When I was growing up, my mum used to do something that I later had to make her correct. She used to set low expectations for doing chores and I would consistently fail to meet them as that was what was expected anyway. She would say things like ”I know you won't clean your room”

Why should I bother when it was known that I would not do it anyway? I also got used to the consequence which was ”more talk.” She was shocked the day I told her that it was ”nagging” and it was unproductive. People get used to nagging and consistently underperform as expected.

This is exactly what we also do to our governments in Africa. We set low expectations with nagging and then nag further when they live up to our low expectations of them or even underachieve as expected and fall well below.

The place where my mum expected me to always overachieve was academics and I did do that, but the other areas also started to affect my academic performance as a teenager. Discipline is a full package. It is not a la carte. You end up with the lowest denominator eventually.

My wife had a different background. Her parents never beat her and they always made her understand that they had high expectations from her all around. She excelled all around. That is the same policy we have also adopted when raising our kids. Set high expectations + communicate

When I see people constantly expecting public sector institutions to underperform then nag, I remember my childhood and how it now crept to my academics. I almost flunked out in my first year of university. Coming back from that abyss was about learning self discipline + routine.

I am also thankful to the Martial Arts for helping me to build up willpower. All success and failure in this world start from the mind. The environment we live in is a reflection of our minds. Once my mind is in order, it affects my environment. Discipline is from practice.

We keep expecting structure and good governance when we ourselves don't practice structure and routine. We expect people who benefit from a broken system to wake up suddenly and correct it by making themselves extinct. It will not happen that way. Things can change if we change.

Low expectations are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Always expect the best from and for your children as well as your country.