The perfect Nigerian

I have had many arguments especially with facebook ‘friends’ on this matter, and the general trend is to see a few Nigerians who now live abroad being at the forefront of the advocacy of gay rights in Nigeria.  Many claim that we are now in the modern world and should accept the reality.  My counter-argument […]

I have had many arguments especially with facebook ‘friends’ on this matter, and the general trend is to see a few Nigerians who now live abroad being at the forefront of the advocacy of gay rights in Nigeria.  Many claim that we are now in the modern world and should accept the reality.  My counter-argument is that African countries do not share the same history with European countries or the USA, so we should not be expected to be on the same page on every issue.  Our problem in Africa, for now, is how to feed ourselves; how to combat poverty and diseases; how to give our children a worthwhile future.  When escalated a bit, our problem for now, is how to survive; and how to escape an imminent extinction.

Some have accused me of being anti-west.  Indeed I see no other option for me, apart from being the way I am.  I am not anti-West. I am always pro-the underdog.  In this instance, the underdog is Africa, and someone has to speak up for it.  I am pro the 99% of Americans who groan daily under the deadweight of a rogue crony-capitalism that has more than failed.  I cannot be on the side of the 1% moneybags who have stolen all the wealth of the world.  Again I say, they should be asked where all the money has gone, because money doesn’t simply disappear.  After looting Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America, the world should be asking Europe and the USA, ‘how can you be broke?’  Certainly we should reject the blame they are trying to put on the rest of us as the culprits of the global economic (and social) meltdown.

My main concern today still has to do with the youth.  For those who live on the internet like me, it is easy to see the unfounded venom that now exists in the hearts of our teenagers over tribal matters.  It is there when football is being discussed, or when a progenitor of one tribe dies.  It is there when issues of corruption comes up, and especially in the more frequent religious fracases, bombings and so on.  Anytime these things occur, we see young Nigerians start to curse each other out.  ‘These Hausas are parasites’.  ‘These Igbos are criminals’.  ‘These Yorubas are two-faced and corrupt’ and so on.  It must be said though, that on balance, the southerners are more prone to these insults and usually have a heady feeling of superiority.

The trend has got me thinking about the majority and minority tribes. And I now see that it could have been possible to evolve the perfect Nigerian.  The Hausas, Yorubas and Igbos have stereotypes that we know them by.  Whereas no one should be judged by their tribes, there are aspects of a people’s culture that define them.  In the sociological realm, if 20% of a people dress or behave in a certain manner, that 20% could be held as representative of the majority.  In today’s world, the press does amplify some of these generalisations.  Hence every Nigerian is deemed to be untrustworthy despite the fact that it is only a few Nigerians who err.  But let us focus on the good aspects.

The Yorubas are held to be educated and erudite.  They still possess the highest number of professors in Nigeria – arguably – and their presence in mass media as well as the literary world testifies to this generalisation.  Historically, the Yorubas have the advantage of being amongst the first that were encountered by Western Civilisation, even when the north of Nigeria was still under the Islamic Civilisation. The Igbos are held to be industrious and energetic, determined and restless.  This is attested to by the lengths that the Igbos have gone in the business arena, all over the world.  In the heydays of Nigerian sports, it was also evident that the Igbos were valiant sportsmen, with the likes of Innocent Egbunike, Chidi Imo, the Ezinwa brothers, David Konyegwachi, Mary Onyeali and co, dominating the energy-sapping track and field.  The Hausas and Fulanis are held by many to be simple, humble and honest people.  Till date, in spite of the sea change that most regions of Nigeria are going through, even the worst antagonists of these people still admit that relative trustworthiness is the strongest forte of Northern Nigerians in general.

So, in the spirit of unity, why are we not thinking of adopting the good traits of all these great people, while doing away with the shortcomings?  Why are we allowing the downsides to define our people?  Why are we emphasising the reputed duplicity of the Yorubas?  Why are the Yorubas defining themselves by their alleged cowardliness and fearfulness?  Is that not evident in the fact that Yorubas own the majority of miracle-peddling, fear-inducing churches in Nigeria and the world?  Why are we emphasising the proneness of our Igbo brothers to crime, rather than seeing such tendencies as an undesirable corollary of a go-getting, achievement-oriented culture?  Why do all the other tribes believe that the Hausa/Fulanis are lazy and nepotic?  Why have we raised most of our children in Southern Nigeria, to believe that all the problems of Nigeria are caused by Northerners?  Why are Northern Nigerians allowing their great religion, Islam, to be defined by terrorism? How come none of the eminent personalities up north have nothing coherent and useful to say in order to stave off the coming calamity? Why are all the tribes pointing fingers, rather than uniting?

If I was Nigeria’s president, I would advocate that each Nigerian learns as many languages as possible right from birth.  We cannot do away with our languages, but if more people spoke each others’ languages, love will be promoted and cheating and deadly plots will be reduced.  When you speak a people’s language, you are one of them! I wish I could be a Bisi Olatilo, who weaves between the major languages with deft ease.  What a great asset to have!

I strive to evolve in myself and my children, the perfect Nigerian.  One which combines the education and erudition of the Yorubas, with the business acumen and physical sturdiness of the Igbos, and the honesty/simplicity/humility of the Hausa/Fulanis, granted that these great attributes are fading away in many respects.  Added to that, I hope to combine the resourcefulness and diversity of Nigeria’s many minority tribes.  I have preached unity until I am hoarse.  In unity exists happiness and plenty.  We must unite as a people. We have a colourful pastel of good behaviours to choose from.  A perfect Nigerian will beat the world indeed. It hurts me greatly that in spite of the many warnings we have given, Nigeria is unstoppably drifting into the abyss.  God please help us.  But we must also help ourselves! Alas, time is running out!