What comes to mind when you hear
‘Nigeria’? One in every five African is Nigerian;
that is how large and populated Nigeria
is. It is not just Africa’s most populous
nation, but also Africa’s most popular
nation. To some people in the west, every
African is a Nigerian, one can hardly
fault them; Nigerians are all around the
globe, inscribing their names on the map
of every continent. But what is the country most famous for
across the globe? Oil – The number one thing Africa’s giant is most famous for is petroleum.
When you think oil, you think Nigeria.
Nigeria remains Africa’s largest oil
producer, though the country went from
being 10th to 12th largest producer of oil
in the world. Oil plays a major role in the country’s economy, accounting for
about 70 percent of government
revenue and 95 percent of foreign
exchange income. The city of Lagos – Renowned as Africa’s big apple, Lagos is an
economic focal point, an industrial hub
and a commercial powerhouse to not
just Nigerians, but to the world. The city
of Lagos is Nigeria’s most
cosmopolitan city and a melting pot of a variety of culture – African, Asian and
European – with a diverse and large
number of American, European, Asian,
and Lebanese expatriates who live in,
and juggle businesses in and out of the
country. Terrorism (Boko Haram) – Unfortunately, not everything the
country is known for is positive. The
prevalence of the terrorist sect Boko
Haram has placed the country at the
centre of the international media,
making the country even more famous than its oil. The result of search engines
when ‘Nigeria’ is typed is proof of
this. Whether the Nigerian people like it
or not, the name ‘Nigeria’ is now
synonymous with terrorism. Corruption – Although corruption is a widespread phenomenon that is not
only peculiar to just Nigeria, it is a
pandemic in the country that every
elected leader has promised to
eradicate yet failed to. But with the
current administration, Nigerians have renewed hope for a corrupt free state.
President Buhari has given a new
definition to corruption, and vowed to
eradicate it. Hopefully at the end of his
tenure, corruption will seize to be on this
list. Entertainment – America has Hollywood, India has Bollywood and
Nigeria has Nollywood. The Nigerian film
industry has grown to become the
second largest in the world in terms of
the number of movies produced
annually, placing it ahead of Hollywood and behind Bollywood. Nigerian actors
and producers like Omotola Jalade
Ekeinde, and Kunle Afolayan have also
made their mark in the international
scene. The Nigerian music industry also
pulls its weight in the international scene, with quite a number of
international collaborations and
recognition.
