The phrase “Who will bell the cat?” originates from a medieval fable about mice who decided to put a bell on a cat to warn them of its approach.

However, they realize that the difficult part is finding a volunteer to actually bell the cat.

The story is a classic fable that teaches a valuable lesson about courage, responsibility, and the challenges of implementing a good idea.

In modern usage, the phrase is often used metaphorically to ask who will take bold action or assume responsibility for a difficult or risky task.

In the story, a group of mice gather to discuss ways to protect themselves from a sly cat that has been terrorizing them.

One clever mouse suggests attaching a bell to the cat’s neck, so the mice can hear it coming and scurry to safety.

The plan seems brilliant, but when the mice are asked who will actually bell the cat, no one volunteers.

Here lies the challenge, everyone was scared of being the victim. The mice realize that it’s easy to propose a plan, but much harder to put it into action, especially when it involves risk.

This fable highlights the importance of considering the practicalities and potential consequences of a plan, as well as the need for courage and willingness to take action.

This is the reality we have found ourselves in modern day Nigeria.

Everyone is complaining, complaining and lamenting about the harsh economic and political disequilibrium, yet no one is bold enough or has summoned the gut to take charge and offer a real solution to the present socio-economic quagmire.

Every day on various social media, the ranting is hitting the high heavens, ceilings are being shattered and walls are being broken by people, mostly the common man, about the state of affairs in the country.

Unfortunately, and like the proverbial mice, no one seems to have summoned the courage to face the Intimidators of the large chunk of the people.

Many of those caught in this web of animal oppression have been divided along fault lines, including politics, tribe, ethnicity and worst of all, religion.

Whether we belong to one religious group, political party or ethnicity is inconsequential because the harsh economy is hitting hard on everyone.

Everyone is complaining, complaining and lamenting about the harsh economic and political disequilibrium, yet no one is bold enough or has summoned the gut to take charge and offer a real solution to the present socio-economic quagmire.

People are on a daily basis dropping dead, either by committing suicide or accidental, because they cannot afford the basic needs of life such as food.

While the political leaders have been fingered as the architect of this present economic circumstance, the reality existing among the followers who in this context can be likened to the mice, is that most of them have not been able to summon the courage to take action.

At best what we hear is false courage on social media, people hiding under pseudonyms to call on unsuspecting and naive Nigerians to go out and cause mayhem, yet these same faceless groups of people oftentimes turn around to betray the people’s trust.

And When groups or individuals in positions of power prioritize their own interests over the trust placed on them, it can lead to feelings of betrayal and disillusionment.

This phenomenon can be seen in various contexts, including politics, business, and social movements.

When leaders or representatives fail to uphold their responsibilities or act with integrity, it can erode trust and undermine the relationships between those in power and the people they serve.

To mitigate these risks, it’s essential to establish robust systems of accountability, transparency, and checks and balances.

This can help ensure that those in power act in the best interests of the people they serve and not make them live like the proverbial MICE seeking for a VOLUNTEER to bell the CAT

•Emeka Monye Is A Journalist And Works With ARISE NEWS

BY BEM IBRAHIM GARBA

Despite the growing capacity among Indigenous defense firms, Nigeria continues to favor foreign contractors.

This pattern threatens long-term national security, economic independence, and local innovation.

While Nigeria strives for self-reliance and national security, its defense procurement landscape remains heavily tilted in favour of foreign contractors.

Despite significant strides in capacity development, manufacturing, design, and operational capability, Nigerian-owned defense companies face systemic bias and limited access to government contracts.

This preference for foreign contractors and solutions incurs costs: economically, strategically, and technologically.

If Nigeria is committed to developing a robust, sovereign, and exportable defense industry, it must start by prioritizing local contractors.

FOREIGN FIRMS STILL GET THE FIRST CALL

Today, many Nigerian companies have developed capacity.

They offer reliable, innovative, and scalable solutions, including the production of sensitive equipment/systems, tactical vehicles, protective gear, and training facilities.

Yet, when the time comes for procurement, tenders and negotiations disproportionately favour foreign companies and suppliers.

These foreign firms are not only awarded high-value contracts but are often given easier access to key decision-makers.

Local companies, by contrast, face endless social and political hurdles: excessive scrutiny, limited engagement from end-users, and a lack of pilot opportunities to prove their systems in the field.

