Nigeria: a home that has become an unfamiliar place

 

Hmmm home sweet home! I wish I meant this with all honesty. When you live abroad, you feel out of place all the time and you look forward to being at home – a place where you can feel free and safe. Unfortunately, I can’t say I feel that way when I am in my home country Nigeria. I look around me, and all I see is an unfamiliar place, a people filled with frustration about everything. This frustration is reflected in everything they do.

What happened to Nigeria? It is supposed to be the giant of Africa, the largest economy in Africa and so on but the basic thing as electricity is unavailable to Nigerians. Aboard my flight back home, a non-Nigerian who sat beside me asked if I was Nigerian and for the first time in my life I was so ashamed of saying yes. I didn’t want to be identified with all the negativity that comes with that identity. I finally found the courage to say yes and he said to me “it must feel good to be home”. I paused for a second to think about that comment then replied, “it should feel good but right now it saddens me to be here.

Yes it saddens me to be back home because of all the things going on here; the lives that are taken forcefully everyday by continued bomb explosions; the indifference of the government towards the plight of Nigerians and so on. Why should I look forward to being home when I can’t walk around freely without worrying about encountering a bomb explosion? I should feel safe at home and not have to worry about anything. However, this home is different and I don’t recognise it.

As I child, I remember reading about Ojukwu and Gowon and the Biafran war. At that time, I hated Ojukwu for trying to divide Nigeria and loved Gowon for fighting to unite it. However, today I feel totally different. I can’t help but ask if things would have been different had Ojukwu succeeded. What would have the Republic of Biafra been like? Would it feel like home? Would I have looked forward to being there? But I will never know the answers to these questions since Gowon won. How united is Nigeria without Biafra? I don’t see any unity but division.

If you are Nigerian, please share your thoughts. How do you feel about being Nigerian? Do you think dividing Nigeria is the solution to the problems Nigerians are facing? Try and remain happy and spread happiness around. Xoxo. 



Image: www.wefanigeria2014.com