The Federal Republic of Nigeria or simply Nigeria as it is
commonly called is a country in the Western part of Africa. Nigeria is
surrounded by four other African countries with Niger in the North, Chad and
Cameroun in the east and Benin in the West. Nigeria has 36 states and Abuja as
its capital.
Nigeria is divided into six (6) Geo-political zones in the
country. Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger and the Federal Capital
Territory makes up the Middle belt also known as North Central. In the North
East, we have Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, and Taraba states. The states
that make up the North West include Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Kebi, Sokoto,
Katsina and Jigawa states. The states in the South East include Abia, Ebonyi,
Enugu, Anambra and Imo states. States in the South-South are Delta, Edo,
Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River. The last Geo-political zone is
South West and the states in that region include Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo.
There are over 200 million people in Nigeria, making it the
largest country in Africa by population and the 7th most populous
country in the world. In terms of landmass, Nigeria is the 32nd
country in the world with a total landmass of 356,669 square miles. The
official currency used in Nigeria is the Naira and Nigeria’s flag has three
vertical stripes with green stripes on each end and one white stripe in the
middle.
Nigeria gained her independence on the 1st of
October 1960 and later became a republic in 1963. Jaja Wachukwu who was the first speaker of the House received Nigeria’s Instrument of Independence, which
is also known as Freedom Charter from the Queen’s representative Princess
Alexandra of Kent at the Nigerian independence ceremony ground.
Nigeria experienced and enjoyed democracy for about 6 years
with Alhaji Tafawa Balewa as the Prime Minister from 1960 to 1963. Nigeria started
Military rule from 1966 t0 1979 after the 1966 Nigerian coup d'état that saw
the death of the prime minister and other notable Nigerian leaders. Major
General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was made the head of state. This became the
beginning of the military era before power was handed over to civilian rule by
Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in 1979. However, Shehu Shagari, the president of the
second republic was then overthrown through the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état and
was succeeded by Major General Muhammadu Buhari. The fourth Republic was
established after General Abdulsalami Abubakar handed power to Olusegun
Obasanjo as the civilian president. Nigeria now operates a democratic system of
governance. The current president of Nigeria is Muhammadu Buhari.
Nigeria though not perfect is a great nation that makes
people wants to visit either for holiday or business purpose. We compile a list
of 25 interesting facts about life in Nigeria. This list is meant for
foreigners that wish to visit Nigeria for the first time for the purpose of
holiday or business. The list will itemize the various things you need to know
about Nigeria to make your stay better in the country without having to encounter
any problem and the list is based on facts about the country.
So below are 25 facts about life in Nigeria you need to know
to make your stay in Nigeria memorable.
Do not be surprised when you hear different people speaking
different languages in different parts of Nigeria. This is because Nigeria has
well over 520 languages spoken in the country which constitute about 7% of the
total languages spoken in the world.
The official language used for business
and education in Nigeria is the English language but there are three major
indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria. These languages include Hausa, Igbo, and
Yoruba. Other languages spoken in Nigeria includes Efik, Fulani, Ijaw, Tiv,
Bini, etc.
The Hausa language is spoken mostly in the Northern parts of Nigeria while
the Yoruba speaking people dominate the South West and The South East is
dominated by the Igbo speaking people. As a visitor to Nigeria, you can decide
to learn any of the languages so that it will be easy to communicate with the
local people of a particular community.
- Nigeria has the second-highest number of Slang in Africa, second only to USA
Apart from the official English language spoken in Nigeria,
Another language that can pass as an official language in the country is the
Pidgin language. The Pidgin English is used by locals that cannot speak the
English language fluently and it is also spoken by most Nigerians especially
when they are discussing with their peers or for informal discussions.
The use
of slang is very notable when speaking Pidgin English. Slangs used can be
different depending on the region and reason for use. Slang is also used in school
environments like campuses.
Nigerians also use slang when they meet their
fellow countrymen abroad as it is a way to remind them of Nigeria and also a
way to associate in a friendlier manner.
You can always learn the Nigeria slangs as it does not obey
any English rule or concord. Some slangs and there meaning used in Nigeria
include:
- Howfa- How are you
- Awoof- free things
- Sabi- to know
- 419- Fraud or fraudster
- Oyinbo- white man
- Okada- motorcycle. Etc
- Nigerian Children must always respect their parents
In many countries, when a child gets to the age of 18, such a child is considered as an adult and as such he/she is given equal rights as
others. In Nigeria, anybody above the age of 18 is considered as mature and is
given the right to vote and other privileges attached to adulthood but the rights
of such a child are still restricted because of the Nigerian Culture.
Even as an
adult, a child is not permitted to talk back at his/her parents even if he is
married because it is seen as an act of disrespect and a violation of the
culture of the land. In Nigeria, so long as you are still in your parents’
house, you are under the rules of the head of the house even if you are an
adult.
- Some places in Nigeria are not friendly to Foreigners
Because of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in
some of the Northern parts of the country and the security threat in some other
parts of the country. Foreigners are always advised to avoid those areas for
now or be very careful when it is necessary for them to visit such places.
