10 things Nigeria does better than anyother county in the world - IMBDAILY
10 things Nigeria does better than anyother county in the world - IMBDAILY |
From email scams to oil spills and charlatan
Pentecostal preachers, it's clear that Nigeria has something of an image
problem.
While the outside world's perception of Africa's most
populous country hasn't always been overwhelmingly positive, there's plenty
more to this nation than its unsavory associations.
With its vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability,
Nigeria has become the "Giant of Africa" in more ways than just
population size.
In honor of Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, here
are 10 of the many reasons why the destination one in five Africans
call home stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add Nigeria to
your travel list:
Traditional
weddings
In Nigeria, if you've reached your 30th birthday and are
still unhitched, the elders will harass you down the aisle, which is why barely
a week goes by without someone staging a traditional wedding ceremony
somewhere.
Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an
excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one
life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.
With 250-odd ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety
of styles, depending on your region.
In the southwest, the groom and his friends might prostrate
themselves at the start.
However, in the southeast you'll see them dancing their way
into the ceremony, wearing bowler hats and clutching walking canes.
In other regions, the bride and groom's families send each
other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it's back to music and
dancing and, best of all, the tossing of banknotes in the air to make money
literally rain down on the newlyweds.
If you haven't experienced a traditional Nigerian wedding,
you haven't experienced Nigeria.
Jollof rice
This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party
staple.
There are many ways to cook it, involving endless
permutations of meat, spices, chilli, onions and vegetables.
While it's widely accepted that Senegal invented this dish, the
concept spread to West African countries.
The most notable are Ghana and Nigeria -- two nations that
have vied with one another for supremacy in a never-ending battle known as the
jollof wars.
Nigerians are the indisputable champions, of course, serving
up "advanced level" jollof that our Ghanaian rivals can only watch
and admire.
Oya, come chop!
Eating
chicken to the bone
While we're still on the subject of food, Nigerians are
champions at eating chicken to the bone and beyond.
It's not enough to simply eat the flesh. We break the bone,
suck out the marrow and pulverize the remainder until there's almost nothing
left.
If your chicken thigh is still forensically identifiable at
the end of the meal then you haven't done it right. Abeg, finish am!
Nollywood
Only Hollywood and India's Bollywood make more movies than
Nigeria.
Known as Nollywood, our film industry is big business -- so
big it contributes 5% to national GDP.
With average flicks churned out in under a two weeks,
Nollywood films are famous for their poor (albeit improving) production values.
But what they lack in sophistication they make up for in
story lines that are an entertaining window on Nigerian moral values and
byzantine social dynamics.
Narratives exploring servant-master relationships, the
supernatural, corruption and infidelity are delivered with lashings of shouty,
eye-bulging overacting.
The movies draw a big audience in the rest of Africa, where
viewers from more reserved societies can revel vicariously in Nigeria's
outlandishness and even pick up some of our slang.
Nigerian soft power has never been greater.
Durbar
royal horse parade
The annual Durbar festival is the cultural highlight of
Nigeria's Islamic north.
This visual extravaganza is celebrated by thousands of
peoples, mainly from the Hausa-Fulani ethnic groups, in multiple cities at the
end of Ramadan.
Followed by a parade that takes place in the city of Kano at
the Emir's Palace, it's become a longstanding tourist attraction.
The Emir's sons, noblemen and regiments show their loyalty
by trooping past on horses, accompanied by musicians.
Each royal household has its own unique costume, made up of
billowing robes and turbans that glitter in every color under the sun.
Wearing black leather gloves, the princes raise a
"power" fist as they bounce past the Emir.
Being polygamous, the Emirs have literally dozens of sons
and every one of them takes part, from the middle-aged to the toddlers.
Counting them all is part of the fun.
Optimism
For all its political and economic troubles, Nigerians are
somehow still among the most optimistic and happy people on the planet.
Opportunity doesn't come knocking -- we chase it, with the
help of God, who we all know is on our side.
The Lord may have rested on the seventh day of Earth's
creation, but that's the last day off he's enjoyed ever since.
Nigerians call upon Him 24/7, praying and pumping fists and
demanding His favors.
Evidence of our optimistic spirit lies everywhere: It's in
the billboards that promise "a divine upgrade", or our hustling
entrepreneurial spirit, or the crumbling roadside shacks grandly named
"Victory Plaza." There's no room for despair when we see ourselves as
"temporarily embarrassed millionaires" (to quote Steinbeck) on the
expressway to heaven.
So next time a Nigerian tells you "I will become the
greatest by force!" understand that they're not bragging -- they're just
speaking their dreams into existence.
Proverbial
sense
Nigerians love a good proverb and we never stop inventing
new ones.
Some aphorisms are blunt and to-the-point. Others can be a
little cryptic, so you sometimes need a high level of "proverbial
sense" to understand what they're getting at:
"Monkey no fine but im mama no like am [The monkey
might be ugly but his mother loves him]."
"If you can't dance well, you'd better not get
up."
"The man being carried does not realize how far away
the town really is."
"The quarrel that doesn't concern you is pleasant to
hear about."
"The whip hits at the legs, not the guilt."
"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt
shall always glorify the hunters."
"The one-eyed man does not thank God until he sees a
blind man."
"Rat wey get only one hole, they quick die [A rat with
just one hole will soon die]."
"After God, fear woman."
"No license for nonsense [behave yourself]."
"No business, no wife."
"Keke [motorized tricycle] today, private jet
tomorrow!"
Masquerades
Masquerades are a huge aspect of Nigerian culture.
These masked costumed figures are considered to embody the
spirits, and serve as a fundamental part of Nigerian pre-colonial religious
tradition.
Nowadays they double up as entertainment and appear during
weddings and festivals, particularly at Christmas time.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own
masquerade. The masks and costumes are visually striking.
They can be made from a variety of materials such as grass,
animal horns and teeth, and the young men who wear them sometimes cover their
limbs in black palm oil to mesmerizing and scary effect.
The masquerades travel through the villages, performing
dances, acrobatics and reciting incantations.
Chasing terrified villagers with bows and arrows or whips is
also part of the tradition, so get ready to move your feet.
Bronze
sculptures
The famous Benin Bronzes are a collection of plaques and
sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.
Dating back to the 13th century, these exquisite artworks
include bas-relief images of dignitaries or warriors.
They were influenced by the Ife civilization nearby, which
produced life-sized bronze heads of the Ooni (king) and his queens.
When Europeans first saw the Hellenic-style realism of the
Ife sculptures they were "shocked" that Africans could produce such
beauty and sophistication.
The British liked the Benin bronzes so much they stole them
during punitive raids in 1897 and have kept hold of them to this day.
Some of the best specimens are displayed at the British
Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and Berlin's Ethnological Museum.
Making the
best of 'go slows' (traffic jams)
Traffic jams -- known as go slows -- are a daily part of
life on Nigeria's roads, but although they may delay your journey they needn't
stop you from completing your day's shopping from the comfort of your vehicle.
Need some socks? Street vendors can sort you out.
They'll also sell handkerchiefs, belts, books, newspapers,
fruit, vegetables, chocolates, electrical appliances and even oil paintings --
if that's what you're after.
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