cars, clothes, foreign travel, overseas schooling, medical tourism, and offshore bank accounts. At best, they think of buying abroad and selling at home; not building local capacity to make or sell to other nations.
In essence, Nigeria spends all she earns just to get by, and hands back all the money she makes to other nations! No wonder, “Africa’s largest economy” is still sitting comfortably among the world’s “under-developed” nations.
This essay is an excerpt from the book, “The 8 Habits of Highly Ineffective People,” by Victor Anazonwu. It was first published on amazon.com in 2019
