The Advantages Of Engaging In Personal Growth And Development

Renowned author, pastor and founder of The King’s Rubies, Dr Ifeoma Eze, is urging individuals to embrace personal growth and development as a way to unlock purpose, happiness and meaningful relationships. In her widely acclaimed book, “Becoming A Person Of Exceptional Value” she makes a compelling case for why intentional self -improvement is essential in today’s fast-paced world. She gave some Advantages Of Engaging in Personal Growth and Development.

1. When you expand and grow yourself, you become more interesting because you learn more. You’re also more open to different viewpoints and perspectives as well as being more aware both of yourself and others around you.

2. Personal development guarantees clarity. You are clearer on your purpose in life and you can quickly identify which task will give you the best result with the resources available to you at that moment. It gives you a sense of direction and helps you discover what it is you really want out of life and yourself.

3. With personal growth and development, when you improve yourself, your life, your relationships and achieve your goals, you become happier. You will have greater confidence, resilience, personal and interpersonal skills to cope with any eventuality.

4. Personal development helps you improve your self-esteem and like yourself more because you become the person you want to become. You also learn to respect, accept, and love who you already are. You believe in yourself and know that you are capable of achieving so much more.

5.A major component of personal development is education, learning, and knowledge. You can not only learn new skills and knowledge and education, but you also learn about yourself, about others, and about the world and humanity.

6. When you improve on your personal development, you are better able to see which relationships are worth investing in and which need to be cut loose.

7. When you are personally growing and succeeding, others around you are probably going to notice. Your story, your progress, and your success can inspire others.

8.Personal development in general also affects all areas of your life even if it is just being directly applied to one area. For example, working on and growing your confidence can positively affect and.improve the relationship aspect of your life and the work aspect of your life.

9. When you improve on yourself, people are naturally drawn to you and your relationships you already have with others also improves. With personal development, you are continuously growing and improving. You’re less likely to stay stuck and stagnant in your life

10. With strong personal development, you develop the necessary will. This helps you become better at making sound decisions and being able to more effectively solve any problem that arises. It also helps you build and develop the skills to better deal with adversity especially when times get tough.

*Coined from the book, Becoming A Person Of Exceptional Value By Dr. Ifeoma Eze, The King’s Rubies*

TRIBALISM, Nigeria’s Greatest Nightmare: How Do We Solve This Problem?

By George Omagbemi
Sylvester

Nigeria as a nation with over 250 ethnic groups, each with its unique language, culture, and heritage. But what should be our strength has tragically become our greatest nightmare—TRIBALISM. This menace has held us back for decades, poisoning our politics, education, economy, and social harmony. If we are to survive as a nation, TRIBALISM must be confronted head-on, uprooted from our systems, and buried with no RESURRECTION.

As AY the comedian once said, “In Nigeria, we don’t just fill forms with name and age. We add tribe as if it’s a requirement for kidney transplant.” That’s how deep the problem is—we’ve institutionalized tribal identity even in spaces that should be neutral.

The Historical Roots of TRIBALISM

The origin of TRIBALISM in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial era, particularly British indirect rule. Colonial administrators divided Nigerians along ethnic lines to maintain control. Lord Lugard’s amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 was a POLITICAL MARRIAGE without LOVE. The British prioritized ethnic identity over national unity, setting the stage for post-independence rivalry.

After independence in 1960, political power became a game of ethnic arithmetic. The Hausa-Fulani dominated the North, the Yoruba the West, and the Igbo the East. The first coup in 1966 and the bloody Biafran War (1967–1970) were clear signs that ETHNIC NATIONALISM had overtaken Nigerian unity.

Let’s fast forward to 2025, and TRIBALISM has become an even more dangerous cancer, now deeply embedded in government appointments, school admissions, employment opportunities, and public policy. Instead of competing based on competence, Nigerians are reduced to their tribal labels.

The Cost of TRIBALISM

TRIBALISM is not just an emotional or ideological issue—it has very real consequences.

Political Stagnation: Nigerian elections are often not about ideologies but ethnic affiliations. Candidates exploit tribal sentiments to win votes. Buhari’s presidency (2015–2023), for instance, was widely criticized for being skewed towards the North, with key appointments dominated by Hausa-Fulani Muslims. This breeds resentment and further divides the nation.

Economic Sabotage:
When people are hired based on tribal identity instead of competence, mediocrity becomes the order of the day. According to Transparency International (2024 report), Nigeria ranks 145 out of 180 in corruption perception. This is not surprising when “my brother” is given a contract he can’t execute, while the qualified applicant is sidelined because of his *“strange”* name.

