society
Aligning with Poverty Mentality: The Invisible Chain Holding Millions Back
Aligning with Poverty Mentality: The Invisible Chain Holding Millions Back
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Sahara Weekly Nigeria
In every society, poverty is not only an economic condition but a mental stronghold. While economic systems, government corruption and global inequalities have undeniably contributed to poverty, the most invisible yet lethal contributor is the poverty mentality, a psychological and behavioral alignment with scarcity, limitation and dependency. This mindset, subtly internalized over generations, shackles millions even when opportunities are within reach.
What is Poverty Mentality?
Poverty mentality (also known as “scarcity mindset”) is a psychological framework where an individual believes that resources are always limited, success is for others and that their current state of lack is inescapable. This mindset often results in short-term thinking, fear of risk-taking, aversion to investing in self-growth and a chronic state of victimhood.
As Steve Siebold, a mental toughness expert and author of “How Rich People Think”, puts it:
“Middle class thinks about saving. World class thinks about earning. Poor people see money through the eyes of fear.”
This mindset is not just individual; it is cultural, educational and spiritual in some cases. It has been passed down like a generational curse in many poor communities; camouflaged as humility, contentment or religious submission.
Causes of Poverty Mentality
1. Cultural Conditioning and Upbringing
Children born into poverty are often told: “Money is evil,” “Don’t dream too big,” or “Just manage what you have.” Over time, such utterances become subconscious beliefs. When a child constantly hears that wealth is unattainable or dangerous, they unconsciously sabotage their success to conform to those beliefs.
Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, known for her work on mindset theory, explains:
“People with a fixed mindset believe their qualities are carved in stone…that belief prevents growth.”
The poverty mentality at its core, is a fixed mindset wrapped in generational trauma.
2. Colonial Legacy and Historical Oppression
In African and post-colonial societies, centuries of exploitation have left scars. Colonial education was never designed to empower, but was meant to train subordinates. Today, many still function with an inferiority complex, seeing themselves as incapable of building systems of wealth without foreign validation.
Nigerian historian Professor Toyin Falola once stated:
“Poverty in Africa is not only structural, but psychological. The biggest theft of colonialism was not minerals, but mental sovereignty.”
3. Religious Manipulation
Many religious institutions, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia, preach messages that glorify suffering, poverty and blind obedience. People are told that wealth is worldly, while poverty is godly. This leads to stagnation in the name of spirituality.
As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once famously said:
“When the missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land.”
Faith, when manipulated, becomes a tool for submission, not empowerment.
4. Lack of Financial Literacy
The education system in most developing countries does not teach personal finance, entrepreneurship or investment. People grow up believing that the only way to survive is through salary jobs or handouts from the government. This stunts creativity and leaves them unprepared for wealth creation.
Renowned economist Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, warned:
“The poor and middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.”
When people are not taught the rules of the financial game, they become permanent spectators.
Symptoms of Poverty Mentality
Fear of taking risks even when opportunity knocks
Envy of others’ success rather than learning from it
Glorifying hardship as a badge of honor
Short-term gratification over long-term investments
Dependence on government handouts and entitlement
Constantly waiting for a ‘miracle’ rather than planning and working
Suspicion of successful people, assuming they are corrupt or evil
The Cost of Aligning with Poverty Mentality
Aligning with a poverty mindset is like aligning with a virus; it infects every part of your life: finances, career, relationships and mental health. Poverty mentality causes self-imposed ceilings. It creates a class of people who fear change, who worship mediocrity and who fight those trying to break free.
As Dr. Myles Munroe once said:
“The poorest person in the world is a person without a dream. The most frustrated person is someone with a dream they never pursued.”
When people internalize poverty mentality, even a million dollars won’t save them it will vanish in months. This is why many lottery winners end up broke within five years. The problem was never outside; it was internal.
Breaking Free from the Mental Shackles
1. Education and Re-education
People must unlearn what they’ve been taught about money, success and wealth. Financial literacy must become a grassroots movement. Nations that do not teach their citizens how to create wealth are breeding economic dependents.
Start by reading books like: THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR, THINK AND GROW RICH, THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON, and THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY. Feed your mind what your environment denied you.
2. Change Your Environment
Environment influences mindset. Align with people who challenge your thinking, who talk about solutions not just problems. If everyone around you is broke, bitter and blaming the government, your chances of elevation are slim.
Jim Rohn said it best:
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Find new rooms, new mentors, new voices.
3. Take Responsibility
Blaming others (even when they’re guilty) will not change your life. Accept that your life is your business. Wealthy people take responsibility; poor-minded people outsource responsibility.
