Nigerians are generally nice.
But when it's safe. After seeing the random kindnesses passed around, from one stranger to another, I can safely make this conclusion. Some of these things are not common elsewhere.
Nigerians can be mean.
Commit a gaffe and you're dead. Because we're constantly in search of what brings us fun, because we need to vent. Nigerians will not spare you. Especially if they don't like you. They will make a trend of your blunder till they get tired.
Nigerians can get extremely religious.
Nigeria is the world's capital of religious fanaticism. Need I say more?
Nigerians are hilarious.
Nigerians can make a joke out of a tragic death, and the dead will burst out laughing in their grave or wherever. This sometimes can get insensitive when rape, injustice and a herd of other sensitive issues become sources of inspiration.
Nigerians can be tribalistic.
There's a chance that an average Nigerian will attend better to you if you're from their side of the country. But I have to go easy on us here. What should I expect from a nation with tribes like stars. About 370 tribes, and over 520 languages, it can't be all smooth. Not even the Tower of Babel could keep it together.
Nigerians are warriors.
A warrior is person who fights to stay alive through the heat and mosquitos of an electricity-less night. A warrior fights to find jobs. They fight to transport themselves to the job. They fight to stay conscious in a three-hour traffic jam. They fight to stay sane through this unending cycle. It takes a warrior to be Nigerian.
Nigerians are too emotional.
Talk of a group of people propelled by emotions. One thing about emotions is they're unstable, they don't last. Nigerians can get angry at a development today and by tomorrow, forget why they'd even gotten angry in the first place.
Nigerians love shortcuts.
Especially the bad shortcuts. If it's still going to arrive at a usable result, go for it. It doesn't matter what route you go through, or the quality of your ingredients/materials, or how long it will last, just produce results! And that's it. We love double-promotions too.
Nigerians are not so patient.
Have you seen ten cars trying to squeeze through one narrow lane at the same time? Have you seen a person coming out of the blue to jump a queue? Welcome to Nigeria.
Nigerians lack the maintenance mentality.
Nigerians will spend a fortune creating a masterpiece and then step back, and wait for it to maintain itself. If it hasn't packed up, it doesn't need any attention. From machines, to buildings, to roads and bridges, and finally to our health. Pain and mild symptoms are enough to push a usual person to the hospital, but see, Nigerians are not your usual people, we need to faint, enter coma, experience a dangerous stage of the disease before presenting at the hospital.
Nigerians and Made in Nigeria.
An important marker of wealth in Nigeria is the number of made-in-nigeria products one has. It seems Nigerians get rich so they can finally ditch the local products. I'm not saying this is a terrible thing, I mean, it's your money, you can do whatever you want with it. I'm just saying we tend to have this beef with our own products. Does a kind of shame come with being seen with a MIN?
Nigerians are brilliant and highly talented.
Check out Nigerian writers and musicians, brilliant, brilliant people. But it's an irony how a country with so many intelligent minds can be way behind. Back in school, in Russia, many of the most amazing minds were Nigerians. The USA and other nations have plenty of them. It's sad, however, that some have decided to channel this intelligence into becoming villains.
Nigerians are hardworking.
Another irony. If there's anything Nigerians are, this is it. Even if it ends up not bringing much to the table, we still do it. To survive. No job is too dirty or demanding for an average Nigerian. Physically strong and mentally tough, we will go the extra mile for success. We're all over the world, gathering, thriving.
Nigerians are friendly and accommodating.
Forget Ghana Must Go, we're accommodating, we roll easily with people from other places. It's relatively easier to walk up to a Nigerian and strike a conversation. That's if they don't come to you first.
Superiority complex.
This is especially for those in diaspora. Nigerians can hardly be bullied. They go around like they own the galaxy. Now, this is not particularly a wonderful thing, but I'll choose it over the inferiority complex. Anytime.
Nigerians are optimists.
Yes, we get angry and frustrated and tired, and say all sort of hopeless things, but somewhere deep down, when we wake up each morning, we still hope to meet the best in the day, for a miracle. At night, when trudge back home, hurt, we curse and sleep. And wake again with a secret hope that won't just die. I don't understand how this works.
Nigerians party so well.
It means so much to us, rich or not rich. Through it all, Nigerians never lose the ability to party hard. Sleep takes away a part of the disappointment, parties do the rest.
