I went to the Nigerian embassy this week to apply for visa. The embassy is a place where people wait. Some wait for new passports others wait for visa, others might just keep someone company. I felt rather at home in the atmosphere. The man in the reception looked down at my papers, and then looked at me asking what brings a swedish girl to apply for a Nigerian visa in Paris. I said, Yes, I'm a swede, and I'm a student here in Paris, and I love Nigeria. The man obviously did not expect that and couldn't hide the smile coming across his face. I didn't plan to proclaim my love for a country I've never visited, so openly at the embassy, but it just came naturally: I love Nigeria!
While preparing for my first fieldtrip I've read travelguides and articles on Nigeria, and I try to read from as many different authors as possible. Some English, French and of course I want to know what Nigerians think about their own country. Unfortunately I haven't found a travel guide by a Nigerian yet but will be happy to read it if there is one. However, there are obviously many who want to share their opinion about this country, the most populated in Africa, and third in the world, estimations vary between 140-180 million inhabitants. The biggest economy in Africa and sometimes referred to as the 'Giant of Africa'. Linguistically, Nigeria has one of the highest density of languages in the world, with approximately some 500 languages. Most of them are among the least described languages in the world. Nigeria also seems to be one of the most religious nations in the world, less then 1 % considered themselves atheists in 2012. You can find all denominations of Christianity, and all branches of Islam coexisting more or less along with African traditional religions.
Now, despite all the enthusiasm and fascination people might have for Nigeria I find some dissapointment or contempt in phrases like "a giant with feet of clay", "a growing giant or a failing nation?". I read about the chaotic city of Lagos, which got the Guiness record in 1983 as "the world's most dirty city", an environmental catastrophe. I read about corruption and a malfunctioning economy where 100 000 - 400 000 barels of oil dissappear every day(!) I read about beutiful landscapes and hot springs, potential touristic cites, and national parks, that are slowly fading as they are not being well kept. I read about conflicts where about 800 000 children have been displaced in order to escape Boko Haram violence. I read about a so called brain drained state
where young adults go abroad for higher education and only come back for visits. The other students left in the country, the majority by the way,
drop out of school, leaving them with too little education for a
qualified job, but too high education for traditional
manual farming.
Nigeria has oil, gas, fertile
land, and other natural resources, not least it has lots of creative people, with one of the world's largest
population of youth. With rainforests and mangroves in the south, desert in the north, mountains in the east, and two big rivers, Benue and Niger, flowing through the land, I can only imagine its great biodiversity.
Nigeria is certainly a dynamic nation with lots of potential, facing some seriously big challenges. Still when I say that I love Nigeria, I believe there must be someone who loved Nigeria long before me. Someone who honestly believes in this nation and the people inhabiting it, its languages and cultures, someone who trusts them with an aboundant supply of natural resources. I'm determined to go there and discover who those people are. I'm going to meet young men and women in this "Giant of Africa" and listen to their dreams and hopes for their future. I believe in you, I believe in your nation, I believe you can be the change, cause someone else far more greater than me, loves your country unconditionally, he invested the best he had to give you a future and a hope. So what else can I do but to love you, Nigeria!
