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i nsi demycur i ousmi ndt hewor l dcoul dendi n2012aspr edi ct edbySashat hi si st het hought s t hatdomi nat edmymi ndaf t erwat chi ngt he2012awar dwi nni ngmov i et i t l ed2012t hi scur i osi t y gr adual l ybegant ur ni ngi nt of eart hatl et t eronev engr aduat edi nt oev enmor ei nt ensef eart hat st r et chedal mostbey ondt hecont r olofmyhear tt hathost edi t .t hi sf earwasnotbecauseofhow t heendoft hewor l dwasf al l i ngapar ti nacat ast r ophi cwayasf ort r adei nt hemov i enotbecause ofhowt her apt ur ecal l edsuddenl yt her ef or enoonecoul dhav econt r oloft hesi t uat i onandnot ev enbecauseofhi ghgr aphi csnur ser yoft hemov i et hatr eal l i f eexper i encef ort hespect at or s. af t eral li twasj ustamov i e.aboutmyf earwhat ' st hear r i v edf r om ast r angequest i ont hat bumpedi nt omymi nd.whati ft heal mi ght ycr eat oraf t ert heer upt i ondeci dedt oi nt er r ogat eal l Nat i onsandbr eakt hem i naccor dancet ohowhowwel i v eonEar t h,t hei rper f or manceandhow t heyconductt hei raf f ai r st owar dsnat i onalpr ogr essi nr eachi ngt hei rf ul lpot ent i alt hatt he al mi ght ycr eat edi nt hem? i twasaquest i onder i v edoutofl egi t i mat econcer nont hecur r entsi t uat i onofmydearcount r y Ni ger i aandt hat ' ssneakywi sht hatNi ger i ashal lber ankedamongt hehi ghposi t i onr anksi nt hi s assembl yofNat i ons.i twasaquest i ont hatopenedadoorwayt of ol deranal y si sont hesi t uat i on ofmycount r y ' sr eason cur i osi t yand pushi ng f ur t heri nv est i gat i v e sel f i nqui r yt wowayt he possi bi l i t yofmycount r ycl i ngi ngi nt ot opr anki nt hi si magi nat i v eaf t er l i f epr emi ses. t hi sseemi ngmoni t orusbumpgav ebi r t ht oaseemi ngl yendl essquest i onaboutpr essi ng nat i onali ssueswonder i ngay oungNi ger i an.i ssuest hatIsuspect edt ohav et hecapaci t yor pr ev ent i ngNi ger i af r om succeedi ng.ay oungmi ndt hatwon' thol dagr udgei fl i v i ngi nNi ger i ai s t obeaccur at el ydef i nedonl yi fi ti ncl udes" t hel adderofi ncr easi ngdi f f i cul t ywher eev er ySt af f or d unl eashedabr andnewsetofnat i onal headache"maki ngl i f emor eunbear abl et hani twas. Ist i l lcoul dheari nmyear st hesoundoft hatFr ostbombbl astt hatr ocked. . . . . . 20. . . . ,t hesound t hati ni t i at edt hepr ev al enceoft er r or i sm i nsur gencyandki dnappi ngst hatwear enowf or cedt o l ear nhowt ol i v ei t , obser v i nghowi tal lst ar t edatal mostnegl i gi bl ewei ghtt hengr adual l yandwi t h t hepr ogr essoft i medev el opi nt oaf ul l r angeofki l l i ngsandot herf or msofv i ol ence. t hequest i onher ear i seswhenIt r yt ocompar emycount r y ' spr ogr essi nt ackl i ngt hi spr obl em wi t hswi f tact i onofUSgov er nment ,dur i ngt hewakeoft er r or i sm on. . . . . .how i twi l lcal cul at e i t hi st or ywhatexact l yar ewenotdoi ngr i ght ? aboutnat ur al r esour cesi st hekeyt oeconomi cal nat i onal gr owt handnat i onal pr osper i t y ? i ft hesepopul arassumpt i ont hatwehav ebeenf ai rwi t handcont i nuet ober epeat edi nev er y l anguaget hati sspokeni nt heshor esofNi ger i a, i sr eal l yt r uet henwhatexact l yi st hepr obl em. Ni ger i ai sbl essedwi t hv astnat ur alr esour ceswecoul df eedshel t erandbui l dacount r ywi t hout dependi ngonanyext er nalsour cet hi ssent enceoratl eastt hephr asev er si onofi thasbeen r epeat edconsi st ent l yandev er ysoci alandpol i t i calgat her i ngsIneedev er yoccasi ont hatal l ows asl i ghtoppor t uni t yf ornat i onali ssuest obet al kedabout .t hecal mi ngef f ect sandt hesenseof nat i onalpr i decont ai nedi nt hi sphr ase,somehow engr av edasenseofhopei nt hemi ndsof pat r i ot i cNi ger i ansl i kemy sel f , butsadl y , f ai l edt oy i el di t ' sant i ci pat edr esul t s, wenowcanf eelas t hi swhol ei ssl owl ydecay i ngi nourmi ndshencel osi ngi t sgl amoursl owl ywi t houtachi ev i ngwhat wewer et ol dwear ecapabl eofachi ev i ngasanat i on. whatexact l yi shal t i ngorpr osper i t y ? i ft hi snat ur alr esour cescoul dbeThecat al y stofeconomi cgr owt h,amedi um t oneut r al i zi ng pol i t yandgener at i ngweal t hcoul di seaset hel i v esoft hepopul ace,t henhow coul donenext senseoft hehi dat ar epr esent i ngpeopl el i v i ngi next r emepov er t yandt hef actt hatt hedat aser i es ofdat acol l ect edpr ov et hatt hesi t uat i onhasbeenper si st ent l yy etst ubbor nl yr i si nganddr i v i ng andhowi tcont i nuedt ocausehar mt oourmor alet hi csanddemor al i zi ngourcul t ur alv al uest he st at eofourdi l api dat edr oadsandt hemaj ori nf r ast r uct ur e. 1bagst oaskt hequest i onwhati s wr ongwi t hmycount r yandwhatmustwedot ohel pt hesi t uat i on? i sapopul at i ont heboneofcont ent i on? i nt hemi dstoft hi spandemoni um andsi ncer ecol l ect i v equestf orabet t erNi ger i asomewher e exi stt hesetofpeopl et hatbel i ev emymot her l andi sov er cr owdedandt hati st hepr obl em. t hi sbel i ev ehasev ol v edf r om t henot i ont hatwear eov er popul at edhenceourr esour cescanno l ongersuppor tus. butuponhear i ngsuchweakasser t i onone' smi ndal mosti mmedi at el ywanderar oundi nsear ch ofi ssol i dev i dencet obackt hi sassumpt i onbutsoonert hemanst umbl eduponmanycount r i es i nt hel i ght sofChi nawhom ar ef armor epopul at edt hanwear ey etIwi l ll i t er al l ydoi ngmuch