Word Count: 2133
In this essay I will reconstruct my first visit to Nigeria. The journey took place when I
was seventeen in early 1993, during which time Nigeria was under the military rule of
General Sanni Abacha. For the most part of my trip I stayed in Lagos, former capital state
and still highly recognised as the commercial capital of Nigeria, although I did visit other
parts of the country including Ondo State and Jos. Between this time and the time I left,
in early 1994, I experienced and learnt a lot about the Nigerian culture. My main focus
will be on the particular aspects of Nigerian culture that I saw as relevant to me as a
teenager at the time, and also on my views before and after the journey. Up until the point
of this journey I had lived most my life in the city of London and my cultural views were
very much British. I was not very familiar with Nigerian culture, and the parts I was
familiar with, which came mostly through my parents and other family members, were
not very appealing to me. Thinking back now I imagine that one of the reason things like
that did not appeal to me was because it went so much against the British culture which I
had already related to; fully accepted as my own; and deemed as ‘normal’. For example
eating certain food, not including chips, with your right hand instead of with a knife and
fork. Leading up to the time I left for Nigeria, I had never really identified myself with
the Nigerian culture even though both of my parents where originally from Nigeria. I was
the first born of my mother followed by my two younger brothers, Steven and William.
We were all also given Nigerian names along with are English ones; mine was Femi and
my brother’s were Ayo and Bayo. My father was still studying along with working when
I was born and my mother was working also, when I was about three years old I was sent
to live with a white middle class nanny in a town called Warminster in Wiltshire. It was a
common phenomena in Britain in that period to see West African being bought up by
Foster parents while their parents worked or studied (Groody and Groothuues, 1977). I
did my first two or so years of primary school in Warminster before my parents decided it
was time for me to return to live with them in London. I was one of very few blacks in
Wiltshire at the time, so apart from the occasional rare visit made by my parents I was
just about completely oblivious of Nigerian culture. At first I hated living in London. My
parents tried to incorporate as much Nigerian culture into their, mine, and my brothers
lives as possible. At home they conversed in Yoroba our native Nigerian tongue. We ate
Nigerian food, although my Brothers and me preferred to use forks rather then our hands.
In fact we ate so much Nigerian food, such as pounded yam, eba, and rice, we became
tired of it, and we could hardly wait for the rare occasions when my mother would fry us
some chips or cook spaghetti. On special occasions, such as a birthday party for one of
my numerous ‘ cousins’, every other person from Nigeria seemed to be my cousin in
those days; we were expected to don one of they many Nigerian traditional Garments.
My Mother or one of my aunts had always made a point of bringing back one for each of
us each time they went to the homeland. Also when going out with my Dad he would
always insist on having one of his Afro beat or Fuji cassette tapes playing. At home he
and my mother enjoyed watching Nigerian made films or soap operas which me and my
brothers could not enjoy because we could not understand and the quality was really poor
compared to the film technology we were used to. In school most people did not seem to
know that Africa was a continent. West Africans were not commonly referred to as
Nigerians, Ugandans, or Kenyans all were Africans. There was that many Nigerians in
London at secondary level at that time (Goody and Groothues, 1977), the majority of
blacks that surrounded me were West Indians. The term ‘West African’ was not even in
common use among my age group, British born Nigerians lacked identity. It became
increasingly difficult as I got older to identify myself with ether British or Nigerian
cultures. During the eighties a black child was more socially accepted if her or she was
West Indian, there music was popular, like reggae and ragga which was at is peak at the
time, and their accent fashionable and street wise, you even got some white kids trying to
intimidate it. The word ‘African’ was like a swear word in my catholic school play
ground, along with words like Zulu and swear chukka, words mostly used by West
Indians towards none West Indian blacks. Most Nigerians who grew up in England and
were fortunate not to have Nigerian accents, where passed off by most people as West
Indians. But the ones who spent most of their lives in Nigeria and came here later on with
deep Nigerian accents got no peace. People were always making fun of their accents, and
they found it difficult to make friends even among the British Born Nigerians who
avoided them in fear of being ridiculed and socially excluded along with them. I can
honestly state that, due to my experiences in London, before going to Nigeria I had
already grew a strong dislike for anything I felt was associated with Nigeria and its
culture. In late 1992 my father decided it was time I went to visit my family in Nigeria.
My two younger brothers had gone over there a year before me and they wrote back that
they liked it so much that they did not want to come back to England. I arrived in Nigeria
dazed at how developed it was compared to how I thought it would be. My uncle who
works for a well-known petroleum company in Nigeria picked me up at the airport in a
new Mercedes Benz. He owned a very modern looking nine-bedroom mansion in apebi
one of the richer parts of Lagos. He a satellite dish, play station, servants, and other
things that people in London were not even privileged with having. From looking across
the street however I could see not every body in Nigeria was as privileged as my uncle.
Across the road from us was a family living in an uncompleted building that had wooden
shutters for windows. I noticed that when the Nigerian electric power authority, (NEPA),
had a power cut and my uncle reverted to privately generated power, they would light
candles or sit outside their house in the glare of the security lights from my uncle’s house.
I made friends with a boy about my age that lived across the street. He had numerous
different qualities from my rich cousins; for example, he almost always wore Nigerian
traditional clothing rather then imported clothes, and preferred Nigerian music to
western. None of his family that he cared to mention had ever gone abroad and members
that did hardly ever wrote or returned to visit. He often told me that he planned to
somehow one-day travel to England or the USA, he did not care which, to study and
work. He spoke of these places as if they were paved with gold, and told me that when he
returned from them ‘after a couple of years’ he would build a mansion like my uncles.
This was a common myth shared by most Nigerians, mainly due to the impressions made
by Nigerians coming back from abroad with large amounts of currency to spend, which is
one of the effects of the high exchange rates which came from Nigeria’s declining
economy. Also its partially due to the materialistic goods, which are way too expensive
for the average person in Nigeria to buy, and which are brought back and worn and used
so casually by people coming from abroad. The deep Nigerian accent that I had
associated with Nigerians when in London was only commonly found among the old and
the lower classes. The younger generations and the more well of tended to speak in
Pidgin English along with fake or distorted American and English accents. In Nigeria it
was very fashionable to know how to speak Pidgin English, which is like a Nigerian
street slang. Contraire to what I originally thought I found out there were some aspects of
Nigerian culture that happened to be very appealing to me. I got to know some people in
my age group, and although they did speak in accents that might of given them social
grief in London, I found them to be interesting and fun people. They were not social
outcasts as the majority of Nigerians in London were at the time, and truthfully I found it
hard to imagine them as such even if they were in London. They were very confident and
despite common hardships bought on by the political state of the country, they were all
convinced that being Nigerian was the best thing in the world. On weekends we took my
eighteen-year-old cousins Benz and went to night-clubs in an uptown part of Lagos called
Victoria islands also known as VI. The clubs played music I enjoyed listening to like R
&B, Hip hop, and soul, not just ragga and jungle like most of the black clubs in
London at the time. They also played some underground Afro beat by a Nigerian artist
called Fela Kuti (1938-1997), which I couldn’t imagine, my Dad listening to. The dress
sense for people in my age group was mostly based on American Hip-hop culture. Boots
with baggie jeans and suits with designer labels, basically just dressing to impress.
Nigerian traditional garments were not worn as much as I thought they would be apart
from by people who could not afford otherwise although it was an acceptable alternative.
Apart form that they were worn mainly just on special occasions such as weddings and
older people’s birthday parties, and even then the styles they wore were more appealing
to my teenage tastes, nothing like the stuff my mother or aunts bought back for me when
I was in London. There were however aspects of Nigerian traditional culture that did
confer to my original western mythological expectations. Respect and obeying your
elders under all circumstances was very much a part of Nigerian culture that I had already
experienced in London. There was also a reasonably high level of polygamous families.
A friend of mine stayed in the same house with her father, Mother, brothers and Sister,
along with her Fathers second wife and her stepbrother. It did not seem to really bother
her that much, apart from a well concealed hate for her stepmother; otherwise she took it
quite naturally. It was easier for me to appreciate Nigerian culture when I experienced it
first hand for myself. There are distinctive subcultures within all complex societies for
the significant subgroups. Before travelling to Nigeria the only parts of Nigerian culture
on offer to me came from secondary sources, such as my parents and other relatives most
of them much older then myself. The journey helped me realise that the best way to learn
to appreciate a culture that is foreign to you is to experience it first hand. I found it much
easier to accept traditional aspects of Nigerian culture when there where others, who like
me were also infected with western popular culture, around me who appreciated also. I do
not feel that this acceptance came from any sort forced group conciseness, but more from
having the ability to choose aspects of the culture which I liked in an environment where
my choices were more sociably accepted. While in Nigeria I also met a reasonable
amount of other Nigerians who had had similar experiences while growing up as I did.
Meeting with such people was one of the significant aspects of my journey as it enabled
me to talk and laugh about some of the things I went through as a child which originally
made me feel socially excluded. It also helped me to discover my cultural identity as a
British born Nigerian. Bibliography Bammer, A, (1994), Displacements, Volume 15,
Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana University Press Kureishi, H, London and
Karachi, in, Patriotism: The Waking and unmaking of British National Identity, Volume
2, Minorities and Outsiders Watson, J.L,(1977), Between Two Cultures, Oxford, Basil
Blackwell
Keywords:
word count this essay will reconstruct first visit nigeria journey took place when
seventeen early during which time nigeria under military rule general sanni abacha most
part trip stayed lagos former capital state still highly recognised commercial capital
nigeria although visit other parts country including ondo state between this time time left
early experienced learnt about nigerian culture main focus will particular aspects nigerian
culture that relevant teenager also views before after journey until point this journey lived
most life city london cultural views were very much british very familiar with nigerian
culture parts familiar with which came mostly through parents other family members
were very appealing thinking back imagine that reason things like that appeal because
went much against british which already related fully accepted deemed normal example
eating certain food including chips with your right hand instead knife fork leading left
never really identified myself even though both parents where originally from first born
mother followed younger brothers steven william were also given names along english
ones mine femi brother bayo father still studying along working when born mother
working also when about three years sent live white middle class nanny town called
warminster wiltshire common phenomena britain period west african being bought foster
parents while their worked studied groody groothuues first years primary school
warminster before decided return live them london blacks wiltshire apart from occasional
rare visit made just about completely oblivious hated living london tried incorporate
much into their mine brothers lives possible home they conversed yoroba native tongue
food although brothers preferred forks rather then hands fact food such pounded rice
became tired could hardly wait rare occasions mother would some chips cook spaghetti
special occasions such birthday party numerous cousins every other person from seemed
cousin those days expected they many traditional garments aunts always made point
bringing back each each they went homeland going would always insist having afro beat
fuji cassette tapes playing home enjoyed watching made films soap operas could enjoy
because could understand quality really poor compared film technology used school most
people seem know africa continent west africans commonly referred nigerians ugandans
kenyans africans there many nigerians secondary level goody groothues majority blacks
surrounded west indians term african even common among group british born nigerians
lacked identity became increasingly difficult older identify myself ether cultures during
eighties black child more socially accepted indian there music popular like reggae ragga
peak their accent fashionable street wise even some white kids trying intimidate word
african like swear word catholic school play ground along words zulu swear chukka
words mostly used indians towards none indian blacks grew england fortunate have
accents where passed people indians ones spent lives came here later deep accents peace
people always making accents found difficult make friends among avoided them fear
being ridiculed socially excluded them honestly state experiences before going already
grew strong dislike anything felt associated late father decided went family younger gone
over there year wrote back liked want come england arrived dazed developed compared
thought would uncle works well known petroleum company picked airport mercedes
benz owned modern looking nine bedroom mansion apebi richer parts lagos satellite dish
play station servants things privileged having looking across street however every body
privileged uncle across road family living uncompleted building wooden shutters
windows noticed electric power authority nepa power uncle reverted privately generated
power light candles outside house glare security lights house friends lived across street
numerous different qualities rich cousins example almost wore traditional clothing rather
then imported clothes preferred music western none cared mention ever gone abroad
members hardly ever wrote returned often told planned somehow travel england care
study work spoke these places paved gold told returned after couple years build mansion
uncles common myth shared mainly impressions coming abroad large amounts currency
spend effects high exchange rates came declining economy partially materialistic goods
expensive average person brought worn used casually coming abroad deep accent
associated only commonly found among lower classes younger generations more well
tended speak pidgin english fake distorted american english fashionable know speak
pidgin slang contraire what originally thought found some aspects happened appealing
know group although speak might given social grief interesting social outcasts majority
truthfully hard imagine such confident despite hardships bought political country
convinced being best thing world weekends took eighteen year cousins benz night clubs
uptown part lagos called victoria islands known clubs played music enjoyed listening
soul just ragga jungle black clubs played underground afro beat artist called fela kuti
couldn imagine listening dress sense group mostly based american boots baggie jeans
suits designer labels basically just dressing impress traditional garments worn thought
apart afford otherwise acceptable alternative apart form worn mainly special occasions
weddings older birthday parties then styles wore more appealing teenage tastes nothing
stuff aunts bought however aspects confer original western mythological expectations
respect obeying your elders under circumstances part already experienced reasonably
high level polygamous families friend mine stayed same house father sister fathers
second wife stepbrother seem really bother well concealed hate stepmother otherwise
took quite naturally easier appreciate experienced hand myself distinctive subcultures
within complex societies significant subgroups travelling only offer secondary sources
relatives older helped realise best learn appreciate foreign experience hand easier accept
where others infected western popular around appreciated feel acceptance sort forced
conciseness having ability choose liked environment choices sociably accepted while
reasonable amount similar experiences while growing meeting significant enabled talk
laugh things through child originally feel socially excluded helped discover cultural
identity bibliography bammer displacements volume bloomington indianapolis indiana
university press kureishi karachi patriotism waking unmaking national identity volume
minorities outsiders watson between cultures oxford basil blackwell
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