The
activities of the Insurgents are most common to the North-Eastern states which
include Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa. Though the Government is trying to curb the
cases of security threats in the area, the insurgents too tend to become
powerful by the day.
There is a high rate of kidnapping in the South-South region
of the Country. Foreign investors are many in the South-South region because of
the oil industries there. Because of this, most of the foreigners there are
kidnapped for different ransom depending on the company they work for. So
foreigners that intend to do business in such areas must be very careful, alert
and security conscious.
- Nigerian Traders make their initial Product High
Traders in the Nigerian Markets make the prices of their
products high in order to either cheat strangers or to make it impossible for
buyers to beat down the prices. It is very popular in Nigerians to bargain with
traders on the price of their products and because of this, the traders hike
the price so that no matter how much they reduce the price, they will still
have sufficient profits. It is important for those coming to Nigeria for the
first time to know that prices of products given may not seem as it is as the
seller may be expecting the buyer to bargain for the price.
- Nigerians practice African Time
It is almost like a tradition in Nigeria as many people tend
to attend an event almost one hour behind the scheduled time. This time is
known as African time. Any event that is to start by 10 has to be fixed for 9
because most Nigerians will prefer to go for the event at the latter time.
If you are visiting Nigeria for the first time, don’t be carried away or angry if you get to an event scheduled for 8am and you meet empty chairs at that time. It is a way of telling you that you are attending a Nigerian event. The event center will be filled up after an hour.
If you are visiting Nigeria for the first time, don’t be carried away or angry if you get to an event scheduled for 8am and you meet empty chairs at that time. It is a way of telling you that you are attending a Nigerian event. The event center will be filled up after an hour.
- Nigerians get excited when Electricity comes
One of the basic things Nigerians suffer from is constant
supply of electricity. One interesting fact anybody visiting Nigeria for the
first time will notice is how Nigerians react when there is supply of
electricity. Many people may scream, shout or even jump when light comes and
the first thing they scream is “UP NEPA”. Most places apart from reserved areas in
Nigeria suffer from power blackout for days or even weeks, so many people,
especially businessmen and women depend on generators for light.
- Nigerians stare at strangers
As a foreigner visiting Nigeria for the first time, don’t
get scared when you notice Nigerians staring at you because do not mean any
harm at all, just that Nigerians have the habit of staring at strangers,
especially the white folks. This habit also makes them get closer to the
strangers as they can help to make things easier for the strangers so that they
can also get a little reward afterward.
- Social Media is very Popular
The use of social media is very popular in Nigeria. Nigeria
is among the top ten countries with the highest number of internet users. It is
estimated that about 91 million uses the internet every day.
At least 7.2 million Nigerians log in to facebook daily; 2.1 million people use Twitter and Instagram daily. This statistic shows that Nigerians make use of social media. While some use it for business purposes, others use it just to chat and hook up with love ones. Any visitor that wish to do business in Nigeria with the use of the Internet, he or she should be very careful and do very good underground checks to avoid being scammed.
At least 7.2 million Nigerians log in to facebook daily; 2.1 million people use Twitter and Instagram daily. This statistic shows that Nigerians make use of social media. While some use it for business purposes, others use it just to chat and hook up with love ones. Any visitor that wish to do business in Nigeria with the use of the Internet, he or she should be very careful and do very good underground checks to avoid being scammed.
- Nollywood can be easily Predicted
Nigeria is the home of Nollywood, the second biggest
entertainment industry in the world after Hoollywood. If you are visiting
Nigeria for the first time and you wish to look for a place to relax, then the
Nigerian cinemas are one of the best places for relaxation. You can watch a
couple of movies for a token. But most of the movies they act can be
predictable. When watching a Nigerian
movie, you can likely guess what will happen at the end even from the beginning.
- Left Hand is considered Dirty
Nigeria is a home for many traditional beliefs. One of them
is the use of the left hand. The left hand is considered dirty in Nigeria as most
people may not accept anything offered to them with the left hand. It is even a
taboo in some community for a child to use his or her left hand to give or
receive anything for their elders.
If you visit Nigeria for the first time, people may refuse to collect anything from you because you offered them with your left hand. There is no cause for alarm because it is part of Nigeria’s culture.
If you visit Nigeria for the first time, people may refuse to collect anything from you because you offered them with your left hand. There is no cause for alarm because it is part of Nigeria’s culture.
- Greeting is very important in Nigeria
Greeting is an important aspect of the lives of Nigerians.
Anyone who refuses to greet people is often considered as being rude and lacks
good manners. Every part of the country appreciates when you greet them even if
you don’t know them. The Western part of Nigeria doesn’t joke with greeting at
all especially to the elderly ones. Even if you don’t understand their Yoruba
local dialect, you can still greet them in English.
- Yoruba have the highest rate of Twin Birth
The Yoruba people from the South Western part of Nigeria can
boast of the highest rate of twin birth in the world. Igbo Ora is a small town
in Oyo state and it is said to be the capital of twin birth in the world
because of the high rate of twin birth in the town. Hardly can you find a
household in the town without twins.
