giANT Of Africa

When I was little,   Nigeria was always referred to as the "Giant Of Africa", Well, almost two decades later and I don't hear people say that anymore. I never cared about why we were called that, (because- I mean, I was like 8, helluur. I just wanted to play and take ice cream). As I grew older, I came to realize, that we were known as the Giant because of our greatest resources, people and petroleum.

From the stories I've been told by my parents and adults who are always angry at Nigeria's leadership, Nigeria was a beautiful land with milk and honey and had a beautiful economy and treated it's youth nicely, but now, our economy is sorta trash, most of our leaders are old men with no self respect and our president relegates his wife to the other room and calls the youth lazy and dependent when he has an unemployed son who bought two power bikes which cost about 57 million naira each.

I'm not here to talk about the qualifications or the lack of qualifications, both academic and intellectual, of our leaders. I'm here to state a few things that I think if every Nigerian practiced, might gradually change our mentality and subsequently, our country.

•   Patience in Traffic: Personally, I feel traffic is a major problem in certain parts of the country, it can be argued that traffic is caused by impatience, but it is a fact that impatience just makes things worse. It just does, there's traffic, you pass one way, block the other side of the road, GBAM, more traffic. Or you start switching lanes, like you're skipping Vic O's song in your playlist ( Don't ask me what it's doing there in the first place), boom, accident, boom, more traffic. We're all stuck here for 2 extra hours. Congratulations doody-head, you screwed us all.🎉. The point is "Oga, Madam, Alaye, Please be patient."

• Don't jump the queue: Hey, I know you're tired and the sun is blazing, but please stay in line and wait for your turn, the ATM won't vanish, your card won't melt. Just wait your turn. It's really disgusting when I'm on the queue and a group of people walk forward to meet their friend and hand him/her like 5 cards, I get even more irritated when said friend collects all of them. Like, guuy, why?? Even when it's a queue at a store, people still try to jump the queue, it isn't so hard to maintain your place, we'll all get there. Some play the emotion card, "Please, I'm in a hurry". Some play the "Sorry, please, it's just 2 things" card. Others, just try to act smart and wiggle their way to your front. All I have to say is "PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PLEASE, WE'LL ALL GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE!!! MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION."  p.s: If you were in a life or death situation, "If  I stay too long on the queue, I'll die" make a transfer or send someone who can stand in line to withdraw for you. 

• Kill the "I cannot come and go and kill myself and die away" mentality: Speaking proper english, this is being lackadaisical. Nigerians are always so lackadaisical about so many things, a minor injustice - or even a major one- happens and you can smell the resignation and defeat. You see someone doing wrong and you say " Wo, I can't kill myself, lemme do and leave this country"This mentality has finished so many of us. Even in your circle of friends, there is that one person who makes you facepalm every time and you're tired of talking, every time they come up, The Mi-O-Le-Wa-Ku (I can't kill myself) mode just activates. Personally, I think this is one of the mentalities behind our G-boys, Yahoo boys and Runs girls. I do hope you get the picture. 

• Be sincere: This might seem tough, but it's much simpler than you think. Call a spade a spade, Tell the correct time, Call black black. When it seems impossible. Shut up. Just shut up. You have a right to freedom of speech, you don't always have to exercise it.

• Follow due process: How to be a proper driver in Lagos, Go to driving school, Take a drivers test, Pass the test, Get a drivers license, Take your car for inspection with VIO, Pass the inspection, Drive on. Don't sit in your house, get license, go to driving school and start driving. Some even skip driving school. This is the cause of some accidents, so many unqualified drivers on our roads. Following due process might be longer, but it's more effective and in the long run, worth it. Next time you want to do something, try not to cut corners.

• Don't cross the lawns: I might be a perfectionist, but people have absolutely no idea how irksome this is. It takes, time energy and resources to maintain a lawn and you, with your low level of intelligence just walk across it, even when there's a sign that says not to. (sport fields being the exception obviously). It may not seem like it, but this very simple action shows you are not an uncultured swine with no self discipline.

• Bins are made for trash: Nigerians are major stakeholders in the littering business. The office, the streets, public transport, EVERYWHERE!!! Guess what, you won't die if you hold your trash till you find a bin, you won't die if you walk to a bin. Don't just drop it on the road. People that empty trash from your shops/houses by the roadside, STOP!!!! Wait for the trash truck. If you're expected to put it out, do it neatly. Yes, treat even your trash with respect.

• Mind your business: I'm not saying ignore everything and say you can't kill yourself, but mind your business. Don't poke nose. Your neighbor has a lot of man friends, instead of judging her and disturbing people with your hissing, mind your business. People are kissing in public, mind your business, someone is dressed like they do yahoo, mind your business if you have no proof. Just keep your nose out of what isn't your business. MIND YOUR BUSINESS! Put the energy into your own. Here's how to know if it's not your business. 
• Am I directly affected by the situation? If No, it's not your business. If yes, are you losing money, health or your life or your well being in any area? If not, It's NOT your business.
• Using ripple effect, Am I less than 6 scenarios away from the present situation? If Not, It's NOT your business.
• Could this affect me in 5 months or 5 years? If not, it's NOT your business.
• Lastly, If you were in that situation, would you want someone to do what you're about to do? I need you to be honest, logical, objective and realistic about your answer here. Once again, if not. Stay out of it.

• If you want anything done, best do it yourself: Don't just sit and complain about how things aren't working like they should and just do it yourself. I'm not saying fix Nigeria overnight. Your sister isn't cooking the indomie like you want it, cook it yourself. Your help isn't doing a good job of cleaning, do it yourself. Your neighbor is supposed yo sweep the compound but they aren't, sweep your side and perhaps their own. Your co worker messes up your corner, just clean it or call the cleaner. Just do it. It saves time and energy.
• What is wrong is wrong: Stop making excuses for inadequacy. Cheating is bad, don't say it's in a mans nature to cheat. Or if your girl isn't crazy, she doesn't love you. Or As a politician, it's fine to steal if you get something done. Or it's okay to be a shitty husband but a great father. Just STOP!
• Nigeria is just ONE country: We as the future of everything need to put an end to tribalism. Our parents might have been ignorant and chosen to inherit ancestral enemies without even remembering why, but we can honestly do better. Yoruba people know how to party, Igbo people are lit business men, Calabar people know how to cook lit meals. I could go on. Just embrace the diversity and stop hating people based on what region they are from and what language they speak. Also try to respect Nigerians more than foreigners especially when you're in NIGERIA. Imagine being disrespected in your father's house by your brother all for his friend, public humiliation level of disrespect. Yea, that's how it feels when a fellow Nigerian puts some white dude before you especially when you have the same qualifications.

I hope with these few points of mine, I've been able to convince you and not confuse you, that change begins with you.Take these one step at a time, slowly integrate them into your life and the lives of those around you. You'd be surprised by the results.

Thank you to everyone who contributed these points, they weren't all mine. 💚

Happy Eid al-Fitr and May the super Eagles have better luck with Iceland than they did with Croatia 💗💗💗