Security Breakdown:
The distrust among ethnic groups has paralyzed our security apparatus. When herders and farmers clash, or when terrorists attack villages, the response is filtered through ethnic lenses. Instead of confronting criminals, we end up defending “our people.”

Education and Employment Inequality:
The Federal Character principle, intended to promote fairness, has turned into an ethnic quota system that lowers standards and deepens division. A student from Zamfara state needs a ridiculously low score to enter Unity Schools, while one from Delta state needs nearly 100%. This is injustice disguised as inclusion.

Gordons once joked, “Na tribe dey determine who go chop the national cake. But we dey watch like say na movie. Nollywood no do reach this one!” Sadly, it’s true—TRIBALISM has turned governance into a tribal buffet.

How TRIBALISM Manifests Today
In everyday life, TRIBALISM appears in subtle and overt forms:

Job interviews where the panel whispers, “Where is he from?”

Marriages that collapse because “our daughter cannot marry an Igbo/Hausa or Yoruba man.”

Social media wars between Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa youths fighting imaginary battles.

Businesses losing clients because “we no dey patronize dem people.”

I Go Dye nailed it when he said, “In Nigeria, even poverty get tribe. Poor man go say, ‘Na because I be Tiv, dem no give me loan.’” That’s how bad it is—we tribalize suffering.

Solutions: Ending the Nightmare
Solving TRIBALISM requires deliberate, multi-pronged action. It won’t vanish overnight, but sustained effort can dismantle its grip on our nation.

1. Massive Civic Education
We must teach Nigerians from a young age that they are Nigerians first before being Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Itsekiri or Ijaw. The National Orientation Agency should be revived and empowered to promote national identity, not just on Independence Day, but every day. Curriculum in schools must include national history that emphasizes unity, diversity, and patriotism.

2. Merit-Based Governance
Appointments, scholarships, and promotions must be based on competence, not ethnicity. Nigeria needs leaders with the political will to abandon ethnic favoritism. President Bola Tinubu’s administration must lead by example. If a Tiv man is the best candidate for Chief of Army Staff, appoint him. Let results speak louder than names.

3. Inter-tribal Marriage Incentives
The government should consider giving tax reliefs or housing benefits to couples in inter-ethnic marriages. It sounds radical, but it could work. Blended families reduce ethnic hate and promote national integration. One day, your child may ask, “What’s tribe?” and that would be victory.

4. Ethnicity-Blind Technology Systems
Let’s remove ethnicity from our forms—admission, employment, census, and contracts. With technology, we can create blind recruitment systems that focus on skills, not surnames. Nigeria must build a system where origin doesn’t matter, only ability.

5. Media and Entertainment Responsibility
Celebrities and influencers must stop reinforcing tribal stereotypes. Nollywood and comedians should use their platforms to mock TRIBALISM, not promote it. Humor is a powerful tool—comedians like AY, Gordons, and I Go Dye should keep using satire to expose the absurdity of ethnic bias.

6. True Federalism
Nigeria must restructure into a true federation where regions have autonomy. This reduces the scramble for central power and allows ethnic groups to develop at their own pace without stepping on each other. Restructuring is not a threat to unity; it’s a path to sustainable peace.

7. Punish Hate Speech and Tribal Incitement
The government must prosecute those who spread hate and tribal division. Social media influencers, religious leaders, and politicians who incite ethnic hatred must face consequences. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to incite violence.

A Time to Heal.
Nigeria cannot afford another decade of tribal politics, tribal appointments, and tribal hate. If we continue on this path, the nation will implode—not because of external enemies, but because of our internal divisions.

Let us choose UNITY over DIVISION, merit over MEDIOCRITY, and PATRIOTISM over PARTISANSHIP. Let us raise a new generation of Nigerians who don’t ask, “Where are you from?” but instead, “What can you do for your country?”

As I Go Dye would say, “No be tribe go save us—na common sense, hard work, and love for country.”

Until we bury TRIBALISM, Nigeria will remain in chains.

Otunba Olufemi Okenla turns 60

Otunba Olufemi Okenla, chairman of HDV Group and owner of Ibis Ikeja Hotel, turned 60 today .

To celebrate this milestone, the lawyer-turned-entrepreneur has planned various programs for his diamond jubilee.

As part of the festivities, he will officially open a multi-million naira Entrepreneur Centre at Olabisi Onabanjo University his alma mater in Ago Iwoye on Wednesday, showcasing his commitment to community development and supporting his roots.