The Nigerian spirit speaks survival in the face of hardship. In its context, it will be an act of cowardice for a man to get drowned in the “river of pain”. It asks, “Where are the swimming skills?” and if none, trial would be adequate. The spirit considers it a waste of time to want to talk a man out of his decision. Importantly, the Nigerian spirit takes the lead to either success or failure. Oftentimes the former prevails.
From the experiences of most Nigerians in Diaspora, the survival instinct is hard knotted. It is one of a “do or die” engagement. Online Nairaland forum graced a discussion sometime ago in October,2009. On the platform, a young Nigerian man by name Jonah recounted his experience in South Africa. He narrated how he slept in a club having neither shelter nor clothing to help shield up during the cold weather. He and some others refuted the idea of returning to Nigeria.
Fortunately, after a Sunday service, he met a South African family who offered him a place to stay in their compound having listened to his story. Jonah took up to car repair using the car of the family as a practice. With time, words spread about a Nigerian mechanic which attracted people in the neighbourhood to bring their cars to him for repair. No sooner than later the family bought a work space. Both Jonah and the family benefitted from the venture.
In a negative light, some Nigerians in other countries engage in illicit activities in the quest for survival. Such activities include: theft, prostitution, drug deals and others. An average Nigerian in a foreign land considers it a shame to return home with nothing to show. The die-hard spirit of survival sprawls the very soul of the Nigerian. How about those within the country? Everyone engages in one thing or the other to survive. It is in Nigeria that almost all individuals consider themselves bosses. Little wonder Entrepreneurship have taken over. Liquid soap makers, herbal mixes, doughnut fries, cake making, basket weaving, cloth dye, and numerous other activities. Someone once classified these a situation where “creativity meets craft” then the outcome is a well defined financial boost.
A young lady who once attended the Nigerian Institute of Journalism on the condition of anonymity explained that her decision to study was borne out of her determination to succeed after several exposures to difficult situations. She said, “I never dreamt of giving up even when those situations are not friendly. I have been exposed to harshness in terms of the irrational words people directed to me about not being ashamed helping my parents in their market place to sell in order to get through school."
To her, survival is a priority. “It is a risky thing to allow oneself be shaped by hard-knot circumstances instead it is an opportunity to make decision to move forward and attain higher positions in life.”
“It is in our blood”, some people would say. Affirming to this, a business man at Alagbado area of Lagos, Erick Ogbeide Sylvester, asserted “seriously that’s the truth. It’s an inbuilt thing for Nigerians and this is why every black nation sees us as strong people.”
A lecturer of the Nigerian institute of Journalism, Adeboye Ola, believed that the survival instinct of the average Nigerian is associated with the consciousness of God’s existence and that an average Nigerian believes his efforts will one day be rewarded by God who watches over humanity. He considered those who engage in illicit activities for the singly
purpose of survival as criminals. He concluded that the survival instinct of the Nigerian is directed towards positivity and aim at succeeding via the rightful means. To him, whoever goes off this trail is a criminal.
“No spiritual doctrine will advise people to do something that their God will not support. A lot of them have crossed the poverty ridicule; it’s now greed that is pushing them, guiding them. There is a difference between greed and having survival strategy to cope with situation, things are hard no doubt but it’s no excuse to become a
criminal.”
Considering how far the country can go with these “high-spirited" people, these individuals were optimistic. Sylvester mentioned that “I am positive that we are on the right path to greatness: sectors that have been neglected for years like Mining, Agriculture, if resources are focused on these sectors then it’s a good night to poverty. Its God’s purpose to place this spirit in us so we can eventually be happy.”
To Ola, “the government should not push the people to the extreme. The people have been taking all the shock, their shock absorber is so high that they are able to accommodate whatever situation they find themselves and live with it. That spirit should not be taken for granted. The reason is simple. The world is now becoming a global village, the more people start becoming aware of what is happening in other countries. A time will come when they would know that those who are supposedly leading them have not been faithful often leading to what we call revolution. Those at the top will no longer be safe.”
The more Nigerians learn to embrace themselves, the more united they become. One Nigeria, one spirit!
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By Blessed Ugochukwu!