Why Delayed Gratification Is an Economic Strategy Why Delayed Gratification Is an Economic Strategy (Not Just a Moral Advice) Nigeria’s challenge is not only political. It is behavioral. One of the most underestimated economic principles is delayed gratification. Most people treat it as a moral lecture. It is not. It is a structural advantage. The Real Problem Shortcut culture has become normalized: Quick money over skill-building Visibility over competence Consumption over investment Betting over discipline The result? Temporary excitement. Long-term stagnation. An economy grows when its people can delay consumption long enough to build productive capacity. That is not motivational language. It is structural economics. Compounding Requires Patience Wealth compounds. Skill compounds. Reputation compounds. But compounding only works with time. If you constantly interrupt the process for instant reward, the compound effect neve...