The Sanity Multi-Efforts Forum, SMEF, under the leadership of Prince Dan Olaitan Dada, has urged Nigerians to remain patient and focused as the nation navigates its current phase of economic and structural reforms, insisting that the journey from “HERE” to “THERE” requires only time, patience, and discipline.
In a statement, SMEF quoted the guiding philosophy behind its message: “Never be intimidated by the success of people. The fact that you are ‘HERE’ does not mean you cannot be ‘THERE’. The only difference between ‘HERE’ and ‘THERE’ is ‘T’ which stands for TIME. Be Patient and Remain FOCUSED.”
The Forum described this as a timeless truth that speaks directly to where Nigeria stands today as a nation.
As a civic and national orientation body committed to Sanity Across All Sectors, SMEF said it recognises that nation-building is not an event but a process — one in which patience is not weakness, focus is not delay, and time is not wasted when invested in building the right foundations.
The Forum restated its constitutional objective as promoting sanity, structure, civic elevation, and responsible citizenship in public life, public spaces, and governance. It noted that every great nation, and indeed every great state within Nigeria, passed through a “HERE” before arriving at “THERE,” citing Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kaduna, Rivers, and Borno as examples of states where progress followed planning, sacrifice, and consistency.
According to SMEF, what moved these states from “HERE” to “THERE” was not miracles, but TIME used wisely, PATIENCE to stay the course, and FOCUS to build institutions, block leakages, invest in people, and deliver projects that outlive a single administration.
The Forum said Nigeria is currently in that “HERE” moment, with difficult but necessary reforms ongoing to reset the economy and restore order in public spaces. It highlighted several areas of visible progress:
In markets, efforts to enforce standard weights, curb sharp practices, and restore dignity to trade.
In schools, renewed investment in skills, student loans, and digital learning to prepare the next generation.
In hospitals and primary health centres, gradual revitalisation to improve access for the common man.
On roads and in transport systems, the introduction of CNG buses, conversion centres, and plans for cleaner, cheaper mass transit.
In workplaces and communities, a renewed call for productivity, honesty, and service delivery over shortcuts.
SMEF noted that debt obligations are being met while deliberate steps are being taken to grow Internally Generated Revenue, alongside social investment and youth skills programmes rolled out to support vulnerable families and small businesses. These developments, the Forum said, “are not headlines. They are the seeds of ‘THERE’.”
The Forum posed a critical question to citizens: how to position themselves today in order to arrive at a progressive and better “THERE” tomorrow.
SMEF therefore called on all Nigerians, especially the youth, to resist the temptation of comparison and frustration, urging them not to be intimidated by the success of others, as their time will come to those who remain patient, disciplined, and focused.
Citing sayings often used under the Sanity Brand Ecosystem, the Forum stated: “You cannot eat your seed and still expect harvest.” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and every step must be counted.” “Sanity in public space begins with me and you.”
SMEF urged Nigerians to choose the harder but surer path — the path of work, data, evidence, and national unity — by keeping schools clean, obeying traffic rules, paying taxes, and refusing to cut corners in public offices and markets, describing this as how “HERE” becomes “THERE.”
The Forum reaffirmed that the journey from “HERE” to “THERE” is possible, with the right policies, discipline, and collective will.
Sanity Multi-Efforts Forum reaffirmed its commitment to the Sanity Brand Ecosystem — SBES: One Vision. Four Arms. One Goal. Sanity Across All Sectors Nationwide.
Sanity Must Be It. Structure. Clarity. Delivery.
