NIGERIA, OUR PRIDE :: A LETTER TO MY NIGERIAN CHILDREN
My Dear Child,
First of all, I want you to know that I am a Nigerian patriot forever, and that Nigeria will remain your home wherever else you find yourself or decide to settle. I was born and raised here all my life to the time I write you this letter. It is here that I received all the values, principles and life lessons that my parents, friends, mentors and teachers instilled in me. Almost all my eternal friends to date are Nigerians. The biggest truth I need you to believe, is that God put you here for a reason; it is most likely that all the fulfillment and peace in life you need, you will find here in Nigeria.
You know, when I was much younger, I always dreamed of what it would be like to travel outside Nigeria. The moving images TV showed me of beautiful buildings, fine ‘oyibo’ people, snow and the breath-taking atmosphere in America and European countries — the prospects there seemed surreal. The longer I stayed in Nigeria, the more I felt I was wasting my time and potential when the ‘real fun’ was outside here. But, I had no choice. Without the funds to leave the country, I stayed put and settled to make do with what Nigeria offered.
By the time I completed secondary school education, my love for Nigeria had moved up a notch. This, not just because of the friends I had here, but partly because the same TV that had eulogized life outside Nigeria began to show the chaos blacks and immigrants faced being in countries that they weren’t originally from. Yes, we’ve had wars here in Nigeria, but none that makes us alien to our own country. None that makes us fear being killed because we are Nigerians living in Nigeria. My first realization at that time was that Nigeria would forever be home to me as a Nigerian — and this wasn’t likely to hold true anywhere else. We could go on vacations to other exotic locations beyond our shores; we could make trips to the Amazon, Everest, and Tenerife….. But none of these visits would replace the warmth and comfort our home in Nigeria would offer us.
A lot of times you must have seen or heard the phrases “the pride of Nigeria,” or”our pride as Nigerians.” Those statements point to the heritage we have. From our culture, to our soil, our history, our language(s) and our unity as one nation of diverse peoples. You hardly get this kind of pride anywhere else. I often marvel myself at how we have not imploded as a nation despite the great variety in this nation. This to me, also typifies why Nigeria is a great country where we must all cooperate and contribute as citizens to make her a better place to live, for now and for the future.
Finally, I know you may be wondering why I have restricted myself to the positive parts and avoided topics like corruption, terrorism, kidnapping, and poverty in Nigeria. Truth is, these challenges are everywhere. Ours is often at the forefront partly because of the popularity Nigeria has in Africa and partly because of the proclivity modern media has for displaying the bad side of things rather than the positives. Despite all these vices though, I want you to bear it in mind that your own focus and commitment to enjoying Nigeria and doing great things here trumps them all.
Look beyond the surface to see the beauty around you here. Nigeria is your home.
Sincerely,
A Patriot.