NIGERIA AND THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY

#BEYOND_POLITICS

 

My former crush, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once presented a paper titled: "The Danger Of A Single Story". In which she posited that most people only have a Single Story of others, and the more Single Stories about others you hear, tends to become your truth about them. 

But she also said that Single Stories are not usually all incorrect, but most times they are incomplete. 

The Single Story that Nigerians are fraudsters, is true. But it doesn't capture the story of our young entrepreneurs who dare to rise above our rotten systems to make it big in a failing nation. 

The Single Story that Nigeria is poor, is true. But usually doesn't tell the story that some of Africa's richest people are nigerians. 

Some people hold a Single Story that my Taraba State is one of the poorest in the country. Which is not all false. But they don't know that she is actually one of the richest States in terms of natural resources. 

These Single Stories are sometimes stereotypical. Makes others conclude that we are no good. 

A lot of people have their Single Story of me. That I criticize bad political leaders because I am frustrated to have lost all the elections I contested. This is not false, but incomplete. Their Single Story does not capture how I have fought endless battles to ensure other young people do not suffer my fate when they decide to take their destinies in their hands by joining politics tomorrow, or by starting their own business empire. 

Their Single Story of me only tells of how disrespectful and stubborn I am, which is also true. But it did not capture the fact that you cannot respect an enemy while on the battlefield, except if you're a coward who drops his weapon and surrenders. There's no dignity in that. 

It is widely believed that Nigerian politicians have commercialized Covid-19, and keep churning out numbers in order loot public treasury. 

It is also widely believed that corruption comes to sleep in Nigeria, after its everyday hustle. 

Inasmuch as some of us are trying to give Nigeria a good name, and secure its future for generations unborn, others are busy hacking away and doing whatever it takes to bring her down. This is how the Single Story of them becomes the story of all Nigerians. Bad people. 

I've traveled out a few times and each time I mentioned my Nationality, the meeting was over. Because to these people's Single Story, every young Nigerian talking big business is a fraudster. 

We did this to ourselves by ourselves. The things we publish about ourselves fortify the Single Story others have of us. 

We have used the social media to destroy and smear each other, while the world sits back, reads, and forms its Single Story of us. 

I believe that we can begin to portray our Nation in a brighter light. Tell the stories of our exceptional compatriots. And begin to change the narrative of those who only have the Single Story of our hopelessness. 

My being away has taught me a lot of things, one of which is to always focus on the positives. We are good people, only by doing the right things. 

Things will not be this way forever. But what are you doing to change them? How can you be a part of the group that changed the Nigerian story? 

I leave you with the words of my Bestman, Seth Ikaa

Who said, "it is better to be remembered as the bravest sheep, than as the weakest lion".

Let's take the bull by the horn and rewrite our story. 

©JBZ_2020