I find myself walking down Randall
Street, trying to connect to Broad Street via Mechlin Street. The Ministries of
Finance and Education sit right by the corners respectively, as you hit
Monrovia’s biggest street. I am heading home after work closed early, and there
are boys on the street, dancing to “Away”, a dancehall hit song by Ghanaian sensation,
VIP as it purred from the giant speakers mounted by one of the musical stores
selling music and movies. Their dance steps were new to Liberia, and it looked
odd. They would raise one leg, freeze it, bounce and drop, then do the same to
the other leg rhythmically. Though it blended with the sound beat, it was still
odd in Liberia as it was not American. Gosh, this society can be dope on
American culture sometimes. This was in 2010.
Fast-forward, September 2012, and that
same dance step which was abhorred, is called Itigi, a now world renown dance
step of Ghanaian origin, modified, prefabricated and well promoted by
Nigerians, thanks to their better advancement in music entertainment across the
West coast. And you won’t wonder much, why it had to get to Nigeria to get
popular. Talk of Azonto and Alanta, and you have other dance brands which have gained
acclaim on the shores of Nigeria. Every weekend, a popular night club in
Monrovia, off the Old Road junction by President Sirleaf’s residence, hosts a
Nigerian artiste – musician, movie act, or entertainment star. The streets in
Monrovia and surprisingly, in Ganta and even Fishtown, are awash by Nigerian
entrepreneurs, seeking that proverbial land of milk and honey. A vast majority
of them are Igbo, but Nigerian is the common name. Even the hardly accessible
border and port town of Harper, is home to some Nigerian businessman.
The Ghanaian educational system is now
popular, and touted to be the best in West and Central Africa. Well, this happened,
only after parents from Idi-Roko eastwards in Nigeria got frustrated by the
educational system and sought succour for their children in a more politically
stable Ghana. The number of Nigerians studying in Ghana today is reportedly in
excess of 71,000. Young Nigerians now dream of leaving high school and going
abroad to Accra to pursue university education, one which though comes at an
economic cost in excess of 160 billion NGN, is efficient, devoid of industrial
strikes which has become a major feature of academic calendars in Nigerian
universities – bar private universities.
In August, the Gambia executed nine
Nigerians, convicted on murder charges, but there are also imprisonments for
drug trafficking. I won’t be surprised, if the murder charges are connected to
drug peddling deals. The trade route goes through Guinea, the Gambia, Cape
Verde and then to Europe. It is no longer news, that hundreds of Nigerians
served in the late Col. Muamar Ghadaffi’s well armed mercenary unit. Although
most of them who had used Tripoli as a route – in trying to get to the golden
fleece said to be harboured in Europe, would end up in prisons in Tripoli and
in the deserts, those who were somewhat fortunate to make it to the armed unit,
were said to be some of the best men in that band.
Every day, millions of Nigerians wake
to the hope of having a better day. Once said to be the most religious people
on earth, one in every six persons on the continent is Nigerian, and this adds to
the intense competition to survive. No wonder, words like hustle, struggle and
“make am” have found their way to the very popular Pidgin English lexicon. This
Monday, Nigeria celebrates fifty-two years since it gained independence from
Great Britain, but it has been marred by the flooding crisis which has
overwhelmed the government.
Celebrations would largely be
low-keyed no doubt, but I will find a reason to celebrate and be proud to be
Nigerian, all the same. While attending a twitter-preneurship seminar in Abuja
recently, Dayo Benjamins Laniyi, entrepreneur and owner of outdoor
entertainment giants, DOXA, reiterated the stance of patriotism, by proclaiming
that Nigeria is not finished yet, even though there has been predictions of
Nigeria breaking apart. But like she stated, the marriage between the Northern
and Southern divides in 1914, was for a reason, and it was high time, love was
the key to building a “happy home”.
Something to cheer about, are the
increase in power generation output, an uplift of our imae in international
circles, better trade relations amongst others. There’s no doubt, the influence
of Nigeria in West Africa, and still to some extent, Africa. Only, there’s a
need to put our hearths right. That is when others would see the real giant in
us. Today, I proclaim my belief in the Nigerian dream project, and as a party,
I shall contribute my quota to nation building. Happy 52nd Independence
Anniversary, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