THE COST OF MARGINALISING OUR LOCAL INDUSTRY

The consequences of this procurement imbalance are far-reaching:

Capital Flight:

Nigeria loses billions annually by supporting foreign companies instead of helping Nigerian-owned businesses.

This practice enriches foreigners economically and denies local firms the opportunity to collaborate with international partners, which could enhance technology transfer, experience, and knowledge-sharing.

Job Loss:

Neglecting local defense companies negatively impacts the Nigerian economy and leads to job losses.

Manufacturing opportunities that could employ thousands of Nigerian youth are instead given to foreign factories, resulting in the creation and maintenance of valuable jobs overseas that could have been retained in Nigeria.

Technology Dependence:

Relying on foreign suppliers undermines Nigeria’s ability to develop, control, or modify critical defence platforms.

When Nigerian companies receive support, they are encouraged to strengthen partnerships with foreign technology partners, who can provide training and opportunities for technology transfer.

This strategy is essential for helping Nigerian companies develop the necessary technology more quickly.

Export Inhibition:

Without domestic validation, Nigerian-made defense products face challenges in entering foreign markets.

Nigeria aims to promote exports across all sectors.

For exportation to be successful, our products and solutions must meet international standards.

The export of Nigerian defense products will struggle unless these items are first given a chance to succeed in Nigeria.

We need to develop our local industry, validate our products, and then actively launch them into regional and continental markets.

BRAZIL AND INDIA: CASE STUDIES IN STRATEGIC PATRONAGE

Countries such as Brazil and India have demonstrated how intentional local patronage can foster globally competitive defense industries.

In Brazil, companies like Embraer and IMBEL grew under government-backed contracts and patronage.

The Brazilian Armed Forces committed to buying local, even when products were still under development and maturing.

Today, Brazil exports military aircraft and arms globally and has become a respected defense manufacturer.

Nigerian companies require more than just praise; they need patronage. Securing contracts, creating opportunities, and engaging in long-term planning are essential for our local defense firms to thrive.

India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative transformed its defense sector by mandating local sourcing.

Companies like Bharat Forge, TATA Advanced Systems, and Larsen & Toubro received long-term government backing, which allowed them to scale and improve.

India now produces high-quality drones, tanks, and artillery systems with export potential.

The lesson is clear: Nations that support local firms boost their economies, strengthen national defense, and enhance global influence.

A CALL FOR REORIENTATION IN NIGERIA

Nigerian companies require more than just praise; they need patronage. Securing contracts, creating opportunities, and engaging in long-term planning are essential for our local defense firms to thrive.

We call on the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence, the Police, and all relevant government agencies to:

Adopt a Local-First Procurement Policy: Allocate a specific percentage of all defense procurement contracts to Nigerian companies.

Award Contracts for Capability and Growth:

Support local businesses by placing genuine orders instead of merely making promises or running pilot tests.

Various procurement models can be utilized to encourage the growth of local companies while minimizing risks for buyers.

We urge the Armed Forces and relevant purchasers to explore these models in the interest of our collective growth.

Foster Strategic Partnerships with Local Leadership:

The federal government, the armed forces, the police, and all other buyers should require foreign companies to partner with Nigerian companies to secure contracts.

Similar to the laws in places like Dubai, foreign companies should not be eligible to secure defense contracts in Nigeria directly.

They must partner with Nigerian defense companies to facilitate knowledge transfer and equity sharing with Nigerian firms.

Create End-User Incentives:

Encourage military and police leaders to implement solutions made in Nigeria and provide rewards for successful adoption.

Establish a Nigerian Defence Development Fund:

The government should create a Nigerian Defence Development Fund to provide long-term capital to local firms for research and development, infrastructure, and certifications.

THE TIME IS NOW

Nigeria’s future security needs to be developed within the country. This requires us to trust our own companies and local initiatives to provide the solutions we need.

Like Brazil and India, we must be willing to support homegrown solutions and products through their early challenges, understanding that true mastery comes with experienced local companies cannot thrive on encouragement alone—they require contracts, partnerships, and a long-term belief from their own country.

We possess the talent, ambition, and drive. What we need now is opportunity.

If Nigeria aims to become a true continental power in defense and technology, the change must begin with a simple decision:

Buy Nigerian, trust Nigerian, and defend Nigerian.

