Imagination Don Wound Everybody

Nigerians have the silliest elitist mentality.
For a nation with half of it's population below poverty line, it's comical the length people go to show they're extremely wealthy. It's so widespread, I am surprised universities are not offering courses on it.

Everyday, there's a new "hot take". Social media is rife with ordinary people trying to outshine each other. Someone recently posted on Twitter they would be embarrassed to go on a date with a person who orders jollof rice another user posited how weird it is that people use microfinance banks who offer soft loans to it's customers. What's worse? There's a chorus of support for these ridiculous positions. In a country where all you have to do is own $100 and you'll comfortably rank in the top half of rich people, one is left to wonder why the citizens are bent on building the most ridiculous image of themselves.

I am convinced Nigerians are the funniest set of people in the world. It's like God created a colony of comedians who were meant to be distributed round the world but some manufacturing error led them to one place. It's a miracle we still have thriving comics. The average Nigerian can give you belly aching laughter just by being their natural self.

Nigerians have mastered the art of self deception commonly referred to as "fake it till you make it" or "faith it", if you go to church. I guess if you keep repeating the same thing to yourself over and again, you will soon believe it and your entire being will start acting like it. In 2014, during the opening ceremony of the world cup, I sat next to an elderly man who believed Nigeria could win the world cup because all that's needed is just a bit of "luck", according to the gentleman, Italy won in 2006 not because they had a talented team but the "god of soccer wanted them to". Makes sense now that some 12 million people voted for Muhammadu Buhari to change their fortunes.

On the flip side though, how do you survive in a country where everything seem bent on frustrating you and the system look like it was built to stand in the way of meaningful, honest success?

I guess it makes sense that most of the population prefer to live in their heads rather than the unfortunate reality they confront everyday.

Nigeria will breed a lot of Yetunde, I'm afraid.

Make imagination dey carry everybody go where dem no know.

Can't be poor in reality and still be same in make believe.

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