Thanks, Segun.
The situation persists all year round though.
The problem ramifies at all levels of the scholarly ecosystem. If my observation in Lagos applies significantly to the rest of the country, the accessibility of books, and particularly serious non-fiction, the bedrock of scholarship, has shrunk from the past 10 years. Its a tragedy.
The gap between us and those who are truly developing their scholarly ecosystem is too great.
I am hoping the scholarly class will rebel agst this down sizing of their creative potential and work steadfastly towards changing the system.
With the kind of political system and political activity I am observing in Nigeria, this situation could continue for the next 50 years, if not more.
Why must a scholar need to relocate to the West to maximize themselves?
Its horrible.
toyin
On Thu, 20 Sep 2018 at 00:45, Segun Ogungbemi <seguno2013@gmail.com> wrote:
Those of us who have taught in Nigerian universities for many years simply get used to it because what cannot be cured must be endured, Toyin.--When you are tired you will go back and think of the best time to visit Nigeria and do your research. Dry season is the best time to go to Nigeria for achievable research activities. During the rainy season you hardly get regular and steady supply of electricity.I wish you the best.Segun Ogungbemi.Sent from my iPhone--I have been struggling for days in my home in Lagos with trying to meet externally created and self generated deadlines on a number of essays.But there has been a blackout of electricity in our neighborhood for days.The effort to research information, interpret and present what knowledge one is able to gain is now combined with the struggle to afford diesel for the generator, to buy and transport it in one's vehicle, a safety risk.I have access to a number of online databases but the scope of my use of these information systems is limited by access to electricity.One is at times primed to work but there is no electricity to do so. The computer battery is flat. At times I find myself writing in longhand and typing the text into the computer when I am again able to charge the computer.I have to fall back on prints of essays since access to electronic copies of essays is challenged by poor electricity.How are Nigerian scholars coping?This situation has not changed for decades.It is horrible.Is it possible to do one's best in such an environment as a scholar or other creative who requires electricity?Can a vigorous book publishing culture grow in such an environment?The research potential in the areas that interest me is huge-classical African cognitive systems- relationships between theories of perception and sacred trees, esoteric orders, among others, but the exploration of these zones is severely challenged by poor access to the resources required to transform information into knowledge, like Nigeria's abundant crude oil supply remains inadequately resourced because of poor management and technological enablement to refine and distribute this natural endowment.Is this the reason why it seems the most important work on African and Nigerian art is not done by scholars in Nigeria nor published in Nigeria or Africa or is it that the work of Nigerian based scholars and publishers is not as visible online as those of others outside Nigeria?May God help Nigeria, Black people and Africa.Toyin
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