Tola Sarumi’s tweets about #international exposure raises more questions than answers for us. And because we hate to assume, we decided to ask. So dear Tola, please feel free to address us on these below:

1. What is International exposure? We ask because we realize how ambiguous this coinage is. We can go out on a limb and reckon it means travelling abroad. If it is, then it raises other questions: Are other parts of Africa “abroad”? Niger? Ghana? What of Dubai? Does the dictionary meaning of abroad – ‘in or to a foreign country or countries’- apply in this sense? Or were you referring strictly to UK and US? You know how Nigerians are about these things- some say it’s not really abroad except it’s one of those two countries or both (i.e. UK/US). As we do not want to take your words out of context, kindly clarify.

 

2. At which point can a Nigerian be said to be internationally exposed? We hate to badger, but you would agree it deserves explaining. Yes, you specified living and working abroad, but we’d like to know if this is the only way to obtain international exposure? Are there no short cuts? Or alternatives? For instance, if I live in Nigeria, but I binge watch British and American TV movies/shows/music/football (and sometimes Indian and Chinese ones too), does that count as international exposure? How about living in Google’s exclusive intellectual diaspora? Surely, that should count for some exposure of sorts. After all, Google is not home-grown. And the reason we pay DSTV/GOTV bills is so we can be exposed to happenings on the other side of the Atlantic. What if my reading materials consist mostly of Financial Times, The Economist, Times magazine, Guardian UK; isn’t that sufficient international exposure? How about CNN? No? Pray, tell.

 

3. Who makes these rules? Especially the one that says a Nigerian who has not lived and worked in the First world cannot change Nigeria? And for the sake of understanding, what countries did you have in mind when you said First world? Is the term fluid? We assure you; we are not trying to be pedantic; we simply acknowledge the fact that varying definitions abound around that term. Does China get a pass? Furthermore, what constitutes the basis of this conviction of yours that a Nigerian who has not lived and worked in the first world cannot change Nigeria? Empirical data? Legal authorities? Evidence? Anything? Kindly share.

And why only living and working? Is this either-or? Say, if I take a one month vacation to any of your first world countries, is that all the prerequisite for being a change agent in Nigeria? As for working, does any kind of work fly- begging, prostituting, drug pushing? All are work, innit? Has anyone stopped those “who’ve lived in a working system” from taking charge of our country? Is there something in our laws precluding returnees from politics, social entrepreneurship or any other thing that can bring change?

 

4. Does this not amount to putting a cap on the potential of Nigerians who live in Nigeria and do not have the opportunity of going abroad anytime soon, yet who are passionate about solving Nigeria’s problems, plugging the gap, or seizing the moment? Does this not push the narrative that unless they live and work abroad, they are useless to their home country? Is this not the sort of message that drives Nigerians in droves to “the land flowing with milk and honey”?

 

We look forward to getting further perspective from you on this subject matter. And thanks for making Monday interesting.