• This article was written by Bem Ibrahim Garba, a defense industry professional and advocate for indigenous industrial growth in Nigeria.

A nation that once took pride in raising “strong men” is now reaping the consequences of generations of emotional suppression and it’s breaking our men.

The recent attack on 25 Year-old Nigerian influencer, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, for crying at his best friend, Priscilla’s wedding is more than an internet scandal. It is an indictment of our collective failure to raise emotionally healthy men.

Enioluwa, in a raw, beautiful, and deeply human moment, shed tears as he celebrated a life milestone with someone he loves platonically.

But instead of compassion, he was met with venom.

The internet erupted with disturbing comments from Nigerian men, the very people who should understand the weight of unspoken emotions.

“Men used to fight lions and tigers but little boys have to watch Enioluwa shed tears like a woman on her period.”

“Enioluwa is such a terrible role model for younger men.”

“When I have a male child, when he turns 10 years old I go first break five bottles for his head make he know say men mount.”

“I go wear crown of thorns make he know say life no be bed of roses.”“See simp behavior. You dey cry because woman marry? Na wa for you.”

A man who cannot cry is often a man who cannot connect, cannot heal, and cannot love fully.

“He must have been sleeping with her. Why else would a man cry that much?

”These cruel commentary is not just about Enioluwa. It is about every boy who has been told that his tears are unacceptable.

It is about every man who has been shamed for showing emotion. It is about a culture that would rather raise broken, hardened men than whole, healthy ones.

There is nothing wrong with a man crying. There is nothing wrong with a man expressing deep affection for a friend.

There is nothing wrong with a man being emotionally present in a moment of transition, joy, or loss.

What is wrong is the fact that our society punishes softness, ridicules empathy, and weaponizes masculinity.

Boys in Nigeria and many parts of the world are taught from an early age that masculinity means stoicism, dominance, and emotional detachment.

“Be a man” often means: suppress your feelings, deny your pain, and never under any circumstances show vulnerability.

Over time, this has created men who are emotionally constipated, unable to process grief, incapable of expressing love, and ill-equipped to build emotionally safe relationships.

This recent incident also brings to light another disturbing facet of toxic masculinity, the idea that men and women cannot be friends without sex.

Enioluwa was accused of being a “simp,” “emotional,” and “pathetic,” simply for valuing his platonic friendship.

Some even went as far as suggesting that he must have been sleeping with his best friend because, to them, no man could possibly show that kind of love unless there was sexual benefit involved.

This thinking is not only immature, it is harmful. It denies men the full range of human connection.

It teaches them that friendship is only valuable if it comes with physical reward. And it strips them of the beautiful, non-sexual intimacy that makes life meaningful.

The idea that a man cannot cry over the marriage of his female best friend without ridicule is a sign of deep emotional poverty.

We are grooming our sons to become emotionally unavailable men and it is showing up in our homes, our relationships, and our society.

Men who cannot express emotions also struggle to be present partners, affectionate fathers, and loyal friends.

They retreat from vulnerability, and in doing so, they retreat from the very thing that makes them human.

The emotional repression we’ve normalized is killing our men literally and figuratively. Suicide, substance abuse, domestic violence, absentee fatherhood all have roots in unresolved pain and emotional illiteracy.

A man who cannot cry is often a man who cannot connect, cannot heal, and cannot love fully.

There is nothing weak about a man who cries. There is nothing shameful about being soft and compassionate.

There is nothing unmanly about being vulnerable. In fact, it takes immense courage to feel deeply in a world that tells men to shut it down.

Healthy masculinity is not born from emotional numbness, it is nurtured through compassion, empathy, and self-awareness.We must raise men who are free to feel.

Men who understand that crying is not a sign of weakness, but a release of strength.

Boys who will grow into men who can be tender with their spouses, emotionally present for their children, supportive of their friends, and kind to themselves.

The backlash Enioluwa faced is painful, but it has started a conversation that we cannot afford to ignore.

If we truly care about our men, their mental health, their emotional well-being, their future we must rewire the way we raise them.

No more broken bottles. No more crowns of thorns.

No more silent suffering. Let us raise men who cry, who feel, who love, and who heal.

Let us raise whole men.

• Halima Layeni, Founder Men’s Mental Health Advocate / Life After Abuse Foundation, wrote this piece