BBC – Travel – Nigeria: the country that loves to overachieve

In a life time of feverishly competitive Scrabble-taking part in, I have only been defeated by six earthly beings. Developing up, my mother’s nickname for me was “speedometer”, and I commenced instructing myself German at the age of nine in order to catch up to the 10 languages my parents spoke between them. For Nigerians like myself, a aggressive streak is as purely natural as spicy jollof rice at a wedding.

For Nigerians like myself, a competitive streak is as natural as spicy jollof rice at a wedding ceremony

In actuality, excelling in all circumstances is so deeply entrenched in the Nigerian psyche that the nation’s unofficial motto is “Naija no dey carry final” (“Nigeria under no circumstances comes last”).

This profitable mentality is noticeable at residence and overseas. Nigeria is the most populated region in Africa and, according to Bloomberg, now has the continent’s most significant economic system – earning us our renowned sobriquet, “The Giant of Africa”. Glittering examples of Nigerian good results can be viewed in the literary globe, international tunes charts and during the diaspora.

Lagosian celebrity Wizkid topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the track One particular Dance alongside Drake and was the very first Afrobeats artist to headline a bought-out clearly show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Nigeria is dwelling to Wole Soyinka, Africa’s initially black African playwright to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose novel Half of a Yellow Sun was lately voted the greatest guide to have received the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the very last 25 yrs. In accordance to the Migration Coverage Institute, 61% of Nigerian-Individuals around 25 hold a graduate degree, producing them just one of the most “successful” ethnic groups in the US. Oh, and my Scrabble prowess isn’t random: Nigeria has received 3 of the very last five World English Scrabble Gamers Association Championships.

Nigerians are one of the most ‘successful’ ethnic teams in the US

While this inner drive to thrive and get forward may well not feel evident to outsiders, there are a great number of opportunities for travellers to witness Nigerians striving to get in advance – if you know what to appear for.

Throughout Nigeria, aspiring Scrabble champions follow in very low-crucial lounges, palm wine joints and people’s residences, and the mental video game is now formally labeled as a activity by the Nigerian authorities. Stroll by way of Abuja’s buzzing Wuse Market and you will inevitably face clever potential buyers striving to snag the most effective prices by making an attempt to negotiate with traders in their own languages – and with additional than 370 tribes and 500 spoken languages in the place, this is no modest process. If you happen to see (and listen to) the boisterous affair that is the Nigerian marriage ceremony, you could possibly see status statements displayed as a result of women’s apparel: sky-achieving gele headscarves, ostentatious designer merchandise, imported Dutch Wax fabrics and gold jewelry. Each and every are instruments for just one-upmanship and publicize “a ti de!” (“we have arrived!”).

So, what’s at the rear of this “Nigeria under no circumstances comes very last” frame of mind? Lofty anticipations are bestowed on Nigerian small children from an early age. We are taught to marry properly, amass multiple levels and make sufficient to take care of our mothers and fathers in outdated age. The firstborn carries the brunt of these anticipations and should really preferably support more youthful siblings, too. There are plentiful warnings from “non-traditional” careers in the arts in favour of worthwhile vocations that offer respectable titles like health practitioner, barrister or engineer.

Alongside with lullabies and folklore, we develop up on a diet plan of stories of our parents’ tribulations tales from the Biafran civil war, the navy dictatorship or how complicated points were when the British have been in power right before we gained independence in 1960. If our mother and father could occur out on the other facet and make one thing of on their own, then our world-wide-web-run technology undoubtedly can, far too.

You could also be intrigued in:
• The most inviting metropolis in Africa
• The word that defines Senegal
• The law of generosity that policies Kenya

“There is an inherent element in Nigerian culture that youngsters will have to do improved than their mom and dad in just about every way”, claimed Victor Physique-Lawson, a Lagos-born architect, artist, developer and educator at Columbia College in New York. “As a final result, mom and dad drive their youngsters, travel them to realize, and the kids are indoctrinated in this cultural perception.”

Nigeria is viewed as a collectivist modern society. Folks pursuing achievement are a dedication to the wellbeing, pleasure and prosperity of the relatives or tribe. We are as a result very incentivised to prevent disgrace linked to failure or recklessness. Somewhat tellingly, even our nationwide anthem contains a pledge to achieve “great lofty heights” and a stern reminder that “the labour of our heroes earlier shall never be in vain.”

As the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat who regularly dined with presidents, I experienced a lot to live up to. A living room photograph of my father with Nelson Mandela hung more than us as a reminder of what was achievable and tacitly envisioned of us. We had a peripatetic upbringing residing amongst Namibia, the Netherlands and Nigeria, but it was my childhood years in the latter that woke up my have to have to excel.

As early as principal college, Nigerian young children are ranked from very first to last for just about every topic and all round at the stop of every single college 12 months. When we moved to Nigeria, my 7-calendar year-aged peers were being now conversant with the periodic table and had schedules packed with added-curricular routines, soon after-university examining and church.