If you are visiting Nigeria for the first time and you love to have twin babies, you can decide to go to Igbo Ora in Oyo state to pick a wife as it will give you the opportunity to have your own twin babies.
If you are visiting Nigeria for the first time and you love to have twin babies, you can decide to go to Igbo Ora in Oyo state to pick a wife as it will give you the opportunity to have your own twin babies.
- It is Nice to Invite people when Eating
If you don’t invite the people around you to join in your
meal when eating, you will be considered to be stingy. It is customary to
invite those around you when eating, even though you will get a “thank you” as
response. In the Northern part of Nigeria, it is customary for them to eat in
groups from the same plates. This helps in making them remain united.
- Nigeria Ladies lead in Skin Bleaching
Nigeria is a black skinned nation, though there are light
skinned people especially people form the Fulani tribe. In order to copy the
Western pattern of life, most Nigeria girls have resulted in bleaching their
skins so that they could become light-skinned. It is estimated that of every 10
girls sitting, 6 of them bleach their skins.
- Nigerians are the Happiest People in the World
Despite the rate of unemployment in the country and the
level of security threats, the country is facing. The people of Nigeria remain
the happiest people in the whole world. Nigerians are always hopeful and optimistic
that everything will get better. So when you visit Nigeria for the first time
and see everybody smiling, it does not mean all is well but just that they hope
all will be well.
- Nigerians love to Party
If the reason you are coming to Nigeria is to have fun, then
you are not mistaking. The Yoruba people always have a reason to celebrate or
throw a party. Fridays and Saturdays are known in Nigeria as days of different
activities ranging from Wedding parties, naming ceremonies, birthday parties
and even burial ceremonies. There are a number of clubs in all major cities for
fun and relaxation.
- Nigeria is a Religious Country
The issue of religion is taken seriously in Nigeria, that’s
why some Nigerians can become violent when they are defending their religions.
The three main religions practiced in the Nigeria is the Christianity, Islamic
and African traditional religion. As a visitor in Nigeria, you should try not
to look down on anybody’s religion as you may get more than what you bargained
for. Most cause of violence in Nigeria, especially the Northern part of the
country has been centered on Religious differences.
- Most Nigerians Tolerate Strangers
Many Nigerians can be extremely nice to strangers,
especially foreigners from other countries. There are many parts of the country
where strangers are given special treatments. This is done to make the stranger
or visitor to feel at home and have a relaxed mind. When you visit a Nigerian
home, you are likely to get served throughout your stay. There are very few
villages and communities where they hostile to strangers. Strangers are often
used for ritual purposes. The villages that treat visitors badly are very few
as most communities, towns, and cities in Nigeria tend to help strangers and
make them comfortable.
- There is Traffic Congestion in some Cities
Traffic congestion can be a huge problem in some cities
which can make you go to your destination late. When you visit some Nigerian
cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Benin etc. don’t freak out when you experience some
traffic jam. There are times when the traffic congestion can lead to a vehicle
being parked for hours without moving. If you don’t want to get involve in
traffic, some things you can do to avoid traffic congestion include planning
your route properly, leave home earlier, check traffic reports before going out
and you can always use alternative routes to your destination.
- Funny things Nigeria do in Traffic
Being totally stuck in the traffic can be frustrating most
times. It can even spoil your plans for the day but traffic congestion has
become the order of the day in some Nigerian cities. Don’t get carried away
when even in the traffic you see Nigerians happy.
This is because there are some things they do to while away their time. Things Nigeria do to have fun in traffic include striking a conversation with other drivers, ague about football, talk about politics, listen to music and even do traffic shopping. When you visit Nigeria and you are stuck in traffic, you can do any of these to make the journey less boring or you can just decide to be watching others doing them.
This is because there are some things they do to while away their time. Things Nigeria do to have fun in traffic include striking a conversation with other drivers, ague about football, talk about politics, listen to music and even do traffic shopping. When you visit Nigeria and you are stuck in traffic, you can do any of these to make the journey less boring or you can just decide to be watching others doing them.
- People Jump into moving Vehicles in Lagos
The city of Lagos is best known for its commercial
activities. It is the most populated city in Nigeria with over 21 million
inhabitants. You will need to struggle for every in Lagos which includes
entering a vehicle. It is normal for the residents of Lagos to enter a bus even
when it is still moving. If you visit Lagos for the first time and you don’t
make the effort of following the moving bus, you may end up no going to your
destination that day.
- Nigerians believe in Superstition
Superstition is generally believed in Nigeria. It is
generally accepted because it is an aspect of almost every culture in Nigeria. There
are some signs and events that happen and Nigerians think it is a consequence
of what will happen.
They even try to explain these happenings to visitors. It is a belief in some Nigerian communities that if one’s hand itches him or her, it is a sign of money to come. There are some things you will do and they will try to give it a meaning. Don’t freak out, it is just their way of life.
They even try to explain these happenings to visitors. It is a belief in some Nigerian communities that if one’s hand itches him or her, it is a sign of money to come. There are some things you will do and they will try to give it a meaning. Don’t freak out, it is just their way of life.
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