As Oprah Winfrey remarked:
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change their future by merely changing their attitude.”
4. Practice Delayed Gratification
Poverty mentality spends N100k on a phone while owing N200k in rent. It buys liabilities to impress people and ignores investments that could change their future.
Building wealth is boring. It’s budgeting, saving, reinvesting, saying “no” when everyone else is saying “yes.”
A Call to National Reformation
The poverty mentality must not just be defeated at an individual level, it must be rooted out at a national level. African governments must stop politicizing poverty and start empowering minds. Enough with token welfare packages. Provide entrepreneurial education, create a thriving SME ecosystem and stop overtaxing the poor.
Economist Ha-Joon Chang once observed:
“The problem is not that poor countries know nothing. It’s that the elites don’t want to change anything.”
Until our leaders shift from dependency politics to empowerment economics, our people will remain slaves in the land of plenty.
Breaking the Chains
Poverty is not merely about money, it’s about mindset. A person with a wealth mindset, even in rags, will rise. A person with a poverty mindset, even in riches, will fall.
Aligning with poverty mentality is aligning with defeat, limitation and stagnation. It is time to break the mental chains. Refuse to inherit the limitations of your parents. Refuse to romanticize hardship. Refuse to be loyal to lack.
We must think differently. We must think abundantly. We must think independently.
As Nelson Mandela once said:
“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”
FRSC@ 38: SHEHU MOHAMMED STEERING NIGERIA’S ROAD SAFETY REVOLUTION TO GREATER HEIGHTS
By Deputy Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem (Rtd) fsi, MNIM, anipr
When Mallam Shehu Mohammed assumed leadership as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), he inherited not just an institution with history, but a national mandate that touches every family, every highway, and every community in Nigeria. At 38 years, the Corps stands tall as Africa’s model road safety agency, and under his stewardship, that legacy is not merely preserved, it is being boldly redefined.
Nigeria’s highways were once synonymous with fear. Before 1988, the World Health Organisation ranked Nigeria among the most dangerous countries in the world to drive. It was a troubling indictment that demanded courage and clarity of purpose. The establishment of the FRSC under Decree No. 45 of 1988 laid the foundation for reform. But sustaining and advancing that reform across decades requires visionary leadership, the kind now exemplified by Mallam Shehu Mohammed.
Today, under his command, the Corps is consolidating its position as one of the most technologically advanced and operationally efficient law enforcement institutions in Nigeria. With renewed strategic focus, the present leadership has deepened the Safe Systems Approach built on people, processes, and technology, ensuring that safety interventions are not reactive, but preventive and intelligence-driven.
One of the defining hallmarks of his administration is accelerated digital transformation. Within six months, over 3,000 personnel were trained to strengthen operational competence and technological adaptability. More than 95 per cent of the Corps’ administrative and operational processes are automated, supported by over 30 web-based applications that enhance traffic governance nationwide. From the National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS) to the upgraded e-ticketing platform, innovation is no longer optional; it is institutional culture.
Emergency response under the current Corps Marshal has become faster and more coordinated, with nationwide response time reduced dramatically from 50 minutes to 15 minutes. The 122 toll-free emergency line and 24-hour National Call Centre continue to serve as lifelines for distressed road users, reflecting a leadership that understands that every second counts.
Strategic stakeholder engagement has equally flourished. Safe corridor initiatives have been strengthened, collaboration with transport unions intensified, and enforcement around articulated vehicles tightened. The result is a significant reduction in tanker-related crashes, a development that speaks to deliberate policy direction and disciplined implementation.
Under Mallam Shehu Mohammed’s leadership, data has become a central pillar of enforcement and planning. Through strengthened collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the Nigeria Customs Service, the Corps has advanced harmonized data systems that support evidence-based interventions. Transparent weekly crash trend reporting now guides targeted deployment and corrective strategies.
Nigeria’s standing on the global stage has also been reinforced. The country remains an active participant in the renewed UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) and continues alignment with international road safety conventions. These achievements build on the solid foundation laid by past leaders from Olu Agunloye and General Haladu Hannaniya to Chief Osita Chidoka, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, and Dauda Ali Biu, but under the present Corps Marshal, the momentum has unmistakably intensified.
Operationally, the Corps’ footprint now spans 12 Zonal Commands, 37 Sector Commands, over 300 Unit Commands, over 700 Station Offices, 59 Zebra Emergency Ambulance Points, and presence in all 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria. Yet beyond physical structures lies a stronger institutional spirit, one driven by discipline, professionalism, and accountability.
