ninehillsRAMBLE in the JUNGLE
Nigeria
By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Africa & the Gulf of Guinea
Tags: nigeria, accountability, identification
The devil is in the details: that is a well-known axiom, and it can be proven true. But how do you get hold of the details? That's the question and (if you ask me; you won't) that is what the people of Nigeria need to make happen.
What do I mean? A country with more than 100,000,000 humans, without a water-tight system of accounting for each of these souls, is bound to face problems: for example, crimes that disappear into thin air across the whole territory.
They say a problem is an opportunity. Anyone who can come up with a system of this sort would be doing the people of Nigeria a big favour. Did I just say "system"? Yes. If the nation of Nigeria cannot identify each citizen and track them (if need be), along with their activities, it will be impossible to solve terrorism, armed robbery, highway robbery and the other crimes that happen in this part of the world.
Find the devil in the details.
My two pennies.
— Wanaku Verdzekov
Reading & grammar
Reading level: Gr 9–11
Understand
- What does "the devil is in the details" mean?
- What system does the author say Nigeria needs?
- Which crimes does the author think such a system could help solve?
Grammar focus: large numbers. Write large numbers with commas or words: 100,000,000 or "100 million". Numbers over 999 need separators; in formal writing, round numbers are often spelled out.
Try it: Rewrite three large numbers (your country's population, a school budget, a distance) in figures and in words.
Discuss: Should every citizen have a national ID that the state can track? Weigh security against privacy.