TheNwando: What I’ve Learnt From Being a Nigerian [OPINION]

Life is stressful most of the time, the world is flawed and people are 2 faced; to make a bad situation worse; we live in a country where nothing works right and we often struggle to balance the urge to do so much or to just give up altogether. Most of us work hard in our individual lives, at the end of a hard day; we have no fuel to drive home, we pay ridiculous taxi fares, stay in traffic for over 2 hours only to get home to a house with no electricity. We read everyday of terrorism, thieving politicians, devalued currency, cheating yoruba men(aka demons) and other life threatening things we accept as the order of the day.

Really, i believe being Nigerian prepares you for hard times and teaches you coping mechanisms for hard times and i admire the strength and zeal of all hardworking Nigerians.

Despite all the above, Nigeria is an interesting place to live in, it certainly contributes to character development. Below are a few things i have learnt from being Nigerian

To be stronger – Only the strong will survive and thrive in this economy. I’ve learnt the need to be stronger and to always be one step ahead, I’m tough because in a society that doesn’t recognize women as equals, i have to work extra hard to prove myself.

To be hopeful – We are the most hopeful citizens; we cling to the hope and belief that things must surely get better one day. This can’t possibly be our eternal reality; so we hope and hope. I’ve learnt to be extremely hopeful for the possibility of a much better day.

To persevere – We keep struggling believing that any day could be the day we get that lucky break that will elevate us and change our current circumstance. So we persevere through all trials. I’ve learnt that no does not really mean no and that there is no situation that one can not handle with the right tactics or amount so i persevere through any and every situation.

High tolerance level – There’s so much negative things that we’ve gotten used to as a way of life (poor infrastructure, corrupt leaders, cheating husbands, high unemployment rate, Boko haram, underage brides, rape culture, ebola, gender inequality) just to mention a few. I have definitely attained a high tolerant level to situations.

To be more spiritual – In Nigeria, the answer to all questions and the solution to every dilemma is God. You get used to phrases like ‘it is well’, ‘God is in control’, ‘God will do it for you’, ‘God’s time is the best’. Religion is something Nigerians NEED to cling to; the desperate hope that if they live right then a higher power will reward them. I’m a Christian and i have to say that being a Nigerian living in Nigeria has taught me to be more spiritual.

To be competitive – I grew up around a LOT of comparison, to siblings, cousins, neighbors, classmates and so on. If you’re Nigerian you have heard ‘the person that came first does she have two heads?’. Being Nigerian has taught me to be very competitive in all situations.

The list is truly endless but i have learnt so much from being Nigerian and i believe that the traits i have picked up can allow me to live and thrive anywhere in the world. Everyone knows that Nigerians are EVERYWHERE. Even in the most unlikely places like Alaska, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, etc.

Really, i believe being Nigerian prepares you for hard times and teaches you coping mechanisms for hard times and i admire the strength and zeal of all hardworking Nigerians.

What has being Nigerian taught you? I would love to hear it all.

Proudly Nigerian.

Love x Light

N.
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