Whenever I go shopping or on holiday in busy city centres anywhere, I could easily differentiate Nigerians from other Africans in the crowd. It has become a hobby and a challenge for me. My obsession with this used to drive my wife mad, especially when I go as far as stopping people to ask what nationality they are.

However the uniqueness of Nigerians is not only noticed by me. It was only recently that my wife came home and told me that one of the directors of her organisation while on visit to her office asked her if she was a Nigerian. That was not the only time she had been asked whether she is a Nigerian. She is not a Nigerian but she did live in Nigeria for some years. It leaves her to wonder what it is about her that makes some people think she is a Nigerian. She now realises that there is something about Nigerians that distinguished them and also that Nigerianness has rubbed off on her!

I have also found other nationalities hold similar view. The British, Indians and Pakistanis have some unspoken respect for Nigerians. This is in spite of the negative publicity Nigerians have received in recent years due to 419 scams. Perhaps, it is this respect that explains why in spite of all negative publicity Nigerian banks are highly rated in the international financial market.

Some people argue that Nigerians have a bad reputation in UK, particularly in London. I can’t argue with that. However, that does not mean Nigerians are not respected. Also I have heard some people say that it is the academic pursuit and work ethics of Nigerians, which explain why they are rated so highly. I do not disagree with this either. You only need to see the Nigerian traffic wardens at work in London to understand how dedicated (and overzealous?) they can be.

Where I work, surprisingly enough, the few black managers are mainly Nigerians, each performing over and above the expected standard. I have noticed that my employer and other managers are always eager to invite Nigerians for interview. A clinical director confessed to me that he recruited two Nigerians medical doctors who did not actually passed their interviews. When he was prompted further to explain why he employed them when they did not pass the interview, he said “They are Nigerians, they are ok”.

However, I also have some sad tales narrated by Nigerians. Over the years, I have met with some senior Nigerian managers elsewhere who narrated a sad tale of suspicion and discourtesy which Nigerians are subjected. This is not widespread and I do not think it means these Nigerians are not respected. They could be victims of office jealousy.

Recently, I asked John, a white British, who is a senior manager, how he would describe a Nigerian. His reply was:

“They are too academic. They argue a lot. The men tend to be short with protruding stomach. The women have….….”

“Ok, that is enough” I stopped him before he could finish.

I could guess what he was going to say about our women, their big backside. But he was not giving me a specific answer as he was beating around the bush.

However, the question that still bugs me is what are those factors that make us peculiar? Could it be the way we walk, our posture, the way we speak, our peculiar arrogance or what? Personally, I can guess who is a Nigerian from a combination of factors, the main one being their posture. But that does not answer the question as to why their posture is peculiar to Nigerians.

I remember another time when I went shopping at Southall, in West London, to buy some clothes for my travel to Nigeria. I went into a clothes shop. I was looking around for some shirts and trousers that were suitable for the tropics. A man walked up to me and introduced himself as Mr Patel, the shop owner. He was friendly but friendship was not on my shopping list nor was I ready to add it at that point in time. However, I managed to say hello to him.

Suddenly, with no lead up at all, Mr Patel asked me “Are you a Nigerian?” I noticed the big welcoming smile on his face. I knew there was nothing to worry about but I was still hesitant in returning the friendship.

“Of course, I am a Nigerian” I replied with unintended mild aggression.

Mr Patel went on to say: “There is something unique about Nigerians.” He left me wondering where the interrogation and cynical remark was heading. He looked at me as if he wanted me to ask him to go on.

“Why is that, if I may ask?” I looked deep into his eyes, not with any threat but showing some eagerness to learn something new.

“Majority of my black customers that look at and buy these clothes you are looking at are Nigerians.” He replied. He was quite serious.

“I don’t quite understand that. Why would you take note of that?” I queried him, looking confused and obviously showing my unease about his comment.

