The State of Oppression in Nigeria
Nigeria is a diverse country, full of different people from various ethnic groups. As such, people are bound to clash every now and then due to cultural differences. People would have arguments about beliefs and way of life, that’s to be expected in such a diverse environment. However, a common theme that even cultural backgrounds agree on is oppression. Specifically, oppression that is directed at the person in close proximity. It’s not always obvious, in fact, most of the time it’s subtle and goes unnoticed. So maybe for once, let’s shine a light on this ugly side and thrash it out.
Oppression from the individual
At the very foundation of society is the individual so most interactions happen at this level. It’s hard not to notice the subtle digs of oppression even if you tried not to. One of the most common examples of this is the generator nicknamed I better pass my neighbour which translates to “I’m better than my neighbour.”
For context, Nigeria is a country that has a very poor power supply so people buy generators to power their houses as well as their businesses. Since most people in the country are struggling to get by, not many people can afford to get a generator. The generator of interest is about the smallest one you can get. It’s seen as an achievement since it gives you power while your neighbour may be in darkness. It could have been nicknamed anything else but the fact that the nickname is I’m better than my neighbour speaks to the average mindset of the Nigerian: highly competitive. This will be great on its own but it’s the motive that makes it toxic. People will do anything just to “appear” to be doing better than the next person.
Oppression from Social Circles
Of course, when you have oppression at the very foundation, it only blossoms as you go up the various levels of society. Nigeria is a country where there’s a constant stream of activities, just like every other country. Particularly, we have a lot of social gatherings like parties, weddings, religious gatherings, etc. There’s a lot of effort put into appearing your best at these things. Anything less than the best will easily make you the topic of idle gossip for the next few days.
I’m not saying it’s wrong to look great at social functions but it’s the lengths people will often times go to that bothers me. A common example of this is the asoebi (dressing to match the couple) culture that is common in weddings for bridesmaids and groomsmen. People put so much pressure on themselves for these things like it’s a do-or-die affair. They will borrow money they have no way of paying back just to meet up. Meanwhile, they may already have ongoing debts and just add, in my opinion, an unnecessary debt just to appear at the wedding. And in a few weeks, there is another wedding that requires the entire circle to repeat all over again.
Oppression from the older generation
As a young person living in Nigeria, the older generation can come off as difficult a lot of the time. They seem to always want to put you in “your place”, whatever that may mean to them. If you don’t immediately roll over to please them or do things the way they want, you are seen as disrespectful, rebellious, rude and without “home training.” So obviously, they have developed techniques of forcing their will on you.
Recently I had an issue in my place of residence. NEPA/PHCN had come to cut our light due to some unresolved issues. I called the property agents and compound lawyer to report the issue. One of the things the lawyer said was that NEPA was not meant to cut our power without giving us a warning first. It took about 2 weeks before they got an agreement with NEPA to resolve it. On the day they wanted to fix it, they called me to pay an amount of money. At the time, I wasn’t around the compound and I didn’t have the liquidity so I told them I would pay the following week. By the time I got back to the compound, power had been restored for in compound but my own flat didn’t have power. Why? Because I didn’t pay the day everyone was paying.
Now, these were the same people that complained about NEPA doing the same thing so I just found it very hypocritical. They took it a step further and said I would need to pay double the amount, the extra in the name of a “reconnection fee.” I eventually had to involve a lawyer myself after a week before the issue was resolved. I asked the lawyer why they couldn’t give me a warning or the time I asked for before disconnecting my night but as expected, no real response could be given cause it directly contradicts your very own words. They now said I was threatening them because I involved a lawyer. Really?
Oppression from Govt
The big elephant in the room. They wield the most power of any other group and they definitely exercise it with full force. Most Nigerian youths have the date 20/10/2020 etched into their brains and the memories are still fresh in their minds like it happened yesterday. That’s just one of the extreme ways the big man has used his power. Most of the time, it’s also subtle and shows up in policies that make it hard for the average Nigerian to get any productive momentum going. There’s really not much to say about the big man, his works speak for themselves.
At the end of the day, a lot of it is just second nature. It doesn’t seem like people think much about these things. It’s their normal and they may really not see that these things are not normal. We should strive to treat the next person better, be more considerate of our neighbour, and call out bad behaviour for what it is: bad. Maybe then, we would have a chance at a better society, a better country.
