Nigerian first impressions

I ask all of you to think for a minute about your pre-conceived ideas of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, one of the things which may come to mind is a scam email where you are told you could get a small fortune – you simply need to hand over your bank account details. Yes, this has been known to happen. And indeed there is also a local scam whereby people break into vacant houses and try to sell the property to unsuspecting buyers. Many houses now have ‘This house is not for sale: Beware of 419’ written on them as a result. 419 refers to the criminal code for this particular scam.

Also, if you are up-to-date with the world news, you would also know there have been strikes and protests about removing fuel subsidies as well as terrorist attacks in Kano and Bauchi. Smart Traveller’s current advice level for Nigeria is “Reconsider your need to travel” .

Yes, some of the roads could do with a little patching up

and truck drivers might need to slow down a little or just not overtake in such a hurry.

But, if you have any other negative pre-conceived ideas about Nigeria, I’d like you to now forget them. It certainly did not take us long at all to fall in love with this country and its people.

Nigeria has some of the most friendly people (if not the friendliest) in Africa. And, here’s a random fact: one in five Africans is Nigerian and by the middle of the 21^st century, it’s thought that one in three Africans will be Nigerian. EVERYONE we’ve met here waves at us and makes us feel extremely welcome.

Our driver, Nev, accidentally drove down a street in Ibadan that got narrower and narrower to the point where we had to turn around and drive back out. In any other country, this probably would’ve at least invoked some rude gesturing and profanities, but not here. In fact, all we received was help, friendly smiles, waves and clapping once we made it out.

Another time we had to get water from a village pump to fill up our jerry cans and the locals couldn’t have been more excited by our presence. Apparently it’s the first time ‘white people’ have stopped in their village and they brought out their cameras (digital and video) to record the occasion!

We’ve had a few bush camps too where the locals come over to check us out. It must be something like watching reality TV for them. We are an interesting bunch what with our strange hairstyles, clothing, tents, cooking over the fire and then flapping our dishes dry, etc. But at one bush camp, the locals happily started dancing and ran after our truck as we were leaving. Here’s a pic of Guber dancing with them whilst he’s brushing his teeth!

And at yet another, the Chief of the Village, Innocent, personally came to welcome us.

And all of these instances do not even come close to the hospitality the Minister of Tourism and his team have graciously shown us – blog post to come soon.

So all in all, we heart Nigeria.