“These clothes are quality stuff. Nigerians are always looking for quality. They are willing to pay the right price for the right quality.” He replied. Mr Patel had unknowingly added another factor to what makes a Nigerian unique.

Initially, I did not know how to take Mr Patel remark. I tried to ignore him and continue with my shopping. I bought some of the clothes that I wanted. Then I realised that those clothes were from the same section that Mr Patel said Nigerians bought their clothes from. In spite of the fact that I made deliberate effort to leave that section I still ended up coming back there to choose my clothes.

Now I was determine to test Mr Patel claim that Nigerians like quality and they know it when they see it. I wore the clothes throughout my stay in Nigeria. I asked my relations to identify the clothes they want me to leave behind for them as they see them on me. All the clothes from Mr Patel’s shop were “oversubscribed” by five to one! Then I realise there is some element of truth in Mr Patel’s hypothesis.

I returned to England full of thoughts about who we are and whether we really know who we are. It was then it occurred to me that the biggest problem we have is that Nigerians do not know or accept who they are and what makes them unique. I began to see the negative impact this could have on Nigerian economic, political and social policies and stability.

A few days after I arrived back in England, I heard the phrase “the Nigerian factor” on BEN TV (a Sky satellite channel). I jumped up my chair and shouted to my wife, saying: “Darling, I know what the Nigerian factor is.”

Nigerians should not aspire to be like the Americans or the British, just as the Americans are not like the British in spite of their historical link. The nationals of Germany, Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, India, China, Japan, USA, etc have “something” about them that gives away their nationalities. It is this “something” that makes them unique and determine their political system. It also influences their social and economic policies. It explains why they are developed and Nigeria is not.

We must aspire to use our uniqueness to our advantage. If we know who we are we will know how to live our lives and manage our national affairs. But not knowing who we are is the biggest problem we have. The failure of Nigerian political and economic development policies can be traced to the lack of situational approach in Nigerian leadership style. Ideas that original from Nigeria is most likely to be suitable to Nigeria needs than those imported without modification.

I am proud that we, Nigerians, are unique people.

Nosa@olotu.org

Robot  Villager

# 1 Nigerians should not aspire to be like the Americans or the British, just as the A...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 14.03.2008 05:36

truthsayer33  Villager

# 2 we are very similar to russians....we are unruly,arrogant,brave,stubborn,prefer to deal with the big man 'personally' rather than officially,ostentantious and flamboyant.Neglectful of public space but have some of the best brains in the world.And our women are something else....even our muslim ladies know how to....... Posted by truthsayer33| 14.03.2008 07:25

ula-lisa  Villager

# 3 This is a good write... There is certainly something unique about naija although we may not have been conscious of it... In the eighties, on a visit to London, I enjoyed watching the store-keepers fawn over naijas as they spent our then strong naira...you needed to see the naijas with their bags of shopping then...my Jammo friends told me that next to the arabs, naijas were then the biggest spenders at the stores. The Jammos also loved us because they felt we represented them in carriage, we did not walk with a stoop but carried ourselves high even when hungry...they could relate to that, they had been trying to maintain for long. In the US currently, I also can tell them...they are often more self-confident without the swagger, are leaner than their black brothers and even when they try on their funny yankee accent, it always comes out like naija...you nor wat un talkin abuut? ...And the best...they enjoy a laugh and an argument...regardless of what poor clothes they wear...esp if they are JJC. You wanna see a naija look-a-like, look at Eddie Murphy...dat bobo na naija even plus im laugh!:lol::lol::lol: Posted by ula-lisa| 14.03.2008 08:13

afam  Villager

# 4 Very interesting article and spot on. Nigerians in my opinion excel in whatever they do whether right or wrong and a few pointers support this position. Nigerians have broken academic records in some western nations just as Nigerians have redefined internet scam even though the percentage of online scam attributed to Nigerians remain well below 10%. I certainly do not believe that arrogance is purely a negative trait as I have seen some arrogant and intelligent Nigerians. However, in the context of the article what makes Nigerians unique may not be fully explored when we consider Nigerians living in Nigeria even though this presents another interesting chapter altogether. Posted by afam| 14.03.2008 08:36

