I think that if a person, Nigerian or otherwise, is intelligent, and open minded then they can see through the conditioning of their upbringing and learn to see things as they really are. I know this because this is what happened to me.

I was taught all kinds of nonsense when I was a kid. We grew up as poor as you can get in this country. I remember being so hungry sometimes I would go in a store and eat some candy in the aisle when no one was looking. My parents, sadly were not the hardworking kind of poor. Instead, they were lazy, uneducated and sorry for themselves. I hate to say this but it's true! They taught me that I should get money however I can, and spend it quickly before someone takes it away.

I made a lot of stupid mistakes when I was young. I was in and out of jail all the time, always angry and blamed the world for everything. Then I had to stop and really look at things. I say that my thinking was the problem. I had to change my thinking and behavior. Learn how to play the game, as it were. I don't mean selling out my values, but learn to beat the system at its own game.

I think that this is probably the case with many youths in Nigeria as well. They see a corrupt system and feel like there is no hope other than to life a life as a fraudster. Their own families and elders teach them a brutal way to live and they believe it is the only way to make it.

The hardest part is getting people to open their eyes and see that there is another way. One way that the rich control the poor is by portraying them as violent, thieving animals. The only way to fight back is to succeed and not give them any fuel!