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There is a common saying that “patience is a virtue.” Unfortunately, it is a virtue that seems to be disappearing from many aspects of Nigerian life. Everywhere one looks, there is a growing culture of impatience, a relentless desire to be first, to move faster than everyone else, and to achieve results instantly. Whether at airports, on the highways, in banks, at markets, while eating, during a simple phone conversation, or, I dare say, even during sexual activity, many Nigerians appear to be in a perpetual race against time. Ironically, much of this rushing achieves very little. Instead, it breeds confusion, anxiety, conflict and avoidable tragedy. We have become a people in a hurry, yet our haste often leaves us standing still or, worse, taking several steps backwards.
One of the most striking examples can be seen at airports. The moment an aircraft touches the runway, many passengers immediately unfasten their seat belts, stand up, reach for their luggage and crowd the aisle, even before the aircraft has come to a complete stop. Everyone aboard will eventually disembark, yet many behave as though a few extra seconds would determine their destiny. Even more disturbing is the rush to switch on mobile phones while the aircraft is still taxiing. Despite repeated announcements from the flight crew asking passengers to keep their devices off or in flight mode until instructed otherwise, some hurriedly power up their phones to make calls or send messages. Even when cautioned, they ignore the crew, convinced that those few minutes cannot possibly matter.
The question I often ask is simple: What exactly is so urgent? If the aircraft had been delayed in the air for another fifteen or twenty minutes, would anyone have died because a telephone call was delayed? Would the world have come to an end because a text message was sent half an hour later? The answer is almost always no. Yet many choose to disregard safety instructions for the sake of a conversation that could easily wait. Whether or not such phone use materially affects an aircraft’s systems, the deeper issue is our willingness to ignore rules designed for everyone’s safety simply because we are unwilling to wait. That attitude says much about us as a society. The same behaviour is evident on Nigerian roads. Drivers frequently overtake dangerously, ignore traffic lights, drive against the flow of traffic, refuse to yield to others and create additional lanes where none exists.
They are desperate to save a few minutes. Ironically, these reckless actions frequently worsen traffic congestion, cause accidents and claim innocent lives. Every year, countless road crashes result not merely from mechanical failure but from impatience, indiscipline and disregard for the law. Sadly, the impatience does not end there. The culture extends into virtually every public space. In banks, hospitals, government offices, fuel stations and supermarkets, many people are unwilling to wait their turn. Queue-jumping has become so common that orderly lines often dissolve into pushing, arguments and disorder. Instead of respecting fairness, some believe aggressiveness is the quickest path to service. This same mentality is visible during elections.
Rather than allowing institutions to function and legal processes to run their course, many citizens demand instant declarations, instant judgments and instant victories. We often mistake speed for efficiency, forgetting that justice, like democracy itself, requires patience. Even our religious life is not immune. Increasingly, many people seek miracles without sacrifice, breakthroughs without preparation and prosperity without diligence. The culture of wealth without labour or conscience has permeated our society to the extent that people commit all manner of evils without thinking of consequences.
The popularity of “instant solutions” to life’s problems reflects the same societal impatience that drives many to seek shortcuts instead of enduring the discipline required for lasting success. Mobile phone etiquette also reveals this impatience. Some people expect their calls to be answered immediately, regardless of whether the recipient is attending a meeting, driving, praying, resting, sleeping or responding to an emergency. If a call goes unanswered after a few rings, repeated calls follow, sometimes accompanied by accusations of being ignored.
Likewise, many become anxious or offended when messages are not replied to instantly, forgetting that every individual has responsibilities, priorities and a personal schedule. Remarkably, this impatience extends even to eating. Many Nigerians consume meals in great haste, swallowing food without chewing properly or taking time to enjoy it. Although the food is not going anywhere, they eat as though they were competing in an Olympic event, or that the food will go out of fashion.
Nutritionists have repeatedly warned that hurried eating contributes to indigestion, overeating, obesity and other digestive disorders. Even in something as personal and pleasurable as eating, we seem unable to slow down. The culture of haste is perhaps most dangerous in our pursuit of wealth and success. Increasingly, many young people desire instant prosperity without appreciating that genuine success is built through years of education, discipline, sacrifice, consistency and hard work. Society glorifies sudden wealth while paying little attention to the long process through which honest success is achieved.
