Nigerians and their Self-imposed Mental Slavery.

The biggest country to be colonized in Africa by the British was Nigeria. And, in Asia, the biggest country to be so colonized by the British was India (which then comprised the present Pakistan and Bangladesh). The British came with their technology, religion (Christianity), and culture: names, dressing, food, language and other stuff. 

Try as hard as the British did, India rejected their religion, names, dressing, food, and even language, but they did not reject the British technology. Now, 80.5% of Indians are Hindus; 13.4% Muslims; 2.3% Christians; 1.9% Sikhs; 0.8% Buddhists, etc. Hindi is the official language of the government of India while English is used merely as a “subsidiary official language.” It is rare to find an Indian with an English name or dressed in suit.

On the other hand, Nigeria embraced (to a large extent) the British religion and culture – names, dressing, foods, and language – but rejected the British technology. Before the advent of Christianity, the Arabs had brought Islam into Nigeria through the North. Islam also wiped off much of the culture of Northern Nigeria.  

Since the British and the Arabs left Nigeria, the country has been waxing stronger and stronger in religion, to the extent that Nigerians now set up religious branches of their home-grown churches in Europe, the Americas, Asia and other African countries. Just like the Whites brought the gospel to us, Nigerians now take the gospel back to the Whites. In Islam, we are also very vibrant to the extent that if there is just a little blasphemous comment against Islam in Denmark or the US, even if there is no violent reaction in Saudi Arabia (the Islamic headquarters of the world) there will be loss of lives and destruction of property in Nigeria.  

We are indeed a very religious people. And while we are building the biggest churches and mosques, the Indians, South Africans, Chinese, Europeans and Americans have taken over our key markets: telecoms, satellite TV, multinationals, banking, oil and gas, automobile, aviation, shopping malls and hospitality. 

Ironically, despite our exploits in religions, we are a people with little godliness, a people without scruples about being negative. It is rare to do business with a Nigerian, be they pastor, deacon, imam, alhaji or alhaja without the person laying landmines of bribes and deceptions on your path. Without these, nothing gets done.