Honestly, sometimes I wonder if Nigerians ever get tired of turning almost everything into a trend. You can wake up in the morning feeling normal, pick up your phone to check what is happening, and before you know it, you have spent two hours laughing at things you never planned to watch.
One person has said something controversial, another person is dragging them, somebody else has made a funny video about it, and the comment section has become more entertaining than the original post. Seriously, what exactly is going on?
Take the controversy surrounding Abdulmajeed Abdulfatahi, also known as Comrade Abdulmajeed Abdulfatai Arikewuyo, who has been associated with political and Assembly aspirations in Kwara State. A statement attributed to him about students who attended Kwara State public primary and secondary schools between 2003 and 2019 has sparked reactions, particularly over the alleged description of some of those students as “olodos (dullard)” or half-baked.
My people, this is where the matter becomes serious. Education is not a small issue, and describing an entire group of students in such terms is bound to raise questions.
The funny thing is that nobody wants to be left out. Once something starts trending, everybody suddenly has something to say about it. Even people who don't know how the whole thing started will join the conversation with full confidence. You will just be reading the comments and wondering if you accidentally entered a comedy competition.
And the way Nigerians can turn a serious matter into a joke still amazes me. Something happens, people get angry, everybody starts complaining, and before long, someone has created a meme that makes you laugh even when you know you should probably be serious. You will laugh, share the meme with your friends, and move on.
Then, after a few minutes, you remember what actually happened and say to yourself, "Wait o, this thing is not even funny!" But somehow, another funny post will appear, and you are back to laughing again.
Social media has also turned everybody into an adviser. If you open Facebook, you will find relationship experts. On another platform, you will meet financial experts, political analysts, motivational speakers, and people who seem to have solutions to every problem in the country.
Everybody knows what a man should do in a relationship, everybody knows what a woman should tolerate, everybody knows how the government should run the country. But when you check your own account balance, you may need to sit down first before making any major financial decision.
My people, I am not exempting myself o! Sometimes, I also find myself reading these arguments and waiting to see how they will end. The comments alone can give you a headache and entertainment at the same time. Another thing I find funny is how quickly people move from one trend to another.
Today, everybody is talking about one viral video, tomorrow, the same people have forgotten it because a new controversy has arrived. It is almost impossible to keep up, before you finish understanding the first drama, another one is already waiting for you.
Sometimes I even wonder how people find the energy to argue all day on the internet. Someone will type a whole essay to prove a point to a stranger they have never met and may never meet in their entire life. My brother, my sister, please drink water and rest small. Is it worth losing your peace over somebody who might not even remember your username tomorrow?
But jokes aside, I think this is one of the ways people cope with everything happening around them. Life is not always easy, and sometimes a little laughter helps. Nigerians have a special way of finding humour in difficult situations, and I honestly admire that.
Still, I hope we don't get so carried away by trends that we forget the serious issues that need our attention. Not everything should end with a meme, even though some of these memes are dangerously funny!
For now, I will just keep watching from my corner, laughing when something is funny and shaking my head when things get out of hand. Because one thing I have learnt is that the internet never really sleeps, and Nigerians will always find something to talk about.
Abeg, before I finish writing this post, another trend might have already started.
Thanks for checking on my blog and have a wonderful day