When Nigerians Smile

Lately, a whole lot of things have be running around town like a tornado that has lost its cause (if there ever was one). First, there was this Twitter event thing they called Nigerian Blog Awards; well since I am kinda new here, I’ll comment my reserves and stuff my mouth with cold French Fries (but I just think, dem too overhype the thing – I just dey yarn ooo). And being a confused soul that I am, I have been rummaging through other blogs and you can’t just measure the magnitude of virtual “happiness” that these awards have bequeathed on its wielders; dear Neetah as an example so overworked her eyes to wait for news that they were, according to her - on quote - “threatening to declare a National strike” :) - I laugh. Maybe it’s because I’m new here, but I just think it’s all just kind of a hard sell.

Free Naija Spirit

Be that as it may, there was this other one making rounds, that even after the governors have “partially” agreed to pay the minimum wage to their workers, the TU and NLC still maintained that there is no going back on their declaration – well, I’ll choose to comment my reserve on this one too (I bin dey think say these NLC people sef too get agidi, but what can we say, when the politicos too dey lie lie nko? Make we leave matter for martyr sha)

But really, the heart of the matter is not to pass a comment but to look at the things that falls between the two extremes of Naija “happiness” and a state moroseness. When the famous Anthony Joseph report mentioned Nigerians as one the happiest people on earth, I felt a smirk cross my face, because, it is only too obvious how poverty and hunger daily pays a permanent courtesy visit to most abodes in our dear Naija and then I told myself, someone must be wrong somewhere and even if they had never been to the underbellies of the giant Naija, the whole world knows that more than 70.3% of Nigerians live on less that $100 per day, so how on earth can the people of such a nation be one of the happiest people on earth? It all just does not fit in.

Well, that was few months ago, when I was just in my own little world, studying hard at school to get my 4.0 GPA (who get time to think about some misdirected bunch of white soothsayers). But now, out of school and in the centre of excellence with no deadlines and assignment, I felt at one with my environment and I could see into the fabrics of the society, I encountered Nigerian flesh on flesh and then I said, though I’m a Nigerian, I really never lived a Nigerian, because Nigerians like they say, is actually a happy nation.

Nigerians tow a middle line without frown, take the quandaries as they come and always on the get go. The sleepless town of Lagos might be filled with a river of heads, but there is always a space for everyone.

I saw Nigeria, with its two extremes, but everyone just have too many things to be happy with than carry a sullen countenance; the reason, I still can’t explain. Tell you the truth, I love Nigerians.
And now I know, when a Naijan smiles, it's not because all things are Ceteris Paribus, but because there is an inexplicable force behind it ... Period.