ebosélumen🇳🇬

A country doesn't have to defeat you economically to make you feel inferior; sometimes, all it needs is to convince you that you're inferior. And for years, Nigerians have unknowingly helped other African countries build that perception of Nigeria and Nigerians. I genuinely think we're witnessing the beginning of a new wave of Nigerian nationalism, and I'm excited about it. For years, Nigerians have had a complicated relationship with patriotism. We were so expressive about our frustrations with the government, our shortcomings, our living conditions and virtually everything happening within the country that we rarely considered how much of that information was being weaponised against us beyond our borders. We took pride in being brutally honest about our country, but somewhere along the line, that honesty became ammunition for people who were already looking for reasons to look down on us. Nigerians would openly discuss their struggles abroad, amplify every negative experience and criticise their country at every opportunity. Meanwhile, some other African countries began using these conversations as talking points to construct an image of Nigeria that suited their own narratives. Somehow, this created the impression that Nigerians were desperately fleeing their country in unprecedented numbers, when the reality of migration statistics is considerably more nuanced. But something is changing, and I think the turning point has been the growing realisation that not every attack is banter and not every insult deserves to be laughed off. For years, Nigerians treated these constant jabs from other African countries as harmless jokes. We'd laugh, banter back and move on. But when the same hostility becomes persistent, when people begin building their own sense of national superiority around belittling another country, you eventually realise that what you're dealing with goes beyond ordinary rivalry. Nigerians are beginning to understand that patriotism doesn't mean blindly supporting your government or pretending that everything is working. You can hold your government accountable, demand better leadership and acknowledge your country's shortcomings without becoming an unpaid ambassador for the people who despise your country. What we're seeing now is Nigerians becoming increasingly conscious of their national identity and more willing to defend their country's image. And while I don't support xenophobia, unnecessary hostility or the denigration of other African countries, I genuinely hope this newfound national consciousness is sustained. A country whose citizens cannot defend its dignity in the court of public opinion will always leave room for others to define its identity for it. Nigerians are waking up to that reality, and I find that particularly interesting.