Stereotypes of Nigerians

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Nigerians are considered one of the most misunderstood people in Africa, by both other Africans and non-Africans. [1] [2] [3] [4] There are some stereotypes typically associated with Nigerians and these are both positive and negative. [5] [6] [7] Apart from the general stereotypes, there are peculiar stereotypes concerning the ethnic groups in Nigeria that even other Nigerians believe and propagate. [8] [9]

Contents

Negative stereotypes

Nigerians are involved in advance fee fraud

This stereotype is mainly a product of the Nigerian prince 419 scams which were formerly popular. Many people believe that a large percent of Nigerians are involved with internet scams and fraud. [10] [11] While it is true that some Nigerian youths engage in it, the stereotype is essentially misplaced as the total number of youths partaking in this activity is minimal. [12] Most internet scammers simply prefer to use Nigeria and Nigerian identities in their schemes.[ citation needed ]

Nigerians are poor

This stereotype stems from the general perception that Africans are poor and in need of charity. Nigeria has some of the richest people in the world. Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian, is the richest black man alive. The percentage of poverty in Nigeria is not as high as this stereotype portrays it to be. [13] [ citation needed ]

Nigerians are uneducated

This is one of the negative stereotypes that portrays Nigerians as being criminals. [14] It is generally believed by most non-Nigerians that Nigerians are not well educated and cannot speak English. [15] This is a myth, as Nigerians have one of the highest literacy rates in Africa and English is the official language in Nigeria due to its multi-ethnic status. However, English is not the sole language of instruction in much of the nation, nor is it the sole official language, as the constitution recognises all native languages as being of equal status.

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References

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  2. Martin, Susan (1 July 1988). "Gender, Culture and Empire: European Women in Colonial Nigeria". African Affairs. 87 (348): 467. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a098065.
  3. "A Struggle To Fit In And Overcome Stereotypes In 'Ghana Must Go'". NPR.org. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. "Could ranches solve Nigeria's deadly herder-farmer conflict?". Bbc.co.uk. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  5. Adegoju, Adeyemi (15 March 2017). ""We have to tell our own story": semiotics of resisting negative stereotypes of Nigeria in the heart of Africa nation branding campaign". Social Semiotics. 27 (2): 158–177. doi:10.1080/10350330.2016.1172827. S2CID   147945436.
  6. Jarrett, Christian. "Different nationalities really have different personalities". Bbc.com. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  7. Smith, Daniel Jordan (16 December 2010). A Culture of Corruption: Everyday Deception and Popular Discontent in Nigeria. Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-1400837229 . Retrieved 9 April 2019 via Google Books.
  8. Princewill, Abbiba (29 March 2015). "South Africa and Nigeria: It's complicated". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  9. Ogionwo, W. (8 April 1980). ""We" and "They": A Study of Ethnic Stereotypes in Nigeria". Sociologus. 30 (2): 97–123. JSTOR   43645128.
  10. Agozino, Biko (5 July 2017). Pan-African Issues in Crime and Justice. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781351913010 . Retrieved 9 April 2019 via Google Books.
  11. "Nigeria ambassador: Look past negative stereotypes – and e-mail scams". Christian Science Monitor. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  12. Partners, Alexander Moore (2014-07-17). "10 Stereotypes of Nigerians that aren't Always True". Nigeria News Online & Breaking News | BuzzNigeria.com. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  13. "Bloomberg Billionaires Index". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  14. Klotz, Audie (16 September 2013). Migration and National Identity in South Africa, 1860–2010. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9781107470538 . Retrieved 9 April 2019 via Google Books.
  15. "I'm sick of the stereotypes Americans have about Nigeria". The Tab Brown. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2017-03-08.