IJOGBON, Nigeria’s Oil & the Burden of a Misunderstood Blessing
Last night, I watched IJOGBON on Netflix and it left me with a lump in my throat.
On the surface, it’s a story about teenagers who stumble upon wealth that was never meant for them.
But beneath that storyline lies something deeper, raw, and hauntingly familiar: a powerful metaphor for Nigeria’s oil story.
Like those teens, Nigeria stumbled upon crude oil. It was shiny. It was valuable. It felt like an answer to all our problems.
But like IJOGBON shows, not all wealth brings peace especially when it’s mishandled, misunderstood, or not rightfully earned.
In the movie, the teens were dragged into chaos because they were never taught what to do with what they found. No systems. No protection. Just instinct, survival, and fear.
Sound familiar?
Here's what I couldn't stop thinking about:
Nigeria’s oil should have been our greatest blessing; an opportunity to invest in people, diversify the economy, and become a beacon of African prosperity.
Instead, it became a curse for many.
Especially the host communities.
We see the scars in the Niger Delta:
Polluted rivers where people used to fish
Flaring skies where children used to sleep in peace
Youths who have energy but no empowerment
Elders who beg oil companies for basic welfare
A country that exports wealth but imports poverty
The truth is... Oil is not a curse. Our choices are.
The blessing was never in the black gold itself. It was in how we were meant to use it to develop human capital, empower regions like the Niger Delta, and build a future beyond barrels.
What IJOGBON reminded me of is this:
If we don’t build strong systems around opportunity, it will destroy us faster than poverty ever could.
And if we don’t teach the next generation how to manage resources, handle leadership, or protect what truly matters, they’ll stumble through wealth the same way blindly.
So, is crude oil in Nigeria a blessing or a curse?
Maybe it’s neither.
Maybe it’s just a mirror.
Reflecting what we choose to become: builders or consumers, protectors or looters, visionaries or victims.
It’s time to rewrite the narrative.
The oil may not last forever, but our wisdom, policies, and people can carry this country forward if we make the right decisions.
Let’s protect what’s ours. Let’s invest in our people. Let’s turn ijogbon into insight.
IJOGBON, Nigeria’s Oil & the Burden of a Misunderstood Blessing
Last night, I watched IJOGBON on Netflix and it left me with a lump in my throat.
On the surface, it’s a story about teenagers who stumble upon wealth that was never meant for them.
But beneath that storyline lies something deeper, raw, and hauntingly familiar: a powerful metaphor for Nigeria’s oil story.
Like those teens, Nigeria stumbled upon crude oil. It was shiny. It was valuable. It felt like an answer to all our problems.
But like IJOGBON shows, not all wealth brings peace especially when it’s mishandled, misunderstood, or not rightfully earned.
In the movie, the teens were dragged into chaos because they were never taught what to do with what they found. No systems. No protection. Just instinct, survival, and fear.
Sound familiar?
Here's what I couldn't stop thinking about:
Nigeria’s oil should have been our greatest blessing; an opportunity to invest in people, diversify the economy, and become a beacon of African prosperity.
Instead, it became a curse for many.
Especially the host communities.
We see the scars in the Niger Delta:
Polluted rivers where people used to fish
Flaring skies where children used to sleep in peace
Youths who have energy but no empowerment
Elders who beg oil companies for basic welfare
A country that exports wealth but imports poverty
The truth is... Oil is not a curse. Our choices are.
The blessing was never in the black gold itself. It was in how we were meant to use it to develop human capital, empower regions like the Niger Delta, and build a future beyond barrels.
What IJOGBON reminded me of is this:
If we don’t build strong systems around opportunity, it will destroy us faster than poverty ever could.
And if we don’t teach the next generation how to manage resources, handle leadership, or protect what truly matters, they’ll stumble through wealth the same way blindly.
So, is crude oil in Nigeria a blessing or a curse?
Maybe it’s neither.
Maybe it’s just a mirror.
Reflecting what we choose to become: builders or consumers, protectors or looters, visionaries or victims.
It’s time to rewrite the narrative.
The oil may not last forever, but our wisdom, policies, and people can carry this country forward if we make the right decisions.
Let’s protect what’s ours. Let’s invest in our people. Let’s turn ijogbon into insight.
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