advertisement

femiadebajo@yahoo.com Milton Keynes, UK

HAPPINESS IS A NIGERIAN

lot has been written recently about news reports that describe Nigerians, based on a scientific study, as the ‘happiest people on earth’. The comments have varied in their depth and perception and it is important to take a closer look at the issues. I intend to present a non-technical description of the study, surrounding issues and discuss the veracity of the various assertions that have followed these news reports.

The World Values Survey is a ‘worldwide investigation of socio-cultural and political change, measuring basic values and beliefs of the public in more than 65 societies on 6 continents’. This grew out of a study by the European Values Survey (EVS) group, initially of 10 West European countries and later replicated in 14 additional countries. Three more waves of studies (1990-1991, 1995-1996, 1999-2001) were carried out to include more countries and diverse cultures. The latest World Values Survey studied subjects in 89 countries (including 11 African countries) and was conducted locally by professionals involved in social science research in those countries. In Nigeria, Bukola Bandele of RMS Media Services surveyed a sample of 2022 people. The full results of the survey aren’t due for publication until 2004 and a critical appraisal of the methodology, analysis methods and conclusions cannot be done until then. Interested readers might want to visit www.worldvaluessurvey.org/ or read pages 40- 47 of the New Scientist magazine (October 4, 2003).

The notion that intangible variables such as happiness, sadness, joy etc can be measured might seem odd to those who have not studied these things but I assure you that it is by no means an outrageous concept. In fact, the measurement of attitudes is a useful way of understanding people and making valid conclusions about them. Let us look at this illustrative example. Let’s say my good friend, Santa Zeze, wants to inquire with an open mind about whether the Ijebus are really as parsimonious as they are rumoured to be. He could rely on the tales told him by older people whose memories could very well be clouded by poor recall, bad judgement, prejudice, ignorance and malice. His conclusions would be unscientific, probably inaccurate, and unfair and any truth in it would be entirely accidental. And I might get angry and smite him for impugning the good name of my people. On the other hand Santa Zeze could choose a representative sample of Ijebu people and measure their attitudes to spending money by asking them all similar questions for example by using set questions. These second set of conclusions are more likely to have the imprimatur of scientific validity and conclude that Ijebus are indeed happy spenders- get my drift?

The 1999-2001 World Values Survey showed that about 66 percent of Nigerians studied ‘said they were very happy’ but just about 55 percent said they were satisfied with their lives overall’. Please note the distinction between happiness and satisfaction and remember that these were how people said they felt. The visceral reaction is to refuse to believe that there are 1828 Nigerians (66% of 2769) who say they are very happy’ in the harsh climate of present-day Nigeria. However deeper reflection would suggest several reasons why this is entirely plausible. Cultural and religious reasons abound why an average Nigerian, in spite of the vicissitudes of life, manages to retain an indomitable, positive spirit. Our elders frequently chide those children who dare to make negative pronouncements about their past, present circumstances or future prospects. There are proverbs in many Nigerian cultures that reinforce this communal positivism of spirit and stubborn refusal to simply give up. Perhaps it’s a psychological defence against inner psychic pain or deep belief in an overall benevolent plan of Almighty God, yet to be made manifest and its inevitability not to be doubted, but I never cease to be amazed by the hopefulness of many ordinary Nigerians in the most desperate of circumstances. I have seen patients in Lagos and Ibadan plainly refuse to believe the negative prognosis given them by their doctors and retaining their faith in a positive outcome even in their death throes. Our cultures forswear nay saying and our main religions exhort us to ‘positive confession’ at all times. There are fewer more unpleasant things that a ‘molue’ ride from Obalende to Iyana Ipaja at 10pm yet people will miraculously manage to conjure mirth from this and similarly difficult situations. I will discuss some of the negative and positive social and political implications of these attitudes later.

Happiness is an intangible and relative term. One is happy relative to a previous state of mind and there are degrees of happiness and unhappiness. An important concept to note is the scale of reference as this determines what one’s expectations are and how one subconsciously measures the achievement or otherwise of one’s set goals. In some of our subcultures, and I know this personally, the mark of adult male success is a house (quality notwithstanding), wives and several children with scant attention to the quality of life as measured by other standards. Such a man might be quite content with living in a one-room apartment in Okokomaiko, the undisputed head of his household and nurse no ambition to migrate to Asokoro district in Abuja. I dare say many such men and women exist in Nigeria. On the other hand, you might find a doctor living in relative comfort in Ilupeju but desperately anxious to make the move to Lekki, regarding as lese majeste that which the man in the earlier example would consider huge success beyond his wildest dreams.

This widespread attitude of benign satisfaction has its pluses and minuses. On the one hand it could partially explain the low rates of suicide and the strong intrafamilial and communal bonds that exist in our country. More negatively these attitudes, in my view, contribute to the general complacency of the middle and lower classes of our society. Low expectations of the social system, unjustified collective optimism and a cargo-cult mentality make serious political agitation an esoteric pursuit of mavericks and ‘troublemakers’. You might wonder why there are no spectacular riots or protracted civil disobedience in spite of the perfidy of our political elite.

In conclusion, it is entirely plausible that the majority of Nigerians are ’happy and satisfied’ with their lives for contentment is an intrinsic quality of the individual and the degree of happiness does not bear a direct relationship to material wellbeing. If Nigerians are indeed happy as the WVS suggests, it is in spite of the worst attentions of our rulers who at every turn contrive to deprive us of the wherewithal to achieve happiness. Let’s hope we change or they change for this entente is unsustainable.