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It’s the first day of October and Independence Day is here again…
Ideally, we should be high on festivity. We did get our independence from British Colonial rule on this day, 62 years ago.
However, because we know that Nigeria is a country overflowing with mismanaged potential, our Independence Day has gradually become a day that reminds us of everything wrong with the country, and the extremes we go through as creatives to survive.
When 'NEPA' does its thing and the lights go out, we sigh and turn on our generators if we're lucky enough to have fuel. Else, we just swallow our pride and beg people with generators to let us charge our gadgets, because clients no dey hear, "No light".
When we want jollof rice with chicken after a hard day at work and we hear the new high price, we raise our eyebrows, recalculate, then buy the rice without chicken because who needs protein in this economy, right?
When ASUU goes on strike, we rant on social media. Then we start looking for jobs because finally, man has to survive.
Let's not even talk about when our laptops crash and we go for repairs at Computer Village. Then Emeka does his thing and formats the whole drive… without backing it up.
And the list goes on…
But what we don't realise is that these odds condition us to get even more creative. Necessity is the mother of invention, so when we see mountains in our paths, we learn to climb. In the face of the grind and hustle, we still make magic.
That's the spirit of the Nigerian Creative.
How cool is that?!
Nigeria is so chock-full of talent and skill that it often boggles the mind. In music, our GOATs are topping international charts. It’s now a standard to see Nigerian names in Hollywood movie credits. And don’t even get us started on the high calibre of writers, designers, content creators and many other creatives in this country.
In light of all these, Nigeria and its drama should not be a reason to give up on your dreams and passion. After all, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.
As a creative, Independence Day should be an affirmation that your village people can't stop your shine. Like kites against the wind, we are built differently.
With all the shege and pepper we see everyday, it’s clear that if we can thrive here, we can thrive anywhere. So Independence Day should be a reminder that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Don’t give up after you’ve come this far. Keep pushing!
Constantly dare to be great; if not for anyone else, do it for you. And remember to make a great story of it all, because in the end, that's what the world sees and celebrates.
