The Nigerian factor - Opportunity or threat?

Have you ever felt refused simply because you mention that you are a Nigerian? I have!

For me the most embarrassing thing I have been asked lately has been "What country are you from". For one year of my life in Indonesia, I had to face up with many scary looks by people around simply because I was black and by the time they knew I was from Nigeria, it even made matters worse. How the hell can you just suddenly look at one person and categories all as the same, even without you knowing that person at all. In my time in Indonesia, many people who met me at the first instance were completely shocked after one or two encounters with me, to find out that this guy does not think or behave like the others and I think AIESEC really helped me to recreate people's mindset about Nigerians.

Same situation has happened quite a number of times since I came to New Zealand. Every group I come across always had on person asking me "Why do your people like to send scam emails telling about some wealth hidden somewhere, bla bla bla" I just try to give them a diplomatic answer just to escape the situation for a minute. Have you felt that?

Again, I wouldn't totally blame them. I will blame the nonchalant and malignant Nigerians who go about spoiling the country's name and leaving these mess for people like me to face out there. This is completely annoying and depressing at the same time.

I read in News daily about how Nigerians are now using this "black money" rout to dupe foriegners unlawfully off their hard earned money. This now seems to be the norm in the country and everyone seems to do this unruly act. Now the repercussion is that people like us living abroad can't afford to leave Nigeria anymore because all we get are names, stares, negative feedbacks and could even get arrased by passers-by.

Just yesterday, I was in an online skype interview and the question that came was "knowing that Nigerians are the number one most dangerous people in my country, how do you plan to work with the knowledge of this". Honestly, I don't think I answered the question appropriately because the first thought that came to my head was "Not again" and that just completely took me off my feet

Like India and China, one of their key strengths is on the fact that the population is massive, the economy is booming with more local companies springing up to become global companies and lots more global companies having a settlement in these countries, which is now enormously contributing to the positioning of the people as most sort after employees within the global market. Now the funny thing about this situation as well is that Nigeria is now turning slowly into an Emerging African market and just like India and China, it is the largest black concentration in the world and many multinational companies are now looking to invest into the country which somehow well positions us as a nation, but is it enough for me to leverage upon been a potential employee in the global market? This largely brings me to my topic that, is been a Nigerian an opportunity or a threat.

There are other blogs from friends I have read who have also shared different views points and about their experiences abroad and all of which have not been short of mine so how can we, being ambassadors of our country contribute to changing the status quo for the better? What can we do to recreate the mindset of these people abroad about Nigerian?

I feel I can't do anything about this. On second thought, I feel I should simply do my part as an individual by Showing a positive attitude to those around me and keep everyone around me on the right thought about me. So if I can do this, hopefully there are also a number of Nigerians out there creating a slowly widening positive path amidst the huge negative one.


What more can I say? May God help us all!

It is time...

It is now more than two months since the last time I wrote on my blog and looking back at the commitment I made then that I will make sure I keep this place alive, I feel as though I have been cheating myself but then I have come to realise that trully its all about time. Time has come to make things much faster or slower than I had imagined, also thinking of when I started my term in the New Zealand MC and already seeing how much time has flown bye, I realise that if one does not make use of the time he's got now to make the neccasary changes to ones life then that time will never come again. Also looking at those times I had to coup with working with a team far awar from each other, some of which having to resign as a result of personality clashes. I also look back on the good times shared with those people and how much time has stretched since then.

About a month ago and started a new thought process. For many of us in AIESEC this thought process only comes when we are about to end one stage of our AIESEC experience and we see the organisation as that place that we believe we can get more from. Some of us look back at what we have gotten so far and that feeling of discontent rushes in. Discontented with what the organisation looks like and seeing yourself as a pillar to create a better organisation. My thoughts in the last 4 weeks as not be short of what many others have felt and still feel.

In the last 3 weeks I have been talking with some important people in the organisation, largely on my thoughts. I have come to realise that many people see me a lot more positively than I see myself and the thoughts of that brings a lot of comforting feelings.

Two weeks ago I made a decision to apply for MCP of AIESEC South Africa. This decision was born largely on the above thinking processes but with a lot more consultation and a lot more analysis in place. The people I have spoken with in the last weeks have made me realise how hard it will be. They have explained what challenges I will face not just with the AIESEC SA LC realilities but largely with other external bodies that governs the organisaton, one way or the other. I feel that this is a big task in front of me and I know that I can do it. I have been in this organisation for more than 5 years and in this years, I have seen a lot, done a lot, cried a lot and laughed a lot. I have worked with teams that broke me down, I have worked with teams that lifted me up, I have worked with teams that never believed in me and the ones that saw me as its saving grace. I have been everything and nothing. So if I may say, I have seen it all.

My drive to lead South Africa first came from the thought of not haven given much to the African GN since my last 5 years plus. I felt that it was right for me to stay in the organisation for one more year and directly contribute to the growth of this GN. My first idea was to apply for ER manager for the African GN. At that time I looked at the role as one which wouldn't bring anything new as I have held ER roles for the last 3 years in the organisation and there really wouldn't be much of a challenge for me ( and if you know me well, I love challenges). So I felt, maybe I should look somewhere else. Then came the information of South Africa having the huge challange with National Leadership for next term. First thought was "this might be too much" next thought was "why not?". So here am I, in the process of submitting my application for what I will regard as one of the most daunting task I have and likely will ever take in my life. The good thing is that it will be filled with challenges. The bad thing is that it will be for one year. But with time around, that would likely feel like a day.

So, its about that time. So seat back, relax and lets see how much time can influence this.