From a nation once ranked among the most unsafe for motorists to a continental pacesetter in road safety management, Nigeria’s transformation story is inseparable from the strength of its leadership. At 38 years, FRSC is not simply celebrating longevity; it is celebrating purposeful stewardship.
Mallam Shehu Mohammed represents a generation of reform-minded leadership committed to smarter mobility systems, data-driven enforcement, and people-centered safety administration.
His tenure reflects continuity with courage sustaining the Corps’ proud legacy while boldly steering it toward greater innovation and measurable impact.
The road ahead is demanding. But under his steady command, Nigeria’s highways are safer, its systems smarter, and its future brighter.
Fashion/Lifestyle
Introducing “Atupaglowco” : Where Fragrance Meets Feeling; The Story of Our Beginning
Introducing “Atupaglowco”: Where Fragrance Meets Feeling; The Story of Our Beginning
Every great journey begins with a sense of anticipation. For us, it began with a simple belief that a space should do more than exist, it should speak comfort and glow.
In a world filled with noise, stress, and endless motion, we realized something powerful. Fragrance can transform not just rooms, but moods. A familiar scent can calm anxiety. A warm aroma can turn a house into a home. A gentle glow can bring peace after a long day. This realization gave birth to “Atupaglowco.”
Atupaglowco was not created to sell diffusers, room sprays, or candles. It was created to create experiences. To create moments. To create atmospheres where people can breathe, reflect, and feel whole again.
The name itself represents more than a brand. It represents warmth. It represents light. It represents presence. We remember the early days, the planning, the testing of scents, the moments of doubt, and the moments of excitement. Each candle poured was a step of faith. Each fragrance blended was a piece of our vision coming to life. We weren’t just building products; we were building something meaningful.
Our diffusers were designed to quietly fill spaces with elegance.
Our room sprays were crafted to instantly refresh and revive environments. Our candles were made to bring calm, beauty, and a soft glow into everyday life.
Atupaglowco was born from passion, patience, and purpose. This launch is not just the start of a business. It is the start of a movement to help people create spaces they love. Spaces that inspire rest. Spaces that inspire joy. Spaces that glow.
We believe fragrance is personal. We believe glow is emotional. We believe every space deserves both.
Today, we proudly introduce Atupaglowco to the world.
This is only the beginning.
Ajadi Hails Oyo Speaker Ogundoyin at 39, Describes Him as Beacon of Purposeful Leadership
A leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has congratulated the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Edward Ogundoyin, on the occasion of his 39th birthday, describing him as “a symbol of resilience, maturity and purposeful leadership in Nigeria’s democratic journey.”
In a congratulatory message made available to journalists on Tuesday, Ajadi praised Ogundoyin’s steady rise in public service, noting that his emergence as Speaker at a relatively young age reflects the possibilities of responsible youth leadership when combined with discipline, vision and service.
“Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin’s leadership has shown that age is not a barrier to excellence,” Ajadi said. “At 39, he stands tall as one of the most impactful Speakers in Oyo State’s history—calm, inclusive and deeply committed to democratic ideals.”
Ogundoyin, who represents Ibarapa East State Constituency under the Peoples Democratic Party, has served as Speaker since 2019 and was re-elected to lead the 10th Assembly in June 2023. His tenure has been marked by legislative stability, improved executive–legislative relations and youth-inclusive governance.
Ajadi commended the Speaker for fostering unity within the Assembly and prioritising laws that strengthen grassroots development across Oyo State. “His humility, accessibility and focus on people-oriented legislation have earned him respect beyond party lines,” he said. “He exemplifies the kind of leadership Oyo State needs—one anchored on service, accountability and progress.”
The governorship aspirant further described Ogundoyin as a rallying point for young Nigerians aspiring to public office. “In a country searching for credible leaders, Ogundoyin’s story offers hope,” Ajadi added. “He has shown that when young leaders are trusted with responsibility, they can deliver stability and results.”
Ajadi wished the Speaker many more years of good health, wisdom and greater service to Oyo State and Nigeria at large, praying that his leadership journey continues to inspire a new generation of public servants.
Ogundoyin, one of the youngest Speakers in Nigeria, has continued to attract goodwill messages from political leaders, civil society actors and constituents, as Oyo State marks another year in the life of a lawmaker widely regarded as a steady hand in the state’s legislative affairs.
-
celebrity radar - gossips6 months agoWhy Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”
-
society6 months agoPower is a Loan, Not a Possession: The Sacred Duty of Planting People
-
news6 months agoTHE APPOINTMENT OF WASIU AYINDE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS AN AMBASSADOR SOUNDS EMBARRASSING
-
society5 months agoReligion: Africa’s Oldest Weapon of Enslavement and the Forgotten Truth