The Broken Window Theory & The African Society

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:01]Good morning, Dr. Charles Apoki.

[00:00:04]>> Good morning, sir. How are you?

[00:00:06]>> I'm doing well.

[00:00:08]>> Okay.

[00:00:08]>> Yes, sir.

[00:00:09]Welcome to today's episode of wisdom from Dr. Charles.

[00:00:17]>> Sir.

[00:00:18]>> Yeah.

[00:00:19]We want to discuss a theory titled the broken windows theory propounded in 1982 by two social scientists James Wilson and George Kelling.

[00:00:38]I want to give us a background first and um I'll ask you questions and you can teach us on the broken windows theory today. Are we okay and are you good to go today, sir?

[00:00:52]>> I'm good to go.

[00:00:54]>> All right, sir. My name is Addo Eriri and the broken windows theory states [snorts] that in a community where you have houses with broken windows litters and things like graffiti um portraying an unkempt environment there is great tendency for other people or passersby to number one throw stones at such buildings because they feel that nobody cares for them number two, that more criminal activities are likely to take place in such environments because they have or they look unkempt and there's a tendency that it can harbor criminals and all what not.

[00:02:00]Now, that's the background.

[00:02:03]We want to see how we can you can teach us with this theory.

[00:02:09]First and foremost, sir, what do you have to say about the broken windows theory as it applies to every society, not just the society in which it was uh propounded, sir.

[00:02:26]>> Okay. The broken window theory uh I had read about it and >> [clears throat] >> uh it was propounded by two social scientists.

[00:02:38]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:39]>> And uh the lesson we learn is that a broken window will attract more broken windows.

[00:02:51]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:52]>> [snorts] >> It will attract criminals to the environment.

[00:02:58]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:59]>> Uh the aim [clears throat] of preventing broken window uh affiliation is to repair buildings.

[00:03:12]>> Okay.

[00:03:13]>> Once you repair broken windows in buildings, the tendency is that people respect such buildings.

[00:03:25]They tend to respect them, be aware of them.

[00:03:29]>> True.

[00:03:30]>> So, when they they see broken windows, they see an uncared-for environment.

[00:03:36][clears throat] And it attracts criminality.

[00:03:40]>> Yes.

[00:03:40]>> It attracts negligence.

[00:03:42]>> Yes.

[00:03:42]>> It attracts uh uh the tendency for people to do anyhow. So, we suggest that for decent societies, we should as much as possible repair broken windows, repair broken doors, maintain buildings. If those buildings are not going to be maintained, they should be broken down. If you pull them down, let them be open spaces.

[00:04:15]But, that's difficult to to ensure in societies where people have ownership of buildings by inheritance, ownership of buildings by right of occupancy, ownership of buildings by law.

[00:04:36]And then, to be difficult to enforce such principles. But, if those laws are in place that within a certain period of time, [clears throat] if they are not renovated or occupied, those buildings will be lost. Those laws will be kept.

[00:04:55]And, I believe that broken window theory functions in areas where there is lack of law and lack of maintenance of infrastructure.

[00:05:09]And, is a theory that deserves close attention, close attention.

[00:05:17]>> Yes, thank you, sir. Now, I'm glad you you ended like this that the broken window theory exists more in areas where there's, number one, a lack of law and a lack of maintenance culture.

[00:05:33]Let's bring it down or back home.

[00:05:37]What do you have to say in applying the broken window theory to the black society or the African society where we have um communities or nations trying to looking like broken windows.

[00:05:56]Let me put it that that vivid. Yes, most of our countries look like broken windows. We have uh so many things that uh would tell you that this is not a functional house or this is not a cared-for building.

[00:06:15]What do you have to teach us with the broken window theory?

[00:06:20]>> My perception is personal, but I'll put it out.

[00:06:27]Number one, um public buildings should be cared for.

[00:06:34]People should learn to care for public buildings.

[00:06:39]Number two, public facilities, that is to say amenities.

[00:06:45]Um if you go towards the local government here, the road to the local government by the stadium, you'll find out that the road at the front of the local government secretariat, I mean um >> High Court.

[00:07:03]>> The High Court.

[00:07:04]>> Yes, sir.

[00:07:05]>> Where the National Union of uh police officers' wives is building their secretariat.

[00:07:13]>> Yes, sir.

[00:07:13]>> Is unkempt.

[00:07:15]And you see local government officials pass unkempt roads to their offices.

[00:07:22]It's a sign of uh negligence.

[00:07:25]It's a sign of of not caring for what is consumed daily. We pass that road on a daily basis.

[00:07:36]>> Yes.

[00:07:37]>> If we care for the road, it shows that we are conscious of the fact that this road leads to a place and we need to care for it. And it's a sign of responsibility. The police station is there. In front of In front of the court. It's in front of Nigerian army Nigerian police officers wives association. And [clears throat] a lot of buses there to the local government office.

[00:08:02]That place should be cared for.

[00:08:05]And broken window theory applies to the whole of Nigeria. Every aspect of social function, social infrastructure should be maintained by law, by duty, by a sense of responsibility, and [clears throat] with purpose in mind.

[00:08:25]>> Thank you, sir. I think going further, I can add that yesterday we heard that the IMF or the World Bank has um uh withdrawn a >> sponsorship >> sponsorship or a loan that the Nigerian government was asking for, I think in a hundred but a hundred and fourteen million dollars or thereabout for power infrastructure.

[00:08:53]>> Yes.

[00:08:53]>> For me, the broken window there is that we just sentenced one of our former power ministers to this seventy-eight years in prison, and the government chooses this same time to ask for a loan for power infrastructure.

[00:09:14]>> Yes.

[00:09:14]>> Yes, sir. Relate this to the broken window theory.

