By Ernest Emeka: @wearecelebs
Nigeria, “the giant of Africa” may be far from perfect
but there are certain things we do much better than other Africans. With our
pulsating entertainment scene and the economy growth – (Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa), we can make a case for ‘African exceptionalism”. There is
something special about Nigerians that you can hardly miss; it is just
difficult to ignore us because we are full of life and drama at the same time.
Below are 10
things Nigerians are doing better than other Africans:
1. Business development
Nigerians have good business culture. We are
accustomed to developing with new business ideas, creating small and large
business organizations, from technology to entertainment. We bring in diverse
perspectives to Nigerian business methods, we know how to interact and connect
with investors and business partners within and outside Nigeria, as we position
ourselves for greater success. No wonder, the country is the economic
power-house in Africa; it is a base for business innovation and distinction.
2. Work hard, play hard
Nigerians work hard, and play hard. If you are looking
for people who work so hard and never feel the pain, talk about
Nigerians. The beautiful thing about us ––we are smart. We know how
to work effectively and get great results through short cuts. You must
have heard a lot of myths about Nigerians, some of these stories are true when
it comes to cutting corners. We like to hustle and wrestle our ways to success.
3. Living life to its fullest
Even as the ancient may have retained its grip over
the lives of Nigerians in terms of culture and tradition, many have embraced
the future, maintaining a laissez-faire attitude toward living life to its
fullest. Nigerians understand that life is to be lived once and they get crazy
with gadgets, cars, partying and socializing. The fun never ends even during
funeral services.
4. Exciting entertainment scene
– best in Africa
Nigerians are good in producing the finest movies
in Africa. According to Wikipedia, “Nollywood is the second largest film
industry in the world” and of course, the largest in Africa. Gone are the
days when Nigerians make movies that do not make sense in quality and
storyline. Some of the current movies that are produced by Nigerians can
compete with some Hollywood movies even though most of these movies may not
compete favorable in budget and spending but they are just amazing.
5. Nigerians create wealth from
mundane things
There is hardly a niche in the world where a Nigerian
does not have power and influence. The quest to be the best has always been the
backbone of our successful story. A lot of Nigerians started their stories
from nothing and ended up as gurus in different industries.
We strongly believe in the slogan ‘No condition is permanent’ – We
go make am one day!
6. We love collectibles –
we know how it works
Maybe you have not heard that some Nigerians are
buying some of the most costly buildings on the world’s most expensive
street in London -Edgerton Crescent. It is not only in London that this
love for luxury properties can be seen. Nigerians love showing off and
buying these expensive properties around the world is simply one of the ways of
expressing this lifestyle. With all the education, hard work, risk
taking and smart investing, Nigerians love to live large and enjoy the finer
things in life. Spend it if you’ve got it!
7. Real survivors
We are everywhere, from London to New York. You can
see us on the streets of New York struggling to sell CDs to make sure that
we send money home. There is hardly a harsh economic terrain in the world
where a Nigerian cannot survive. It is one trait that makes
us exceptional in Africa.
8. Literary gems
Should we start calling names? Nigerians have a lot of
writers since the days of Chinua Achebe who made a landmark in the literary
world. Nigerians have gifted hands like Wole Soyinka, Chika Unigwe, Chimamanda
Adichie and Helon Habila who are making waves around the world. It is not that
there no other African writers who are doing great, there are so many but sure
Nigerians does the literary thing better. Not to forget the new trend of
blogging. (We no dey carry last!)
9. We make things happen
Foreigners and other Africans give the thumbs up to Nigerians
for always transforming dull and boring scenes to exciting ones. There is this
thing about Nigerians that give them the ability to make things happen.
From music, comedy to fashion, even our sense of humour is unique
and that is why we are so different. Little wonder, thousands visit
Nigeria during vacations or festivals to see and enjoy our exciting events and
activities.
10. Nigerians take their
demands to the streets
There is nothing that Nigerians would not protest
these days, it is either they are fighting for the government to increase their
salaries, demand for justice or cut down the fuel pump price. These protests
always put our issues on the political agenda. The streets and the
internet has become our warfronts and the pages of blogs are where
we lash out their anger on anything displeasing. Nigerians have
perfected the act of going for protest and they are never too shy to go public
with their grievances.
You can see why we say that Nigerians can do certain
things better than other Africans, the list is inconclusive and we would leave
you to add to the list with your comments.