Oghre  Villager

# 5 Good article Nosa, well written and based on everyday facts But please you guys should write and stop Nigerians from having too many children they cannot feed. It is affecting the quality of life in Nigeria and abroad Posted by Oghre| 14.03.2008 10:45

surulere007  Villager

# 6 =ula-lisa;4294995858>This is a good write... You wanna see a naija look-a-like, look at Eddie Murphy...dat bobo na naija even plus im laugh!:lol::lol::lol: you can say that again and again! :smile: Posted by surulere007| 14.03.2008 11:10

Big-K  Villager

# 7 Basically, if you see a confident blackman walking around abroad like he owns the place or like he was there when they laid the foundation...or if you see a blackman who will most likely resist a second-class appellation, etc....he's likely Nigerian I've heard it in many places from many nationalities that there's a certain "IT" about Nigerians that separates us from other blacks. Whatever that IT is , is subject to interpretation. Maybe it comes from coming from the biggest black nation on earth, or from being imbibed with "Giant of Africa" from birth...But whatever it is, or whatever they think of us, we remain the proudest people on earth. Posted by Big-K| 14.03.2008 12:09

fxo  Villager

# 8 Reading this article and knowing what I know, makes me wonder. The other day, I saw a report about 419 by an American TV network. The commentator described Lagos as 'a disgrace of a city'. ( His words brought me close to tears, because he was right). Reading this article I wonder for how long those who see Nigerians as proud and dignified will continue to agree we deserve to be when our home country is clearly lacking in many ways more than one. Posted by fxo| 14.03.2008 14:02

fxo  Villager

# 9 Reading this article and knowing what I know, makes me wonder. The other day, I saw a report about 419 by an American TV network. The commentator described Lagos as 'a disgrace of a city'. ( His words brought me close to tears, because he was right). Reading this article I wonder for how long those who see Nigerians as proud and dignified will continue to agree we deserve to be when our home country is clearly lacking in many ways more than one. Posted by fxo| 14.03.2008 14:09

Wayfarer  Villager

# 10 =fxo> The other day, I saw a report about 419 by an American TV network. The commentator described Lagos as 'a disgrace of a city'. ( His words brought me close to tears, because he was right). No, he wasn't right. Lagos cannot possibly be a disgrace of a city because if it was, this commentator would not have been able to find many Lagosians to assist him in his feature on 419. The commentator is most surely a disgrace of a human being, however, because he showed no gratitude or graciousness to the Lagosians who helped him, and displays a clear deficiency of the ethic which says that you do not exploit a person's hospitality and then turn around and insult him. No, sir, what you saw on that feature was racism masquerading as journalism, 419 or not. Make no mistake about it. Has any Western journalist ever described Sicily as a disgrace of a city? That is where the mafia originated from. What about Switzerland? Is she also a disgrace of a country because her banks hoard money made as a result of theft, murder and genocide? Of course they don't. They choose instead to glorify them. How about Bogota, Columbia with its cocain wars and poverty? Same convenient oversight. But they will have us believe that 419, which requires a target's greed to work, represents the greatest threat to humanity. In one country, unsuspecting tourists were victimized by criminals who used pretty girls to lure them into nightclubs where they were charged outrageous amounts. Non cooperative victims were often beaten, but no one ever called Riga, capital of Latvia, a disgrace of a city. Infact, some of the respondents in one blog I read, defended the criminal behaviour, attributing it to the turmoil they were still undergoing as a nation and such. Just goes to show that other people instinctively defend their own, while Black people gleefully give permission to non Blacks to defecate all over them. Nigerians are definitely way better than we are given credit for. I can confidently say that. Posted by Wayfarer| 14.03.2008 22:57

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