This is a sequel to the article “Invest in D Name”
Jabez was more distinguished than his peers though he was known, experienced and perceived as a man that radiated sorrow. This is the key to turning the name of Nigeria to a New Nigeria where she is free from corruption, fraud, human right abuse, depravation by the corrupt politicians and lack of basic human needs. There is a need to unlock the seal that has blinded men too many. The Bible in itself was given for instruction, for correction, for reproof and for revelation so all solutions to knotty issues comes from the Bible. The story of Jabez gives an articulated revelation on how Nigeria can turn around its perceived name (though true for now) to a name that signifies great value.
Before I delve deeper into what Jabez did to evolve from its birth name to a widely embraced and widely adopted brand, I would tell you two stories that baffled me. I went to the night market in Rome to pick up some boxers and singlet; I saw them in the shop of an obviously Chinese immigrant to Italy and I asked for the price. I was immediately shocked but recovered quickly when he said “this is not China, this is Italian-made” and he pointed them to me. It is not the fact that his statement was true or not but the fact that he could ascertain a world-wide perception. The other story is like the first; I was in Adis Ababa recently (men, Ethiopian ladies are comely to behold), I wanted to buy coffee in one of the café and the attendant told me 8birr.Out of curiosity, I asked for the dollar conversion and she said 1dollar to 8 birr. This was a shocker to me who the mantra “Nigeria is the King of Africa” has become staple thought. Why do I perceive Nigeria to be the King of Africa when I had not even visited other African countries except for Benin Republic?
The two stories show the power of branding, the power of ingraining perception as oppose to the truth. Sony (the Japanese power brand) was in the 1970s, the position of the perceived China (imitating products and producing low quality products) but with the power of vision, the name Sony has been turned to Reliability and Quality. What is the truth? The truth is not the process a system is undergoing but the potentials innate in the system. The whole concept of branding is a false representation of the potential which is the truth but as long as the potential is abused or underutilized, branding tends to become a true representation of the potential.
Let me tell you my true experience as compared to Jabez.In Federal Government College Ijanikin, I was branded Jabez because all I produced was sorrowful to my peers and the school authorities. I jump fence to parties, to galavant and do unimaginable things but when I entered Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, I was branded distinguished by my peers and the school authority being the best student in my department and holding a leadership position in my fellowship. The same “me” branded sorrow now branded distinguished; this is definitely a dichotomy. This simply backs up the fact that the brand you exude is based on the projection of your potentials (or abuse of it). Whenever a battered wife complains of her husband’s incessant hit, I advise her to pray for him, she terms me a chauvinist but what she fails to see is that her husband is abusing his potential. This is why Nigeria is not exuding its true potential because of its abuse on its potential but a peek into jabez’s transformation can help us change our name to suit our true potential.
The secret to Jabez’s success can be found in the four sentences of prayers that he uttered to God;
4. and you would keep me from evil that it would not grieve me.
Oh that you may bless me: The word blessing is always misconceived to mean acquisition of physical substance; no wonder you hear statements like Nigeria is blessed with abundant of natural resources. Nigeria is not blessed with abundant of natural resources, Nigeria possesses abundant of natural resources. There is a huge difference between possessing something and being blessed with something; the bible clarifies this when Abraham was about to die. The bible records it by saying Abraham gave all his physical possessions to his other children but gave his blessing to Isaac. Another story that comes to mind was Jacob deceiving Esau to get the blessing from Isaac but we all know Jacob did not receive any physical possession but an impartation of spiritual substance. What is this spiritual substance that we call blessing and why is it more important than physical possessions?
Let’s take a look @ Nigeria with some of its talents:
 If God was to judge Japan and Nigeria based on the Parable of the talent, I am sure you know God would give all the resources that Nigerian possesses to Japan because Japan has little or no material resources, Japan experienced a huge set back in World War 2 and Japan is able to rise above all this to become one of the thriving economy in the world and Nigeria with enormous material experience and minimal setback cannot boast of anything.This is why Jabez supplications for the capacity to multiply possessions not just acquiring possessions was very important to transforming his name.
After all I have said, I have decided to do something by joining forces with a club that has decided to transform the name of Nigeria. The New Nigerian Club is a fresh hope to change the name of Nigeria forever; the plan is on gear after 2-days, 7-hours meeting at the Night in St. George’s Hotel in Dubai; November 1st is the pre-lunch date of a Club that would revolutionize
Part 3 of this write-up comes up SOONEST!
