Press "Enter" to skip to content

How to make your voice count in your community | Olubankole Wellington | TEDxLagos


my name is Zulu boncala Wellington also
known as Banky W and it’s an honor to be
here tonight with you guys to share some
ideas with you
so Nigeria is an interesting place isn’t
it
it’s like it’s one of the kind it’s like
really awesome really terrible at the
same time seriously like it’s really
great and it’s absolutely horrible at
the same time it’s like the best place
that you could live on earth but it’s
also I mean possibly it could be the
worst place that you could live let me
explain
so if you have a lamb Edie but do the
voice of the street it’s the place where
all your dreams as an artist all those
dreams have come true but if you’re a
voice on the street it’s a place where
all your dreams are shattered and taken
away if you’re to a salvage or rahama
Sadao or an team or boudu or misses at
this or it told me Wellington hi baby
but if you’re any one of those females
it’s a place where you can break through
stereotypes break through barriers and
shine and succeed and make something of
yourself
but if you have Boko Haram it’s the
place where you can kidnap 200 female
children at the same time and get away
Nigeria’s the place that inspired so
much literary genius in the mind of a
young girl that the world now has no
choice but to respect and reckon with
Chimamanda Adichie but Nigeria is also
the place where is Senate
can marry a thirteen-year-old and get
Nigeria is the birthplace of the legend
that is Fela and Nakula Micucci okay
most of us can agree arguably he is the
greatest most iconic musician in our
history but it’s also the place where
songs that fell on route in the 70s
sound like they could have been written
last week because the issues are the
same or worse most of the things that he
addressed are the same or worse Nigerian
is a place where we have a vibranium
Valley anybody know vibranium Valley
okay in vibranium Valley Nigeria has
amazing digital technology startups
they’re doing amazing innovative
fantastic things but it’s also the place
where some schools attempt to teach
computer science technology without one
working computer one how are we how are
we educating the leaders of tomorrow
without the computers of today what is
the average Nigerian child learning not
the people in this room that average
Nigerian child what is that child
learning if in one state for example
thousands of our teachers could not pass
a primary four grid exam in Nigeria we
don’t have any state-of-the-art
universities we don’t have any
world-class medical research centers
it’s not one but you know what we do
have we have state-of-the-art
world-class billion-dollar churches now
don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that
praying is a bad thing praying for
healing is a good thing we should all do
it but isn’t it better to be able to
pray with your pastor and go and see a
doctor as well it’s not a better option
we’re in Legos right now right Legos in
my opinion you don’t have to agree but
Legos is arguably a most progressive
place there’s a reason why millions
everyday thousands and thousands of
Nigerians floats in Legos because
they’re in search of opportunity they’re
in search of progress they in search of
a chance at a better life they they in
search of survival that’s why they come
here but isn’t it ironic that this same
Legos was just ranked as the third worst
city to live in in the world this is the
best city that we have this is the best
city that we have who were the third
worst city in the world what happens to
the rest of the country
I just let’s talk about the rest of the
country I just shot a movie in bouchy up
north and I was there for a little over
three weeks do you know that it blew my
mind that in this same Nigeria we have
the most amazing magnificent beautiful
animals you have ever seen in your life
in bouchy I saw them guys if if I saw a
picture or a video I wouldn’t have
believed that it was possible when I saw
them with my eyes I saw that myself
giraffes so tall so beautiful so
magnificent so exotic they’re here the
same animals that Kenya has built an
entire tourism economy around the same
animals that people fly from all over
the world to go on safaris in Kenya and
South Africa they make millions of
dollars off of these same animals and
they’re here but you know what’s sad
what’s sad is that the only things that
seem to maintain themselves in our
environment are things that God Himself
watches over God Himself the gyri
are as beautiful and exotic and
magnificent today as they were thirty
years ago they are then super go you’ll
see it the wiki warm spring and young
carry Game Reserve my goodness it is it
is it is one of the most you have been
dead god bless you so you know I’m not
lying
Wiki warm spring is it’s literally one
of the most beautiful natural water
attractions that you will ever see in
your life Pope the facilities around
these things have run down completely
run down Sioux park where I saw the
giraffes the toilets looked and smelled
like they haven’t been flushed in five
years why is it that everything that we
are in charge of rots away what what is
wrong with with with maintenance culture
countries are surviving off of the
things that we’re ignoring yes what good
is having a House of Representatives if
you are not actually being represented
what good is a Senate without a spine
they have the ability to make being gay
illegal a crime punishable by 14 years
jail time but they cannot save one child
bright one and while all these terrible
things are happening what are our
they are playing musical chairs with the
affairs and the destiny of our country
the country that we’re going to give to