Consequently, many are tempted into internet fraud, financial scams, examination malpractice, corruption, kidnapping, ritual crimes and other criminal enterprises simply because they are unwilling to wait. The obsession with “making it” at all costs has become one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s moral fabric. The entertainment industry and social media have not helped matters. Every day, young people scroll through carefully curated images of luxury cars, expensive holidays and extravagant lifestyles.
What they rarely see are the years of struggle, failure and perseverance that genuine achievement requires. The illusion of overnight success creates unrealistic expectations, leading many to believe that if success does not come quickly, something must be wrong. Parents are not entirely blameless either. In some homes, children are given everything they desire immediately. They grow up without learning delayed gratification, resilience or self-control. By adulthood, waiting becomes almost unbearable because patience was never cultivated during childhood.
What, then, has caused this national impatience? Economic hardship undoubtedly plays a role. Inflation, unemployment, insecurity and uncertainty make people anxious about survival. Long queues, unreliable public services, heavy traffic and bureaucratic delays condition people to believe that unless they push themselves forward, they may never be served. While these frustrations are understandable, they do not justify disorderly behaviour.
However understandable these pressures may be, impatience is never the solution. A society where everyone refuses to wait their turn gradually descends into chaos. It is, quite simply, an invitation to anarchy. Respect for rules disappears. Courtesy gives way to aggression. Trust declines. Institutions weaken. National productivity suffers because energy that should be devoted to development is wasted managing needless disorder. The consequences are far-reaching. Road accidents claim thousands of lives, create widows or widowers and make children orphans. Workplace conflicts increase. Families experience unnecessary tension. Businesses lose customers because of poor service and disorder. Health problems multiply as people live under constant pressure. Corruption flourishes because people seek shortcuts instead of due process.
Above all, the nation loses the values of discipline, responsibility and mutual respect upon which every successful society is built. Changing this culture requires a deliberate national effort. Parents must teach children that patience is strength, not weakness. Schools should place greater emphasis on discipline, civic responsibility and character formation alongside academic excellence. Religious institutions should continue to preach perseverance, integrity and respect for others rather than promoting the illusion of instant breakthroughs. When religious institutions praise philanthropy without seeking to know the source of the wealth being lavished on them, they reduce faith in religious injunctions of patience and waiting on God.
Government also has a critical responsibility. Public institutions must become more efficient, transparent and predictable so that citizens regain confidence in orderly systems. At the same time, laws must be enforced consistently and without favouritism. Traffic regulations, queue management, public order laws and other civic rules must apply equally to everyone, regardless of status or influence. Respect for the law is indispensable to restoring patience and order in society. The media, too, has an important role. Rather than celebrating overnight millionaires and sensational success stories, it should highlight examples of perseverance, integrity and long-term achievement. Nations are built not by shortcuts but by sustained efforts. Ultimately, however, the responsibility rests with each individual Nigerian. Every one of us must recognise that not every delay is a disaster. Waiting our turn, obeying safety instructions, respecting queues, driving responsibly, eating calmly and allowing others the time to respond are simple habits that collectively build a more peaceful, orderly and productive society. There is so much to learn from the lifestyles of the Japanese. Theirs is a society where ethics and morality have become so institutionalised that departing from them is unimaginable to many of their citizens. Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not merely economic or political; it is also behavioural.
National transformation begins with personal conduct. A people who cannot wait for an aircraft to park before standing, who cannot remain in a queue without pushing, who cannot obey traffic light, who cannot patiently build success through honest efforts, or who cannot postpone immediate gratification for greater future rewards, will struggle to build a stable, prosperous and respected nation. Perhaps it is time for Nigerians to slow down, not because life is easy, but because wisdom often begins where impatience ends. Patience is not laziness. It is not weakness. It is disciplined self-control. It is respect for rules. It is consideration for others. It is confidence that what belongs to you will not disappear simply because you waited your turn. History teaches us that no enduring civilisation has ever been built on haste. Great nations are built patiently, brick upon brick, institution upon institution, generation upon generation. If Nigeria truly desires sustainable development, national unity and lasting prosperity, then we must first rediscover one forgotten virtue: the patience to wait, the discipline to obey and the wisdom to understand that not everything worthwhile happens instantly.
