RANDOM REASONS WHY I AM THANKFUL TO BE A NIGERIAN

I'm not saying Nigeria is perfect; not at all. I say this for the simple reason that there have been times over the years when I have caught myself wondering if perhaps I was born in the wrong place and maybe just maybe the grass might be greener on the other side of the fence; but I always end up seeing things no matter how mundane, that outweigh all the negatives. Today I choose to cast my eyes on the wheat and not the tares of the field that is Nigeria, with the hope that at harvest time there would be a sorting. My list is ever evolving as I am sure yours is:
I am thankful for the People of Nigeria, granted they may not be the best in the world, but they are MY PEOPLE

I am thankful for my happy and warm multi ethnic family system; Ebira (Kogi)/Efik(Cross River)
by birth; Ibo(Abia) by marriage with direct inlaws from Lagos, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Rivers and Enugu State...You have to admit we have a rich mix.

I am thankful I was born a woman in Nigeria, were I can speed down the road like Modupe Debbie Ariyo and not be scared of receiving a hefty dose of “flogging”

I am thankful for great news like the one I just heard about Engr Simbi Wabite who has resumed at The Royal Dutch Shell Company in the Netherlands to implement the Nigerian Local Content model that has been adopted for Shell’s Global Operations

I am thankful that we have a Naija Swag and lingo that is uniquely ours; the fact that my friend Eugene Abels can work the streets of Notting Hill and be recognised for being who he is ...A THOROUGH BRED NIGERIAN; is testament to this.

I am thankful for Ty Bello’s timely song “The Future”. It evokes in me such feelings of Patriotic zeal that I can’t articulate in words.

I am thankful for Ali Baba, Basket Mouth, Teju Baby Face, AY and all the many comedians that can rival any other established act elsewhere in the world and pack a theatre tighter than Chris Rock or Kevin Hart..it’s a delight to see “oyinbos reel in laughter from our jokes”

I am especially thankful for the many Nigerian musical acts and artists who rather than bemoan the “state of the economy”, have taken entertainment to another level. Who would ever have imagined a D’Banj and Snoop Dogg collabo ?; not in my wildest dreams

I am thankful for Nollywood, even the rest of Africa bows and DSTV had to allot three channels to our movies...and puny African Magic Plus for the rest of Africa....especially thankful for Genevieve, Stephanie and Omotola who have all raised the bar in an industry that was once seen as one for ne’er do wells.

I am thankful when I remember the many Nigerians making us proud in Diaspora

I am thankful that I have a Government that empathises with the plight of brother African countries despite its own challenges.

I am thankful that finally the NTA has woken up from its slumber and via its STARTIMES decoder has made digital TV affordable for the masses

I am thankful for the strong players we have that cut across various sectors, who hold their own on the world stage (Wale Tinubu and the Oando Crew (O&G); Toyin Zubair, HITV (Digital TV); Mike Adenuga, Globacom (telecoms); Jim Ovia, Zenith (Banking); Aliku Dangote, Dangote Group (Manufacturing); Nduka Obaigbena, This Day (Publishing); Ben Murray Bruce, SilverBird (Entertainment) the list goes on.

I am ever thankful that contrary to what some persons said years ago, today we all brandish GSM handsets, wow who would have thought?.

I am thankful that BB technology is affordable and my loved ones are just a ping away.

I am thankful that where the world has become a global village, Nigeria is now a “Neighbourhood”.

I am thankful for our “I shan’t gree spirit”.

I am thankful for our ability to laugh away our Pain in the face of challenges.

I am thankful that despite our differences, we always set them aside to root for the Super Eagles whenever they step out on the field of play. It is a fact that on any Given day the Green Eagles file out, we lose all inhibitions.

I am thankful for the Freedom to worship without restrictions unlike in some other Countries.

I am thankful that though I haven’t made it to the Rio Carnival in Brazil, the yearly Calabar Carnival thrills me to no end and remains a must see for my family.

I am thankful for our tapestry of rich culture.

I am thankful for my fix of authentic roasted plantain (bole) and Fish that I can only get in my neck of the woods, Pitakwa (Port Harcourt); Yeah, where would I be without my Afang soup and Loiloi.

I am thankful that social Media has demystified governance and our leaders have become more accessible unlike the time past when they all lived in gilded cages.

I am thankful that there is a divine assurance that ‘..Joy Cometh in the morning...’ and because of an unshaken belief in this promise, I know that the threat of terror casting a shadow over our nation will soon cease.

I am thankful that I am able to offer thanks for the simple things in the HOPE THAT GREAT THINGS WILL COME

In an adaptation of Otis Skillings’ 1971 ode I can proudly say:

...I am indeed thankful to be a Nigerian,

To be born in a land that's free.

I am thankful to God for allowing me to be,

A Nigerian!....

OTBN

O.S.A