By Dr. Okolo Oteri Eme
Kemi Badenoch is not the only one who demeans Nigeria to gain acceptance from Caucasians. Unfortunately, this behavior has become the default mode for many Africans, especially Nigerians. I’ve seen and heard it too many times for it to be dismissed as a coincidence. This attitude might be one of the reasons we have progressed so slowly as a people. We are often too personally competitive to work collectively for group advancement. For some of us, insulting our country and fellow citizens is the only way we know how to gain relevance.
I recall an incident during my MSc class when I openly confronted a fellow Nigerian for trying this same nonsense. The class and the lecturer attempted to support her, but I stood my ground. She went on a tirade about equality and how women’s rights are not respected in Nigeria. She even threw in the usual sob story about female genital mutilation, which is now largely discontinued in most communities in Nigeria.
Do we have issues with the rights of women in Nigeria? Yes. But definitely not near anything she was alleging. Here I was, and there she was, both of us having achieved our dreams without any discrimination. Yet, she chose to trample on the country that gave us such opportunities just because she didn’t want to return to Nigeria.
I had no intention of staying back in the UK, and even if I did, it would have been on the basis of mutual respect and the value I could add to that society—not some self-centred, inferiority-complex-laden pity party.
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A victim mentality is unattractive to anyone. Lies and self-loathing might serve as tools to recruit people into modern-day slavery, attract cheap labour, raise money for projects, or even advance limited political careers. But once all that is done, those who perpetuate these behaviours will be discarded in favor of people with self-esteem—people who are confident in their intelligence, skills, and competence to get ahead in life.
Some might argue that politicians are the primary targets of criticism. However, I am well-exposed and knowledgeable enough to know that humans and politicians are the same everywhere. Development is a process, and Nigeria is making progress. The governance system we’ve chosen isn’t designed for speed, but needless denigration and constant flagellation of the nation will not bring us to El Dorado. Most countries are still struggling to achieve their goals. What drives incremental change is national pride, commitment, hard work, and unity—not cynicism and self-sabotage.
Just last week, I made a post about this mean-spirited attitude, and some people disagreed with me. You are entitled to your opinions. However, on a personal level, I have no respect for any Nigerian who denigrates this country anywhere. If you feel Nigeria is behind, then keep quiet and let us work towards where we need to be. Your negativity and cynicism drag us backward. You would serve us better by focusing on your hustle in your new zip code—in silence. Let Nigeria breathe!
Dr. Okolo Oteri Eme is an ophthalmologist and the Director of the National Eye Health Directorate at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja.
