After spending 19 years 7 months of my life growing up in Nigeria, I have come to realize something special about these folks. Many of us have in one way or the other seen this demeanor. We might have even seen it depicted in their movies, but we ridiculously blush it aside.
Growing up in Nigeria thought me a lot of lessons that have helped groomed my life even though people see me as odd and think of me as different, when i talk about this, but whether for good or for bad, it worked for me. Read on as i share with you my experiences about Nigerians that I have learned either through personal experience or observations
Lagos Sense
Few days before I left for Ghana, I was talking to a fellow Ghanaian who had been there years before I was born and guess what he said to me, he said, ‘oh its nice you re finally going home, at least if you've not learned anything, you should have learned some sense'. This should tell you that living in Lagos city needs a lot of sense application. I’m referring to a city where no one sells anything for the right price because it is assumed that a villager will always come to the market, which is better said as "johnny just come, JJC". This gives an impression that you cannot buy or sell if you are not smart.
In Lagos, there is this locally manufactured Benz bus called 'molue', it waits for no one, it never stops until the last stop. This means to get on the bus you have to run along with the bus, until you re at the same impulse with it before you can jump in. conversely, when getting down, you have to jump out, still running along with the bus until the bus out pace you.
For us aliens, we were never spared of what i refer to as the 'snatching slap'. I got a fair share of mine as well as people who were not that security conscious. There was virtually no room for making a mistake because you will have to pay dearly for it. Sometimes your life could be at risk. Whether you like it or not, you will have to be time conscious because, at certain times of the day (i mean daylight), there are certain places you cannot be or go to.
Now tell me, if you live in such a city like this, how won't you grow up very smart being time and security conscious.
Ibo Sense
Hmm, IBO. Trying not to paint the wrong picture, people from the eastern part of Nigeria were right from time immemorial known to be outwits. They always engaged in activities or be in situation where they can outwit the other person. They started the "made in Nigeria" concept. They initially came up with 'made in china' cliché, which they later changed. In fact, if you go to pound road, Aba, you will find factories which manufacture any original thing that sells. Ranging from household electronics to office equipment and industrial materials which sells. Unfortunately, they never produce original product, their model was based on quantity and not quality, considering the large populace at stake. Guess what anything sells. Piracy in Nigeria was originated by the Ibo's, when you go to Alaba, Trade fair, Lagos; this is where all piracy work is done. An Ibo guy starts to work there today. i bet you, in one month, you will find him driving a Rav 4 jeep.
They had this culture that made young boys serve for several years (approximately 7years), this is the 'OGA' thing you see in their movies. This make their youngsters work their way up. It’s hard for you to find a daft Ibo man. Next time you meet a Nigerian, be careful it might just be an Ibo man. Notwithstanding, i have learnt to work my way through and to always think ahead of the next person in front me.
Quality out of quantity.
With a population of about 150 million people, it will be a total loss to focus on quality and not quantity, as a producer or manufacturer. You might be thinking of integrity.
Well, Nigerians are so smart that they get ahead through the back door. What matters is that they went through a 'door’ and not a 'window'.
While in Lagos, my mum used to make pastries. One day, she forgot to add salt. She didn't notice until she had sold about 3/4 of her produce for that day, one of her consumer noticed and alerted her. The next day she decided to cut the pastries double their size to pay off what happened the previous day, but after she returned from her sales, she said nobody actually knew what happen the previous day.
Today, big businesses in Africa have their roots in Nigeria. They first of all think about how they will reach the people before actually thinking of satisfying them. But, with emerging trends, you dare not go there with this mentality, else you will crumble. Sitting back here, i have been keeping track on them and what people around the world say and think about them. I have realized that they now in terms of services pull out the quality out of the quantity. For their services, i can give an A, their marketability and feasibility skills can’t be compared with what we have over here. They have that instinct to sell. It’s a Nigerian instinct; guess what, I’ve got some. Want some fact? How about their musicians, who right from time, have been able to penetrate African countries more than we, or their movies which have maintained over the years its originality.
When i was in Lagos, there were about 12 TV channels and every station had something important to show at every moment of the day. They had original contents.at every time of the day you can never get bored, and to surprise you, they hardly show movies, they just produce contents.
Politics
Our country is so lucky to be rated among those who practice democracy to the last dot. Well, for folks in Nigeria, they don’t get it to the full, yet i consider them more political players than we. This because, for any developing or developed country, the interference of political issues in everyday life is a threat to their success. Nigerian politicians, only show their antics during electioneering process, and retract them after. They are not partisans as we are. They are never afraid to take a decision, putting the opposition into context. They don’t change policies after a change of administration. Their politicians are only, excuse me to say lacking integrity.
Money mind
The 1960's civil war (Biafra war) which brought them hunger has been their ultimate model. During this period, there was no food and only the smart ones could get access to food. This brought about serious contest, which made them aggressive, and desperate.
Over the years, as i grew up, I’ve learned to be desperate, though not aggressive but seemingly forward. Their desperateness has been the one responsible for their illicit attitude of ritualism. But not all Nigerians are fraudsters, and ritualistic. Some manifest their desperateness positively and some negatively.
A typical Ibo man is so obsessed with money that, even when he's talking with his friend he is counting his money at the back of his mind. A joke was once shared by one of their comedians that, if a Yoruba man (southern Nigerian) is making a call, he can spend the whole credit just greeting, without talking about the main subject. But for an Ibo man, hmm, you can guess for your self, he will shrewdly pass his message across in 10seconds.
Nigerians re born to be rich, they have more rich folks than we do; they just have a bad government right from the start.
Now, you might have been more convinced that Nigerians can't be trusted. But that is not the case. The issue at stake is if we are willing to imbibe their money making attributes so we too can become wealth creators. Even though, they may be operating with the quantity not quality scheme, yet their works have gained more recognition than ours.
My readers, please, let’s put aside all these compares and contrast and focus on producing good and economic boundless content.
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