our children they’re playing musical
chairs and what are we doing we’re
sitting down we’re watching we’re
tweeting we’re complaining and even
worse we’re picking sides and fighting
on their behalf
well falsely accusing ourselves what
what what dragging ourselves to the mud
on their behalf I have news for you when
you are in a lose-lose situation you
don’t pick sides you change the
situation so how did we end up here as a
country yes decades of bad failed
corrupt poor leadership leaders without
vision yes but you know what talking
about the problems it’s not enough we’ve
done this for years but you can only
ever influence an outcome if you
participate you have to you ever heard
the term you have to be in it to win it
if you’re not in the game you can’t win
the game it doesn’t work like that and
you know what the very first step is
captive register to vote
step one if you don’t do that then shut
up please yes it’s hard yes it’s
difficult yes you have to wake up at 4
or 5 million you but it takes radical
decisions to break through you ever hear
the term power belongs to the people see
that term is actually true but only if
the people realize that our strength is
in the numbers I have a question why do
you think and I really want you to think
about this why do you think politicians
spend so much money bribing people to
vote for them you think they’d do that
if the votes didn’t count would anybody
spend millions or billions of naira if
they felt like I’m just gonna ignore the
count anyway so why waste the money they
spend the money they go through
effort they bribe voters and they kill
each other because the votes to count
when will we realize that the more
people that show up the harder it is for
any one person to sway any election
result what is that going to sink in if
I make an allotment 400 people in this
room right now to vote and 10 people
predict what happens to the other 19 I
can do whatever I want
but if out of a hundred 50 60 70 80
people sure it’s a little bit more
guys we can no longer afford to sit on
the sidelines it’s time for us to have a
say in our communities and our towns in
our cities and our states in our country
even if you are disappointed in every
single leader that Nigeria has ever had
even if you don’t yet know who you want
to vote for even if none of the
candidates are quite measuring up to
power you don’t think any of them can
win or you are not happy no problem but
your vote is your voice
you don’t give your voice away because
you are not yet sure what you want to
say come on
[Music] and you know what maybe it’s time for a
and you know what maybe it’s time for a new political movement right maybe were
new political movement right maybe were tired of the musical chairs maybe were
tired of the musical chairs maybe were tired of the four-team maybe were tired
tired of the four-team maybe were tired I mean we were kids they said that youth
I mean we were kids they said that youth are the leaders of tomorrow and we’re
are the leaders of tomorrow and we’re still here so maybe it’s time for us and
still here so maybe it’s time for us and I know I’m not a youth anymore I’m not
I know I’m not a youth anymore I’m not that you said when I understand but
that you said when I understand but maybe it’s time for this generation to
maybe it’s time for this generation to say okay you know what we’re gonna chart
say okay you know what we’re gonna chart a new course we have the numbers to do
a new course we have the numbers to do it we do but guess what
it we do but guess what it’s gonna take time longer than 2019
it’s gonna take time longer than 2019 it’s going to take effort it’s going to
it’s going to take effort it’s going to take energy it’s going to take sacrifice
take energy it’s going to take sacrifice it’s going to take work twins take blood
it’s going to take work twins take blood sweat tears resources money we’re going
sweat tears resources money we’re going to need to give of ourselves to build
to need to give of ourselves to build something to compete but guess what
something to compete but guess what difficult does not mean impossible it’s
difficult does not mean impossible it’s possible but the very the very absolute
possible but the very the very absolute first step just register to vote get the
first step just register to vote get the card do what you have to do wake up
card do what you have to do wake up early
early stand in line struggle with it change
stand in line struggle with it change takes radicalism it takes it’s not going
takes radicalism it takes it’s not going to be easy there are people who are
to be easy there are people who are satisfied with the way the country is
satisfied with the way the country is they’re not going to make it easy for
they’re not going to make it easy for you step 1 register to vote very first
you step 1 register to vote very first step if you don’t do that you’re not
step if you don’t do that you’re not even part of the conversation so please
even part of the conversation so please just leave those of us that are walking
just leave those of us that are walking step 2 vote with your conscience you
step 2 vote with your conscience you want millions of us to vote for you you
want millions of us to vote for you you won’t even come on a platform and argue
won’t even come on a platform and argue with your opponents and say this is what
with your opponents and say this is what I stand for this is what I represent
I stand for this is what I represent support me because I’m going you won’t
support me because I’m going you won’t even do that you won’t even debate huh
even do that you won’t even debate huh you know why they don’t need to do it
you know why they don’t need to do it cuz we’re not voting anyway they have