[00:09:19]>> The broken window theory stipulates that if something is not maintained, yes, something is not catered for, something is not cared for, people will not care for that thing.

[00:09:35]>> Yes, sir.

[00:09:36]>> Vagrants will occupy that space. Very true. And uh people who are criminals will occupy such facilities.

[00:09:46]The broken window theory in relation to the the energy sector the loan that the federal government was to get from the World Bank or whatever IMF was based on performance to see what you have done before we give you we'll see what you have done.

[00:10:07]>> Yes.

[00:10:07]>> But they got these loans and they never did what they were meant to do.

[00:10:14]What they were meant for.

[00:10:15]>> Yes.

[00:10:15]>> The resultant effect is that there was no power.

[00:10:18]And IMF canceled the loan like as rightly stated.

[00:10:22]The fact is that if and I thank God for such uh proviso that is put in place. If the loans are not going to be useful they're not going to be used for what they are meant for they should not be given. They should be canceled.

[00:10:41]>> Yes.

[00:10:41]>> Because the resultant effect is that loans are given the results are not seen.

[00:10:49]Loans are given the the effect on the people are not seen. And once that is uh is what is prevalent the the facilities should not be given. The loans should not be given. In fact, IMF, World Bank, uh urban rehabilitation, whatever agency should make sure that these policies are in place.

[00:11:19]When we give loans to third world nations, let them use them for what they are supposed to be used for. But let's go to Ethiopia. Ethiopia built a dam recently.

[00:11:31]>> Yes, sir.

[00:11:31]>> Um the hydroelectric dam that will generate electricity for the neighboring countries without any loan.

[00:11:41]The World Bank, the IMF, the whatever agency refused to give them loan.

[00:11:48]But they built a dam that is functional.

[00:11:52]And Africa can achieve a lot of development without these loans. If we manage what we have to get what we want.

[00:12:03]And I believe that we can manage what we have to get what we want and not go for these loans.

[00:12:11]Oh.

[00:12:13]>> Yes, managing what we have to get what we want brings us to the next question.

[00:12:20]And we're zoning down to the individual.

[00:12:25]>> Yes.

[00:12:25]>> Yes, there's the popular saying that you you dress the way you want to be addressed.

[00:12:31]>> Yes.

[00:12:32]>> Yes, you dress like a broken window people um look at you and um they talk to you like an unkempt house.

[00:12:41]>> Yes.

[00:12:42]>> So, um talk about it in relation to personal dignity and probably business um growth and success, sir.

[00:12:53]>> Okay. The broken window theory, if you apply it to your personal looks this shirt I'm wearing was bought in the in Italy? No, not Italy. It's in Romania.

[00:13:11]>> Okay.

[00:13:12]>> The the cost in the UK was higher.

[00:13:17]>> Yes.

[00:13:17]>> When I went to Romania, I wanted to buy a phone or to buy a um red dress.

[00:13:25]I sat down with my son. We got there. we looked at the phone, we left the phone shop, went to the dress shop. We sat down and found out that I could use my phone to do the recording that I'm doing.

[00:13:39]So, we bought what we wanted.

[00:13:43]Okay. What will make us function well.

[00:13:47]>> Yes.

[00:13:48]>> And we had what will make us function well.

[00:13:51]>> Yes.

[00:13:52]>> We did not buy the the latest or the older version that was in the market.

[00:13:59]>> Yes.

[00:14:00]>> We bought the clothes that we needed.

[00:14:03]And these shirts and several others we bought.

[00:14:07]The cost benefit analysis is that we are able to function well, we are able to dress better, uh we are able to to save money. So, the thing is are you saving money?

[00:14:26]Are you saving uh are you functioning well?

[00:14:30]>> Yes, sir.

[00:14:31]>> If you are functioning well and saving money, save money and function well.

[00:14:37]>> Yeah.

[00:14:38]>> But if you are going to um function better by buying more things, more clothing, buying more hats, more whatever to look better, fine and good. But there are people who also do Facebook with one attire.

[00:14:59]>> Yes.

[00:15:00]>> They wear one attire. They wear one cap.

[00:15:04]Some don't wear caps.

[00:15:05]>> Yes.

[00:15:06]>> They remain with one attire, one cloth, one set of clothing and they are making impact.

[00:15:13]>> Yes.

[00:15:13]>> Like um Don Jazzy.

[00:15:16]>> Yes.

[00:15:16]>> He wears a shirt, puts a microphone, >> Yes.

[00:15:19]>> and he wears that shirt that he has multiple sizes, I suspect. Um VDM very dark man wears only a t-shirt and whatever. It does well. So, most people do not listen to you, most people do not listen to you by what you wear.

[00:15:40]They listen to you by what you say, what you bring out. So, you must question yourself. Am I dressing to impress these people or am I speaking to impress the people?

[00:15:57]If you are speaking to impress the people, speak to impress the people. If you are dressing to impress the people, [clears throat] dress to impress the people. If it's a balance, a little bit to your right, a little bit to your left, a little bit to the center, and then you dress well, you speak well, you impress the people, fine and good. The choice is yours.

[00:16:22]>> Reverend you have taught us that we should take care in what we are doing.

[00:16:30]>> Yes.

[00:16:30]>> Like taking care of the broken window house.

[00:16:34]>> Yes.

[00:16:34]>> And if there are no broken windows, people will know that it is taken care of. That's the most paramount thing.

[00:16:41]That's the most important thing. And for nation building I have learned that um what you can use use it.

[00:16:52]And if another man or an outsider sees that you are doing well with what you already have he can add to what you have by giving you more to improve yourself.

[00:17:04]>> Yes.

[00:17:05]>> But first and foremost, you use what you have to better your lot as a nation.

[00:17:13]Thank you very very much, Dr. Charles Apoki. Do you have any other thing to say to us?

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