Many times, the average Nigerian suffers several mishaps, some have narrowly escaped dire and even fatal situations simply because they live in or are affiliated with Nigeria as a country. The clause “Nigeria can happen to anyone” over time has become a widely used clause because of the countless experiences of average Nigerians within and outside the country.
Social media has been Buzzing recently over a Nigerian man’s story where he stated tat he lost a contract worth hundreds of millions simply because he is a Nigerian and regulatory concerns forced his employer to terminate the contract barely a month after signing the contract.
The Tech Bro claimed that he received an offer for a CTO position that would pay over $260,000 annually (N400M) with bonuses. The contract was only signed last month, he added.
Join our WhatsApp community
His optimism, he said, was however short-lived because the contract was terminated once the organisation verified that he is Nigerian.
Similarly, several other Nigerians share similar experiences of emotional occurrences that happened because of Nigeria’s failed system across different sectors.
In August of 2023, a young medical doctor, Vwaere Diaso, fell to her death after the elevator she was in lost control and tumbled down from the ninth floor of the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island.
Olumide, who was part of those that rescued Diaso from the elevator, alleged that the hospital’s management was not proactive despite informing them immediately the crash occurred.
Her bereaved father said, “They killed my daughter. I don’t want to believe that they were that negligent. It was a deliberate attempt to kill her. I cannot fathom how she lost so much blood and blood was not administered to her. With the amount of blood that she lost, that was up to one bucket on the floor; and they will say that she did not need blood.
“What is the total blood volume in the human system? We will see whether they will not be charged with murder.
In 2022, Nigeria also happened to late former BBNaija housemate Rico Swarvey who also lost his life after an accident and negligence on the part of Doren hospital nurses who allegedly refused too attend to the victim when he was brought in by a good Samaritan but were busy chit chatting.
The witness Mr Dele who brought Rico in said, “I took him to another nearby, Evercare Hospital, where he was attended to after one hour. Meanwhile, all this while, nobody called Rico’s line until after arriving at Evercare when one of his friends called, she later came to join me, but at the sight of him, she collapsed.”
“Evercare also demanded some deposit, but when they discovered that he was a celebrity, they decided to commence treatment on him. If they gave Rico Swavey prompt medical care, he would have been alive now,” he said.
Mr Fakoya, the victims brother, sober over his younger brother’s death, said that Rico died due to the negligence of the medical team at Evercare and Doren Hospitals.
It is safe to say that while the previous accounts were specific to the health sector, the failed system and stereotypes that accompanies being a Nigerian cuts across other sectors.
Also Recommended: Ibom Air, Kwam 1, clear cases of “May Nigeria never happen to you”
This was the case for Okungbowa Hubert Igbinoba a Nigerian born Australian citizen who was detained 32 times at Sydney airport without allegation or charge simply because he was Nigerian
Igbinoba sued the Australian government in the federal circuit court, alleging that border officials had breached the Racial Discrimination Act by consistently singling him out for interrogation, simply because was black.
In his words, “They try to silence me by offering me money,” he said from the bar table, representing himself. “I am treated like a criminal. This is how border force treats people who look like me.
This experience opens up concerns to how Nigerian travellers often complain of being pulled out of immigration queues or not being allowed to board flights for mundane reasons at border controls in Europe, North America and even in Africa.
The account of Alma Asinobi provided deep insights into the struggles of many Nigerians travelling with a low mobility passport.
Similarly, Iwe Idorenyin, a doctorate student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has explained how he was stopped from entering Japan for bearing a Nigerian passport.
Join our WhatsApp community
In what appears like discrimination against him, Idorenyin’s trip was cut short as he was stopped from embarking on his trip to the Asian country.
He said he was travelling from the United States of America to Hong Kong, China, where he is studying but was stopped from boarding because his waiting time will cross midnight.
According to reports by the punch, nearly half of Nigerians seeking to visit Europe’s Schengen Area over the past two years were denied visas.
Out of 192,741 visa applications from Nigerians in 2022 and 2023, 89,344 were turned down, translating to a rejection rate of 46.35%.
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, told our correspondent that the inclination to leave the country largely stems from Nigeria’s struggling economy, with many citizens taking the Japa route.
He argued that such trends are likely to persist unless there is a significant improvement in the nation’s economic performance.
One would think that these practices and experinces of Nigeria happening to its citizens happen predominantly in European countries however, it stems so deep that even in Africa, Nigerians suffer prejudice.
A good instance of this was when Chidimma Adetshina entered Miss South Africa, she dreamed of being crowned and going on to represent – at the Miss Universe contest in November – the country she had lived in since birth. What she didn’t expect was a furious backlash that would end up with her winning the right to represent Nigeria instead.
A saga over the 23-year-old law student’s nationality has exposed a deep vein of xenophobia in South Africa against immigrants from other African countries that has festered since the end of apartheid, feeding off endemic unemployment, poverty and inequality, and periodically exploding into violence.
Eventually, on 8 August, she withdrew from the competition, saying she needed to protect herself and her family after the home affairs ministry said her mother may have committed fraud and stolen the identity of a South African woman.
More recently, Qatari Ministry of Interior has announced new visa regulations for Nigerian travellers, stressing that male travellers are no longer eligible unless accompanied by their families. It added that only 5-star hotel bookings will now be accepted for visa qualification. The new requirements according to the Qatari ministry, will take immediate effect and apply to all pending visa applications.
Join our WhatsApp community
The clause “Nigeria can happen to anyone” is not a cliche, more worrisome is the fact that it happens in varying degrees and level up to the point of eventual loss of life. The accounts of these unfortunate experience suffered by Nigerians are inexhaustible and is fast becoming a menace to Nigerians if our systems are not restructured.
Innocent citizens who did not choose what country to be born into have lost hope in the idea of being a Nigerian simply because of the stereotype that comes with it.
The question left unanswered is, what will be the fate of Nigerians in coming months and years.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
