Nigerians Versus Foreign Accents

For Nigerians, there is only one solution to a shut door and that is breaking the entire building down. This is because Nigerians always find a way to get through.

The fight is never easy. This is why the older generation always dishes out nuggets on survival to the younger generation. 

You just have to survive! Even if it means changing a lot of things about yourself like your complexion, age, accent.

Today, I am going to focus on fake accents. This almost every Nigerian is guilty of. Sounding foreign in order to be steps ahead of people who sound “local”. 

With this fake accent, you can penetrate into almost any space in the society. Does not matter the nationality you represent as long as you sound foreign. 

One would assume this must be pretty frustrating. Yes, it is. How is this frustration eased?

 By making fun of those who still speak with a Nigerian intonation by calling them derogatory names when in truth, the individual with both a British and American accent at the same time is the real joke.

In a bid to fit in, British schools are in Vogue, the speaking of local dialects are banished from homes in order not to corrupt the intonation of children.

 Parents project this on their children in order for them to get into spaces that was only but a dream in their own time.

So today, I make a case for those who speak English a certain way. I used to blame them, but I do not anymore because in truth the society failed.

An average Nigerian man after experiencing acute poverty even when he was fit for the job threw caution to the wind and said “I can speak through my nose too” he did and it was a miracle It worked! So he told his village people how English is the magic wand that opened doors and this narrative was passed on from generation to generation.  

Words like Water got a new pronunciation “warer”. English got into trouble. It tested Nigerians and Nigerians broke it.

So today, let’s have a rethink of the whole foreign accent thing. Before you roll your eyes and laugh at that girl or boy by using derogatory terms like a bush girl, Igbo tongue etc. Ask yourself if you really love being Nigerian.

If you can swoon for British English, you can too for someone with a Nigerian Intonation.

 So, dear Nigerians I know this might be hard to understand but there is really nothing wrong with your mother tongue.