Thread by @OluyomiOjo

There’s a new wave of #Naijaphobia, (yes we have a word like that now) and it will surprise everyone that even Nigerians with legit businesses and livelihood across Africa will become targets. This is why the government needs to act.

(A Thread)

There are 1.2b Africans and like I have said before, ~ 200m of these people are Nigerians. Which means for every 6 Africans you meet, 1 of them is a Nigerian. Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of ~1m, so if we narrow it down. 1 of every 5 black African is a Nigerian.

It also appears Nigerians travel more than the rest of Africa and tend to settle in places far from home more than the rest of Africa. There’s a saying “If you visit a city and you can’t find a Nigerian there, leave”. Nigerians are aggressive, adventurous & driven

Nigerians in diaspora remitted a total of U.S.$25b in 2018, in 2017 they remitted N22b making it the highest in the Sub-Saharan Africa region followed by Senegal and Ghana with $2.2 billion each for the year. (Nigerians 2018 remittances is ~ 3X of Rwanda’s $9.1b GDP)

This explains why the world or Africa as a whole will encounter all kinds of Nigerians; the good, the bad and the ugly and if we are not careful, everyone will get labeled as the ‘bad’. It’s a better narrative for those who feel threatened by aggressiveness of Nigerians.

This is why I strongly believe the Nigerian government cannot look away from what’s going on across Africa today. What can they do? Work with the various governments & ensure these grievances are addressed by legal frameworks and policies so the best of us are protected.

Last month, I met a Nigerian in Kigali who was setting up a spare part business there. More Nigerian entrepreneurs are looking to grow into other African countries in coming years. AfCFTA is coming and an Africa that is divided against itself cannot integrate economically.

My Nairobi Uber driver last year has issues with us because a Nigerian man married his baby mama. He married her with the child and they both relocated to South Africa. He was quite vocal about it but also willing to have a friendly chat.

@JasonNjoku’s IROKO operates offices in Ghana & Nairobi (providing employment), @asemota is doing the Lords work in Ghana as well. Ah, @ChifeDr too, have you seen is farm? More Nigerians will join the league. This is why the government need to figure out a way to address this.

Ah yes, @NaijaFlyingDr is saving lives across West Africa with @FlyingDoctorsNG. More Nigerian business will seek to grow across Africa in coming years. I am excited about this and this is why we don’t need the current wave of #Naijaphobia going on.

Nigerians in diaspora are as important to this country as the one living here & this is why proactive action needs to be taken to address this #Naijaphobia rising across Africa because in the end, it will affect all of us.

Note: Some of the grievances of the hosts are legit.

Finally: Africa cannot come out of her current situation sans South Africa 🇿🇦 & Nigeria 🇳🇬. These are the two countries that must lead from the front. Both have obviously failed the continent but there’s still hope as I believe it’s never too late to get it right.

Good morning.