cuz we’re not voting anyway they have the numbers they are calculating based
the numbers they are calculating based on the people that are already there
on the people that are already there isn’t it time for us to get 1020 million
isn’t it time for us to get 1020 million new voters in the system listen
new voters in the system listen there are people who are going to sell
there are people who are going to sell their boots for 5k and a bag of rice
their boots for 5k and a bag of rice it’s going to happen there’s so much
it’s going to happen there’s so much need and luck in this country that
need and luck in this country that there’s some people that just wait for
there’s some people that just wait for election period they got the PVC they
election period they got the PVC they know somebody’s going to come along and
know somebody’s going to come along and give them a little bit of cash and
give them a little bit of cash and they’re going to vote for that person
they’re going to vote for that person it’s going to happen now you that know
it’s going to happen now you that know better are going to sit back and not
better are going to sit back and not register and not vote and let that
register and not vote and let that person that sold his vote for 5k and a
person that sold his vote for 5k and a bag of rice decide who sets the policies
bag of rice decide who sets the policies that affected your life step 1 register
that affected your life step 1 register to vote step 2 vote with your conscience
to vote step 2 vote with your conscience but let’s take things a step further you
but let’s take things a step further you want to here step step three guys for
want to here step step three guys for true progress to occur we each have a
true progress to occur we each have a responsibility to do whatever we can
responsibility to do whatever we can we need baby steps we need little drops
we need baby steps we need little drops of water to fill a bucket here’s a
of water to fill a bucket here’s a newsflash no singular person not just
newsflash no singular person not just senator not your governor not even your
senator not your governor not even your president no singular person has the
president no singular person has the ability to fix everything that is wrong
ability to fix everything that is wrong in Nigeria nobody but you know what
in Nigeria nobody but you know what each one of us can fix something you can
each one of us can fix something you can everywhere you turn in Nigeria there’s
everywhere you turn in Nigeria there’s need everywhere you turn there’s lack
need everywhere you turn there’s lack everywhere you turn there’s poverty
everywhere you turn there’s poverty the sickness there’s hunger everywhere
the sickness there’s hunger everywhere you turn what are you doing about it
spend less time pointing out problems and more time being part of the progress
and more time being part of the progress each of us can do something each person
each of us can do something each person you might not be able to fix the entire
you might not be able to fix the entire Ministry of Education maybe you can help
Ministry of Education maybe you can help one school maybe you can buy one school
one school maybe you can buy one school some computers or some musical
some computers or some musical instruments or help them this debt fix
instruments or help them this debt fix their desks if you can help one school
their desks if you can help one school maybe you can’t find an entire orphanage
maybe you can’t find an entire orphanage or maybe you can donate some items they
or maybe you can donate some items they need clothes they need food they need
need clothes they need food they need money
money you don’t have to be the Minister of
you don’t have to be the Minister of Health to help the sick go to your local
Health to help the sick go to your local hospital got Luther you will see
hospital got Luther you will see thousands of people that cannot pay the
thousands of people that cannot pay the very basic of medical bills thousands
very basic of medical bills thousands try it once a month if you have twenty K
try it once a month if you have twenty K Drive once anyone talk to a nurse there
Drive once anyone talk to a nurse there there meets one need help one person
there meets one need help one person help one school when faced with
help one school when faced with challenges the easiest thing to do is to
challenges the easiest thing to do is to sit back and complain but it’s also the
sit back and complain but it’s also the most ineffective course of action that
most ineffective course of action that you can take true change will only come
you can take true change will only come when you are frustrated enough about a
when you are frustrated enough about a problem to do something about it – more
problem to do something about it – more than tweet do more than pray we’ve been
than tweet do more than pray we’ve been praying for Nigeria for what feels like
praying for Nigeria for what feels like an eternity do more than pray it’s like
an eternity do more than pray it’s like we’ve mastered the scripture that says
we’ve mastered the scripture that says pray without ceasing but we have
pray without ceasing but we have forgotten about the scripture that says
forgotten about the scripture that says faith without works is dead
[Applause] each one of us must register to vote
each one of us must register to vote each one of us must do what we can to
each one of us must do what we can to make it a little better if you really
make it a little better if you really truly sincerely want your country to be
truly sincerely want your country to be better fix it yourself
Please follow and like us: