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Nigeria has been a Victim of Biased Perception by Foreigners

Vanguard
[OPINION]
Femi Ajayi
30th Sept., 2004

WHEN Nigeria-bashing in the foreign media was at its peak, I sometimes wondered whether the Nigeria the critics were lampooning was the same Nigeria that is my motherland, the one I live in and know so much about. It was like Nigeria and Nigerians could not do anything right.

Nigeria was nicknamed Bribery and Corruption Incorporated. Nigerians were branded advance fee fraudsters, credit card scammers and drug couriers. It did not matter that only a few miscreants and deviants from the norm of the Nigerian society were involved in these heinous crimes. It was also not important that many more people of other nationalities were more frequently involved in those same crimes. All Nigerians were labelled cheats and scumbags because of the crime of an infinitesimal few. In foreign capitals and airports around the globe, a Nigerian was assumed guilty until proved otherwise!

There was seeming systematic attempt to demonize and psychologically assassinate all Nigerians, in what I once described as 'psychological genocide', to make us lose confidence in ourselves. I am in a good position to talk about this because I was a victim.

Despite being a guest of the American government, officially sponsored to participate in an International Training Programme on Drug Abuse and Trafficking, I was on May 14, 1989 humiliated and delayed at Newark Airport en route Washington D.C. After being frisked all over and all my personal effects - from under-wears and toothpaste to body cream -- drug-tested, I was made to wait three long hours for no reason, apparently to see whether I will defecate narcotic drugs! This happened to me in spite of presenting to American immigration officials over 10 correspondences between me and the American Ambassador to Nigeria as well as the Washington organizers of the workshop.

Selective perception

At the workshop itself, I waited for facts and figures of the magnitude of Nigeria's involvement in drug trafficking to justify the ignominious treatment I received at Newark Airport. I did not get any such. I found out that while the few Nigerians involved in drug trafficking were carrying the drugs on their bodies and baggage, the drug couriers from the major countries involved were using helicopters and boats to bring their own hard drugs to the United States.

Yet, while innocent people of other nationalities continued to enjoy the dignity of their human persons despite the involvement of their kith and kin in drugs, all Nigerians faced dehumanizing searches and treatments because of the criminality of a few.

It became clear that there was more to the intimidation and demonization of Nigerians than could be justified with the involvement of Nigerians in crimes. Nigeria was clearly a victim of selective perception. Nobody seemed interested in the activities of the millions of law-abiding Nigerians including over 25,000 medical doctors and 35,000 scientists. The focus was on a few Nigerian outlaws who were dealing in drugs, credit card scams and advance fee frauds.

The foreign media was equally not fascinated by Nigeria's rich tourist potential, natural variety and cultural diversity but by isolated cases of ritual killings and violent crimes. It was a matter of writing our virtues on water and carving our vices on marble. What people cannot condemn about us and our country they simply ignore. After the dissolution of USSR, some people obviously desperately searched for another 'evil empire' and they found a ready and helpless scapegoat in Nigeria!

The demonization and persecution of Nigeria and Nigerians is easily understandable though not justifiable. For starters, there is a sense in which Nigerians are a largely misunderstood people. Our boisterous nature, confidence and body language gives some other nationalities the impression that we are proud and too self-conscious. Some critics openly declare that we Nigerians are too smart, assertive or outspoken for our own good!

Moreover, some people, especially fellow Africans, cannot understand why God should be so partial and positively biased in favour of Nigeria to bestow all attributes of power, influence and prestige on a single country. We appear to have a lion's share of the crude oil, almost limitless gas deposits, bitumen, and avalanche of solid minerals. Naturally, other nationalities cannot help being envious of Nigeria. It does not matter if we have not been able to tap these potentialities to make our country truly great.

In the same vein, some nationalities in Africa and beyond are not amused by the tag of 'giant of Africa' which nature and circumstances have put on Nigeria. With Nigeria bestriding the African environment like a colossus, it is understandable that some countries who suffer some sort of underdog complex gang up against Nigeria and work against her interests. Little wonder then that Nigeria is not always appreciated but sometimes lambasted for its big brother role in Africa. It is not unusual for instance to hear of nationalities whose countries benefit a lot from Nigeria's self-sacrificing generosity describe Nigeria as 'big for nothing'!

Nigerian story

On the international scene, Nigeria's self-assigned role as the voice and defender of Africa makes it vulnerable to attack and persecution by neo-colonial powers which still see some African countries as their satellite territories. The country's avant-garde self-reliant and non-aligned foreign policy as well as its unhidden global ambition (permanent membership of the Security Council) pitches it against superpowers whose interests are oftentimes at variance with Nigeria's interests.

Against this backdrop, though disturbing, it is not so strange that while patriotic Nigerians and other unbiased assessors see Nigeria as a land of opportunities, abundant natural resources, accomplished professionals, investors dream and tourists' delight, our detractors see another Nigeria that is simply a land of fraudsters, scammers and scumbags.

It is precisely because of this reality that we must tell the true Nigerian story more clearly, more accurately and widely. The Nigerian story has never had so many exciting chapters and never needed telling so urgently as it does now. There may be nothing we can do about pessimists who prefer to see a cup as a quarter empty rather than three-quarters full. Still, let us celebrate what is right with Nigeria, what good things Nigeria and Nigerians are doing here and overseas. The time to promote our own Nigeria is now.

God bless Nigeria & the rest of the world!

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm