Unfortunately, we do not often see the advantages in the power of values and virtues. We are easily taken in  by physical wealth, material possessions and the power of money. Life and history, though, have repeatedly taught us that values and virtues are far much important than the physical wealth we often see. Material wealth actually emanates from values and virtues.
The question of what makes nations great, why some nations are rich and others are poor, is one that cannot but bother the heart of every avid student of history.
Even though we live in an unfair world, in which some men and nations acquire their wealth in ways that are not always as straightforward as we would like this to be, yet in the midst of it all, it is not impossible to discover principles and secrets for the greatness of nations.
Even though this article is titled, “Men and nations are great by the wealth of their virtue, not the virtue of their wealth”, yet I am going to focus my attention on nations. I will be writing about a basic and fundamental reason that causes nations to rise, and in the absence of which nations fail.
If the question were to be asked of experts in political science and anthropology, why nations are great, their answers would be an endless enumeration of factors, such as population, geographical location, human development, education, labour force, natural resources, etc.
However, in this article I will not be talking about what I call the obvious factors of the development and growth of nations. I will be examining the subject from the aspect of what a few men would readily admit to. Experts and historians might not mention this factor we are talking about today, simply because they are not aware of it.
As an African, I don’t have to look far and wide to discover that material wealth alone is not enough to build a great nation. There are many countries in the world, especially in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and South America, that are enormously wealthy in natural resources and yet have very poor populations.Â
It is natural when we are looking for explanations and reasons for a cause-and-effect to quickly enlist glaring physical evidences. What is much more difficult to discover however are the hidden, subtle, inconspicuous, factors that are not evident to the naked eye.
That factor for the greatness of nations we are going to be examining today, is evident in the title of this article: “Men and nations are great by the wealth of their virtue, not the virtue of their wealth.”
From the above theme, we see the disparity between the factor of material wealth and the wealth of virtue, as being responsible for the greatness of nations. It is also evident in the affirmative tone of the title that I am on the side of the wealth of virtue as against the virtue of wealth.
Unfortunately, we do not often see the advantages in the power of values and virtues. We are easily taken in  by physical wealth, material possessions and the power of money. Life and history, though, have repeatedly taught us that values and virtues are far much important than the physical wealth we often see. Material wealth actually emanates from values and virtues.
As an African, I don’t have to look far and wide to discover that material wealth alone is not enough to build a great nation. There are many countries in the world, especially in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and South America, that are enormously wealthy in natural resources and yet have very poor populations.Â
When positive value systems are embraced by a nation, when the citizens of a country are truly rich in virtues, then material wealth is a matter of time. Moreover, material wealth doesn’t just come and go, it comes to stay as long as virtues remain in the fabric of the nation.
African countries are blessed with the abundance of material wealth – gold, iron, diamond, oil, natural gas, coal, and other precious metals. Still, these countries are largely regarded as the poorest in the world. Why the disparity? Where is the discrepancy coming from? Where do we get the imbalance from? How come the incongruity? How can we explain this disproportionality? What is the explanation for the contrast between our potential and our reality today?
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On the other hand, however, there are countries that have long discovered the true secrets of wealth and the greatness of nations. Yes, these countries admittedly don’t have much natural and material wealth, but what they do not have in the physical, they make up for it in values and virtues.
When positive value systems are embraced by a nation, when the citizens of a country are truly rich in virtues, then material wealth is a matter of time. Moreover, material wealth doesn’t just come and go, it comes to stay as long as virtues remain in the fabric of the nation.
A good example of such a country would be Singapore which cannot pride itself in an abundance of natural resources. But yet this country has been able to perform a modern day miracle by becoming one of the few countries that have succeeded in going from the Third World to the First World in one generation.
Sunday Adelaja is a Nigeria born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Kiev, Ukraine.
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