One (1) week, two (2) events.
One. A Nigerian chef named Hilda Bassey Effiong [Hilda Baci] attained a world record for the longest cooking hours by an individual. Doting a pair of sheer grit and contagious resilience, Hilda cooked for a record-setting 100 hours and 40 minutes to achieve the remarkable feat.
Two. A Nigerian Afrobeat musician named Seun Kuti, aka BigBird, seemed to have momentarily abandoned Afrobeat for PopoBeat, as he was shown in a video clip visibly enraged and slapping a uniformed and quite shockingly calm police officer.
Nigerians massively and unanimously commended Hilda.
Nigerians massively and unanimously condemned Seun.
One week, two events, consistent Nigerians.
I’ve written several times about my undying love for Nigeria and my staunch belief in her chances to attain greatness in the community of nations; the same way I’ve also written that for this to happen, for us to successfully fix Nigeria, we must fix Nigerians.
And trust me, these two events from this week have watered that tree of belief in no small way. Guys, we can do this!
It may look unimportant and overlook-able, but judging from the kind of prejudices we usually allow to beset us as a people and stall our development, the common reaction of Nigerians, both home and abroad, to these two events was consistent with the nature of people who indeed desire to build nations.
With both events, no one raised the dirt of tribalism or the dust of regionalism, nor was anyone driven or blinded by the dogma of religion or the drama of bias; rather, we have kept our reaction simple, civil, uncomplicated, and honourable.
In Hilda, we celebrated greatness; the fact that she’s from Akwa Ibom wasn’t the highlight. She is Nigerian, and Nigerians everywhere supported her, defying rain and sun and irrespective of class and cadre.
In Seun, we castigated violence; we did not dip it in any complication; the policeman, like Seun too, is Nigerian, and Nigerians have been honest in their reaction to it, together talking up due process. I’ve not seen any argument about the policeman’s tribe or origin and how that must have made the slap from a Yoruba man hotter on landing.
We have kept it simple, accountable, and BS-free, and in doing so, we have directed energy towards what really matters — OUR NATURE AS A PEOPLE — inadvertently highlighting the fixes we need in order to become the kind of citizens that deserve a working country. Citizens who partake. Citizens who understand that leaders emerge from the citizen pool and act by that code. Citizens who intentionally model the kind of country they desire and the leadership they demand in their everyday ways.
See, I’m a sucker for small steps, especially when they are in the right direction. And, omo, I’ll count these events and the reactions to them as a win. No cap.
Fellow Nigerians, we are clearly not there yet; I mean, Uhuru is still some miles away, but common, we are definitely edging close! And we’ll be edging even closer and faster if we keep up this habit of honour.
Y’all are phenomenal! we gon’ shine! keep it up compatriots, I lurr you! I lurr you! Jay-Z would be proud of this. I lurr you! in you-know-who’s voice 😅