English is the formal language in Nigeria and possessing a international accent denotes increased training, wealth and common results. As a result, lots of Nigerians dabble in accent switching to seem far more “sophisticated”. We refer to it as “blowing phoneh” or “phonetics” and it is a tangled transatlantic accent that is not British, American or agent of any Nigerian group. But apparently, this non-accent pinpoints a Nigerian anywhere in the earth.

A younger gentleman I achieved in The Hague at the time tried out to sweet-discuss my pal applying a distinct phony twang, which right away instructed me he was a fellow countryman. When I requested exactly where he was from, he reported, “Pennsylvania, United States”. I shot him a understanding look and asked what part of Nigeria he was from. “Ogun State”, he chuckled.

This accent alchemy is thoroughly linked to social mobility. When my sister returned to Nigeria following 15 years abroad, lots of of her old classmates spoke to her with an “American accent”, in spite of the truth that they hadn’t still left the region. For travellers in Nigeria, personnel at retailers, restaurants and bars will change how they speak to you soon after assessing your garments, intonation and no matter if you are oyinbo – a colloquial time period for a Caucasian or non-African-passing man or woman. You may perhaps also listen to this wrong accent on
the nationwide news broadcast and in films.

Social mobility, riches and “making it” are also widespread themes in Nollywood flicks. Nigeria’s film market overtook Hollywood in 2009 and is now the world’s second-most significant movie sector driving Bollywood, manufacturing about 50 films every single 7 days. Nollywood’s greatest-grossing film to day is The Marriage Bash, a rom-com depicting the tumultuous union concerning an suitable heir and a girl down below his social class. The wealthy mom of the groom employs a posh overseas accent, when the bride’s mothers and fathers flit in between native tongues. A frazzled marriage planner also takes advantage of a quasi-British accent, but reverts back to Yoruba and Pidgin English when the properly-heeled purchasers that she seeks to impress are gone.

At the coronary heart of this boundless aspiration is the fact that Nigerians place terrific worth on remaining highly regarded they are tenacious, tough-working, standing-driven, and aggressive. With a lot more than 195 million Nigerians to contend with, a roll-up-your-sleeves mentality is surely useful.

It is not unusual for Nigerians to hold various employment or have a aspect hustle promoting foodstuff or garments. Nigerians frequently introduce them selves working with their expert titles, even in casual settings. They will also fortunately reprimand these who do not greet them properly. Under no instances must you call an elder only by their first name. You will be reminded that you are not their “age mate” and ought to get in touch with them “Aunty” or “Uncle”, if you know them or “sir” or “madam” if you do not.

Electricity, achievements and connections are not only nice-to-haves but are relatively critical for day by day life in Nigeria. Even observing a lender teller requires figuring out somebody that works at the financial institution who you have to “sort out” with a “dash” (a reward or bribe) every time you go, so it’s advantageous for travellers to inquire with their resort, host or any nearby good friends if they have contacts that could sleek the system. To simply get by in culture, you have to be “somebody” or “somebody’s child”.

Dr James Yeku, assistant professor of African Electronic Humanities at the University of Kansas, thinks Nigerians’ push to thrive springs from hardship. “Nigerians who have an understanding of infrastructural precarity are some of the most entrepreneurial people in the globe, and to exhibit offthe success of their work is 1 way of asserting relevance.”

Yeku claims that Nigerians determine accomplishment by what persons have and what they can exhibit for what they have. If you’re invited into a Nigerian living space, you’ll most likely location a bigger-than-lifetime commissioned portrait of the house heads, a crystal clear symbol of owning made it or “hammered”. And when you satisfy an acquaintance on the street in Nigeria, you can count on to be regaled with tales of latest achievements, higher scores and visits overseas.

According to Kimberly Ihekwoaba, a Nigerian copywriter, the nation’s aggressive streak and tendency to overachieve has its disadvantages. “The regular Nigerian is hard-performing even so, the draw back is constant comparison amongst folks. Due to the fact standing is relative, there will often be brighter and greater,” she mentioned.

The drive to be educationally and skillfully profitable may also be linked to Nigeria’s well-recognized optimism. “When your lifestyle is preternaturally optimistic even with generally brutal political, health and social ailments, optimism drives and inspires you to expect achievements in virtually any circumstance,” claimed Nigerian-American Afam Onyema, who was named one of the Top rated 10 Influential Migrant Africans in the US by WorldRemit for co-founding the movie star-backed GEANCO Basis.

This optimistic spirit is obvious in prevalent Nigerian names: Blessing, Testimony, Mercy, Godspeed and Goodluck – the identify of our previous president. In 2011, we ended up topped the most optimistic country in the planet for the second straight calendar year and possess an unfaltering belief that no make any difference the hardship, “no issue is long lasting,” as we generally say.

Nigerians are definitely qualified to operate difficult and engage in challenging, and choose terrific satisfaction in the simple fact that they “never arrive final” — not at Scrabble, and undoubtedly not at overachieving.

Why We Are What We Are is a BBC Vacation series analyzing the traits of a country and investigating no matter whether they are accurate.

Be part of a lot more than 3 million BBC Vacation supporters by liking us on Fb, or stick to us on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked this story, signal up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter known as “The Crucial Listing”. A handpicked variety of tales from BBC Long run, Society, Worklife and Vacation, delivered to your inbox each Friday.