By Joel Allotey
I recently read a news article by a former BBC journalist describing his experience in Nigeria while working as a media consultant. He began his piece by stating how his colleagues and friends discouraged him from taking the job and embarking on the trip for fear that he would be killed, kidnapped or both. He eventually decided to accept the challenge, and his experience in Nigeria, precisely Delta state- in the so-called ‘volatile’ south-south region- was far from what he had expected and prepared himself for.
My own Nigerian adventure began almost three decades ago when I was born. Growing up in Nigeria in the 80s, 90s and 2000s gave me the opportunity to observe and analyse the dynamic nature of Nigerian society and the manner in which the political and economic situation of the country has significantly affected our way of life.
In August 2005, I left Nigeria and came to Accra, Ghana to commence University education. It was my first time visiting the country, and I had heard so much about life in Ghana from my siblings who were already studying there- how Ghana was a peaceful country; how Ghana had constant power supply; how Ghanaians were very friendly; how there was absolutely no corruption in Ghana… and the list goes on. Of course, as a young teenager, I was excited to be visiting and studying in a country that was portrayed as the exact opposite of Nigeria- with all its perceived social and economic problems.
During the course of my studies in Accra, I had the privilege of making quite a number of Ghanaian friends- not just course mates, but also roommates at the hostel where I was resident as well as other people I came across on and outside the University campus. There was a central theme that resonated in the minds of virtually all the Ghanaians I knew- which is one of the reasons why I felt the need to write this article – Nigeria is a dangerous country, replete with corrupt people and officials; Nigerians are rude, abrasive, loud, unfriendly and have a penchant for violence; if you visit Nigeria, there is a high probability that you would be attacked by robbers, abducted by kidnappers, duped by fraudsters, dismembered by ritualists or bombed by terrorists.
As a Nigerian, born and bred, despite my partial Ghanaian heritage, such comments about Nigeria always got me upset, sometimes to the point of infuriation. The feeling was not unlike the way blacks in America get offended whenever a non-black referred to them as ‘the n-word’, but it was considered acceptable whenever a fellow black used the same racial slur, regardless of the context. It is as though there is an unwritten rule that states that ‘only persons from a particular race, tribe, nation or any such group of people are allowed to make certain pejorative comments about that group’.
Every country has had their fair share of political and economic turmoil, but Nigeria is one country still struggling with major challenges affecting its development. A country plagued by several decades of hostile military regime would explain why many Nigerians cannot afford the luxury of being soft-spoken, gentle and passive. I have always had the belief that every Nigerian has a ‘Military Spirit’ – a no-nonsense approach to life, whereby we are ready to fight and die for what we believe is rightfully ours. Nigerians do not have the privilege of being shy or demure, because everyone else is on high-alert and ready to snatch opportunities right from your palms the moment you show any form of weakness.
To this day, many Nigerians are struggling to survive in a country where there is agonising poverty in the midst of abundant wealth. Wealth that is mismanaged by incompetent leaders and available to only a minute proportion of the masses, while the proverbial 99% wallow in the economic mess created by decades of bad leadership. This could be a logical explanation for why corruption is rampant- people do what needs to be done in order to feed their families when salaries, meagre as they are, are not being paid for several months, years or not at all.
The so-called ‘crime and corruption’ that Nigeria is infamous for is nothing more than ‘survival tactics’. I know for a fact that many Nigerian families would have literally starved to death, if not for the paltry bribes collected and ‘brown-envelope phenomenon’ (reference to an opaque brown parcel containing money, used for greasing the palms of an official in order to expedite a process). Most of the corruption at the top hierarchy of government is due to greed, but for the majority of struggling Nigerians, corruption is mostly for survival and subsistence.
Living in Ghana for almost a decade, both as a student and worker, I have informally studied every aspect of Ghanaian culture- from the languages and their origins to their choice of food and made comparison with my home country Nigeria where I frequently visit. The similarities between the two countries is interesting, however there is an ironic and staggering difference between the two societies. Ghanaians love their funerals and can go to any lengths to hold lavish ceremonies to celebrate the death (or life) of their deceased. Nigerians, on the other hand, would rather celebrate life of the living, which is why Nigerian wedding ceremonies are known for their display of opulence, pageantry and most times, outright wastage regardless of the social class of the host of such parties.
Nigerians love their clothes; they love their wide variety of mouth-watering dishes from every corner of the country. They love their gadgets and cars, and are fascinated by anything new and sparkly.
This is the Nigerian way; a land of excesses and extravagance, with people as colourful in appearance as they are in their character and the words that emerge from their lips.
The belief held by many that Nigerians are unfriendly is completely false. As a matter of fact, it is my opinion that Nigerians are the friendliest, most sociable, outgoing and jovial set of people that God put on this earth. It takes a strong spirit and an even stronger sense of humour to live in a country riddled with tragic ironies and chronic problems, and yet still have the zeal to get out of bed each day and pursue individual goals.
Nigerian love for life and living is made manifest in the burgeoning entertainment industry, which includes the music, the movies, the comedy and talent shows among others. Most Ghanaians would rather watch a Nigerian movie than a Ghanaian one (which is where many get their false perception; as the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, like Hollywood, would exaggerate the social situation in the country through their stories to attract more viewers). Many TV shows aired on Ghanaian TV stations are of Nigerian origin, some with actors from both countries. Nigerian music of all genres is known world-wide to be unique and spectacular, and many Ghanaians are in love with the art, even though most times the songs are in Nigerian dialects they may not understand (it’s always fun to see Ghanaian youths dancing and attempting to sing along to Brymo’s hit song ‘Ara’).
The growing Nigerian population in the big cities of Ghana is testament to the fact that Nigerians are hardworking and industrious people who will pursue opportunity where ever it can be found and make the most of it. Despite all the accusations made against Nigeria, of being a land filled with criminals, I still strongly believe that, if you give a Nigerian an opportunity, he will reap a thousand-fold. ‘There is no such thing, as a lazy Nigerian’. Even the crime and corruption, wrong as it may be, is executed with such diligence and competence, it sometimes goes unnoticed and may even seem incredible.
Every negative comment I have heard about Nigeria, has only spurred me to have more faith in my country. Being my place of birth, and partial heritage, I will always regard Nigeria as my home. Every nation is struggling with its own challenges, and Nigeria’s enormous population tends to make our problems some-what exaggerated. I always like to point out to my learned Ghanaian friends whom I engage in conversations about Nigeria, that the country has more than half the population of the United States- a staggering 170 million people, and is one-tenth the land mass of the US (which is equivalent to the combined sizes of the states of Texas and Minnesota alone out of all the 50 states).
Governing this huge number of such strong-spirited people can be challenging for any group of leaders, but I believe in the potential for greatness Nigerians possess. People have to do away with the negative image they have painted in their minds about this striving nation; people- including the Nigerians themselves, many of whom have given up hope in the country due to economic frustrations.
Nigeria is a wonderful nation; with fascinating people- nowhere on this earth will you come across life as effervescent and pulsating with energy as you would when you are in Nigeria. Despite our imperfections, Nigerians continue to strive through the difficulties of third-world living, and make the best out of every unpleasant situation life presents. Many foreigners have been fed for far too long with negative impressions of who Nigerians are and what life in the country is like and it is about time that the true nature of the country is demystified and made clear for all to see. My closing remark for the world is simply this: Put aside your misconceptions, accept us for who we are and let us be great.
Joel Allotey is a Medical Student at the University Of Ghana Medical School. He is a freelance writer on health, socioeconomic issues, politics and entrepreneurship. Follow him on twitter @JCallotey and email:
