Page 43 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

CULTURE

overall US. population, accord- preneurs, writers, athletes, cre- the story of crime, then Afrika
ing to the Migrations Policy In- atives, fashion moguls, business- can always be in a negative spin.
stitute. Among Nigerian-Amer- men in Afrika and the world over. 3. People always believe what they
ican professionals, 45 percent Google can help you with this. wish to believe and what is con-
work in education services, venient to sustain such beliefs.
the 2016 American Communi- The question now is this, with all And if you ask me, negative
ty Survey found, and many are these amazing things that are hap- stories sell much "better". If
professors at top universities. pening with Nigerians all over you doubt me, ask CNN and
• Nigeria's Nollywood is the sec- the world (and I haven't includ- BBC and even some of our lo-
ond largest movie sector in the ed many positive examples), why cal media. For clearly, they did
world and accounts for about are people blind to it and why is not cover the EndSars pro-
5percent of Nigeria's GDP the general narrative that of crime tests in Nigeria when they were
• Some of the world's great- and what can be done about it? peaceful, but when paid thugs
est music super stars both in took over and started causing
the gospel and secular music Maybe these little thoughts of mine mayhem, they were the first to
sector are Nigerians or of Ni- can help. make the announcement. Same
gerian descent. Meaning that 1. What you constantly speak thing they do all over Afrika
some of the most popular about and constantly show to and the nations they consider
songs on your phones, even as the world will be what they will underdeveloped. If you want to
you read this article, are like- know about you and will also be see how true what I am saying
ly from Nigerian music artistes. what you will come to accept as is, you certainly will see. You
• Some of the richest Afrikans your own reality, howbeit, it may just need to open your eyes.
in the world are Nigerians. not be true. If Nollywood and 4. Just maybe it makes some peo-
• According to CNN Travel, for local content creators in Nigeria ple feel good and holy to call
all its political and economic can change the direction of their out the sins of others. Or just
troubles, Nigerians are somehow stories from the exaggerated neg- maybe some people feel that
still among the most optimistic ative things they show, to portray by running others down, they
and happy people on the plan- more positive aspects of the Ni- will have automatic ladders to
et. For a Nigerian, there is no gerian life, then perspectives can climb to the top. I really can't
room for despair and downtime. begin to change and also shift. tell. But I have seen this also.
And this excitement and spir- For example, I dislike watching 5. Maybe the crime rate is as
it of positivity many also have any movies featuring this popu- what has been spoken of. I se-
been misconstrued to mean lar Nigerian actress called Mama riously doubt that though.
"pride", "loudness", "crude- G (Patience Ozokwo). Why? She
ness", "chaos" and "disorderli- has acted the role of a wicked I read a lot of stuff here and
ness". I call these misconstrued mother-in-law so much, that there because of this maga-
notions about Nigerians because I began to see her as what she zine and my other writings.
I am Nigerian and I have seen, has been acting. A wicked wom-
in Kenya where I live, how peo- an. You see what I mean? But is A while ago I read an article in a Ken-
ple just decide you are "loud" or she a wicked woman or wicked yan magazine (name withheld) where
"disorderly" or "crude" simply mother-in-law in real life? I do the author was narrating some things
because you explain your point not think so. Same goes for any- about his trip to Nigeria. He said all
with so much excitement and thing you consistently portray, it manner of things about Nigeria, dis-
positiveness, you bring in new somehow becomes your reality, daining words about the public bus
perspective to the already estab- even when it may not be true. he used which broke down on his
lished norms, which many Ken- 2. The globalists know that the one way to the airport, how he could not
yans do not like and you eat your way to keep Afrika in a nega- get money from the ATM machine
chicken to the bone. But how tive spin is to keep the negative with his credit card, how he missed
that amounts to being crime narrative about Afrika going on. his flight because there were some is-
is what no one has explained. And they also know that the in- sues with his ticket or so. He rained all
• Nigerians are some of the fluence of Nigeria in Afrika is manner of insults on Nigeria and Ni-
brightest and smartest scientists, massive and thus if they can con- gerians. But he was also "sincere" to
bankers, techies, artistes, entre- trol the Nigerian narrative with mention what really happened which

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