Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Travel Ban and a sad day

TF,

It is a sad day for all of us who are concerned about the implications of the ban on Nigeria. 

We cannot blame those of us who are here because we are not policy makers. Our governments at home have not lived up to the expectations of Nigerians both at home and in diaspora. 

We hope Buhari administration will rise up to the challenge. It is not good for the image of Nigeria. Something will be done, I am sure. 

Segun Ogungbemi

On Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 4:17 PM Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

Today, President Trump is most likely to announce a travel ban on Nigeria.

It shows the extent to which "tribalism" has gone global; how mega-nationalisms have declined and nearing collapse; and also the extent to which Nigeria has lost respect.

I know for a fact that some universities are saying they should not admit Nigerians for PhDs as they may be denied visa. For the first time, Nigerians who finished their PhDs even in top programs are getting it difficult to get jobs—at least I know eleven who have no jobs.

To those in the Diaspora, it shows their powerlessness, how the exaggeration of what they do comes into clear focus. All the boastings do not equal the finger of Oprah Winfrey. All the numbers in the big cities cannot influence policy, how no one is afraid of the PhDs that they parade and the long CVs they build.

We cannot even complain! We cannot even mobilize protests.

Most human beings do not care about what we say or write—they care about what we do and how we transform their lives.

It is a sad day.

 

Toyin Falola

Department of History

The University of Texas at Austin

104 Inner Campus Drive

Austin, TX 78712-0220, USA

http://toyinfalolanetwork.org/

 

 

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