When we finally get to heaven, Nigerians (Africans generally) would need to be held in orientation camps for a while because, ojú ti rí (translation: we’ve been through a lot). Our minds have been violated for so long that we’d need a renewal of our minds first to fit into the kind of peace heaven presents.
We survived the worst form of man’s inhumanity to man–slave trade, have the vilest of leaders who are monsters with degrees of greed and impunity, and for a fact, we also have many wicked followers. The vendetta against the conceived “haves” in the country that makes people loot legitimate businesses while letting our collective enemies divide us is misplaced. The system created loopholes to impoverish unsuspecting individuals at will in order to manipulate, control, and maintain power.
However, madness and mayhem aren’t peculiar to Nigerian hoodlums because this year alone, America has recorded over 120 shootings, and we only just made it into April. But I’m not here to speak about America; my countrypeople are going through a lot. Nigerians are experiencing one of the harshest economic seasons, and it is painful to watch.
With all that is going on, one begins to wonder, “What angel sent me down here?”
Isn’t relocation to the West only met with sprinkles of loneliness and maybe a heavy dose of racism?
What is cold in the face of layered sweaters, jackets, gloves, and knee-high boots?! People live in Alaska, for a fact, and they don’t even have two heads (I’m speaking like an African parent). As for loneliness, what is it to an ambivert like me who has mastered socializing and aloneness? Who says introversion hasn’t done anything for some of us?
And racism— the pure evil that makes some sets of individuals believe that they are inherently superior because of the colour of their skin and so should oppress others. Yuck! Oh, this one irks me!!
But what of the constant disregard for the sanctity of human lives in my country?! The disrespect from the government, the classism that exists, the aftermath of the ENDSARS protest?!
Is there any place where the Black (Wo)man is safe?
I Love Being Black…
Honestly, I LOVE BEING BLACK. It comes with a level of fearful tenacity, doggedness, and endurance. I love my country, Nigeria, and I believe it is super blessed. However, it takes a lot of strength to be a Nigerian, and we no doubt deserve the finest parts of heaven!
In the same breath, how can a people so violated be so blessed? How is it that despite the many ills that plague our society, we have remained the entertainment capital of Africa?! Let me show you something…
- Nigeria is home to Nollywood, the second-largest film industry in the world, surpassing Hollywood.
- Nigeria is one of the most culturally rich countries globally, with over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages spoken.
- Many Nigerian authors, like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and many others, have shaped, and are shaping global literary discourse.
- Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka was the first black person to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986.
- Nigeria is the Afrobeat(s) capital of the world, with a lineup of artists like Asa, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Davido, Rema, and Ruger, amongst many others, who are captivating audiences worldwide.
- Nigeria is home to Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote
- Nigeria is the most populated Black nation in the world. According to the OECD, one out of every four Africans and one out of every five persons of African origin is a Nigerian.
And so many more. I am reminded of Chinua Achebe’s question in his book “Anthills of the Savannah”: “Does the eagle not soar above the earth? But he is still faced with the trials of hunger and survival.”
Being a Nigerian is an actual flex. And Nigerians deserve better!