An American in Nigeria

*I'm going to start writing a series of blogs relating to my trip to Nigeria in August. My hope is to have it all published into a book someday so please read and enjoy!*

Intro - Me in Nigeria? Yeah, right!!!

A year ago, I had never been anywhere except the U.S. Well, scratch that, I did once drive through Canada on the way back from Vermont for a Fraternity convention, but I don’t think that counts… except for stopping for gas all we saw was the highway. But a little over a year ago, I met a beautiful Nigerian girl, and pretty much my whole life is different now… for the better!

As it turns out, my Nigerian girl absolutely loves to travel and within a year of meeting we had a trip to her family’s home in Lagos on the schedule. Yikes!

I had never set foot in Africa, but unlike the media portrayal of many Americans, I could definitely find it on a map. Most importantly, I don’t listen to the talking heads on television (and one seriously mis-guided friend) who say travelling to Nigeria is dangerous; or that I “won’t last 10 minutes in Nigeria”; or I’ll “get kidnapped”… honestly people, get a grip. I could get killed walking down the street, for crying out loud.

Where does all this fear of travelling to Nigeria come from? A quick search of the Internet comes back with a whole slew of unsavory terms ranging from “crooks” to “scumbags” to “kidnapping”. Hmmmm… Sounds like panic mongers to me. Let’s try another source… Well, how about that, Nigerians seem to be fantastic athletes, doctors, actors, and singers. Sade and Seal are both Nigerian, as are such athletic greats as Hakeem Olajuwon, Christian Okoye, and Osi Umenyiora. As I came to learn, Nigeria is also known for some spicy food (Suya, anyone???), fantastic Beer (I’ll have a ‘Star’, please!), and wonderful, beautiful, and warm-hearted people.

Unfortunately, Nigeria seems to be most well known for a couple things. The so called “419 Scams” and oil. “419 Scams” are named for the Nigerian criminal code that addresses criminal behavior involving conning people out of their money, property, etc… Now, these types of scams are much older than most people realize, it just so happens that a handful of nasty Nigerians are behind some of the more recent and prolific “419 Scams”.

Nigeria also seems to be well known for corrupt government. Of course, any country which is a leading producer of oil has deep pockets, and unfortunately Nigeria is known for that money not really making it into the country’s coffers, but instead filling private Swiss bank accounts. Rumors of corrupt Nigerian politicians stashing away billions of dollars may or may not be true, but many times perception is reality. After decades of military rule, the recent “free” elections have been widely criticized by global organizations.

Of course, the American people see what Fox News or CNN want them to so it will all be as sensationalized as possible. “Don’t go to Nigeria or you will end up like this unfortunate person who lost $50,000!” or “MORE VIOLENCE IN THE NIGER DELTA!!!”

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago so I have seen my share of scam artists (“Hey buddy, my cab is right down this dark alley…”) and violence. Of course, I am not saying that growing up there made me some ruthless thug, but I believe I may be less naïve than most. The other thing I think I learned by growing up there is having an open mind, especially for things that are wholly different than what I am used to. One of my old sales managers used to tell us to “get out of our comfort zone” in order to be successful selling. I think I have taken that to heart in all facets of life.

While we were in Nigeria, I was able to visit Lagos (the largest city in Nigeria), Calabar (a wonderful city near the epicenter of the recent kidnapping fears), and Abeokuta (home of Olumo Rock).

What I learned about Nigeria during my trip was not only enlightening, but also allowed me to think about the world from a different pair of eyes. As a first time “world traveler” I had a lot of American stereotypes that I tried to address with my eyes wide open. I tried to cover everything from “don’t drink the water” to “don’t pee in the ocean”. I didn’t get kidnapped, and no one stole $50,000 from me (of course, I would have to HAVE $50K laying around for someone to be able to steal it, right???). I made some wonderful new friends and strengthened some family relationships that will follow me for the rest of my life. Instead of being afraid or being the “belligerent American tourist”, I tried to behave myself and not be obnoxious.

And maybe, just maybe, I changed a few Nigerians minds about Americans in the process.