Counting Our Blessings: 7 Reasons to be Grateful for Nigeria

It is easy to focus on the negatives that currently plague our country , and forget all that we have been blessed with; the things that bring us joy and pride regardless of our present challenges. We can be proud of Nigeria because our heritage is rich and our future is bright. Here are 7 things to be grateful for and proud of. 1. The Land is Green: Although we are now a food-importing country, Nigeria was largely self-sufficient in food and one of the most promising agricultural producers in the world in the 1960s, before oil was discovered. We once provided 18 percent of the global production of cocoa, and we were number one globally in palm oil export. Let’s not talk about the groundnut pyramids in the North between 1919 and the 1960s/70s. With an abundance of agricultural resources – 84 million hectares of arable land, River Niger and River Benue (two of Africa’s largest rivers) and a young and strong workforce to support agricultural intensification (the youth make up 70% of Nigeria’s population), we look forward to days of glory for Nigeria’s agricultural sector again. 2. Worthy Heroes: Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa are just three of the great leaders Nigeria has had. Although we have long suffered under the rule of tyrants and thieves, we will know true leadership again as we continue to educate the populace on the importance of voting for and supporting true leaders. We will stand tall again when we are governed by men and women of the stuff of which statesmen and patriots are made. 3. Natural Resources: Nigeria is not only rich in oil, we have tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, bitumen, aquamarine, limestone, columbite, gold, and more. Isn’t this amazing? 4. Talent, Talent, Talent: Nigeria is talent-rich, whether you’re looking at literature, sports, music, or media. Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Flora Nwapa, Chimamanda Adichie; Rashidi Yekini, Kanu Nwankwo, Jay-Jay Okocha, Vincent Enyeama; Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Asa; Olu Jacobs, Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett, Joke Silva, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde; Tunde Kelani, Mo Abudu, Amaka Igwe, Kunle Afolayan… we could go on and on. With many intellectuals- including Prof. Chike Obi, Prof. Grace Alele Williams, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Gamaliel Onosode, and promising young scientists- Duro-Aina Adebola (14), Akindele Abiola (14), Faleke Oluwatoyin (14) and Bello Eniola (15) presented their urine-powered generator at Maker Faire Africa in 2012- we sure have a lot to be grateful for and to look forward to. 5. Unique Tourist Attractions: Have you ever been to Ikogosi Warm and Cold Springs? There is a meeting point of the warm and cold waters, where you can stand with one foot in warm water and the other in cold water; they do not mix! Then there’s the spectacular Olumo Rock to which no photo can do justice, Nigeria’s biggest national park, Yankari National Park (originally created as a game reserve), Obudu Mountain Resort, Ogbunike Cave and the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary amongst many, many others. 6. Timeless Pulchritude: Long before we produced the first black Miss World, Agbani Darego, we have been aware and proud of the physical attractiveness of our people, particularly the womenfolk. The very first winner of the MNET Face of Africa competition (now called Nokia Face of Africa) was Nigeria’s Oluchi Onweagba Orlandi, and without mentioning the voluptuous young beauties in our film and music industries today, we can collectively sigh at how gracefully Daisy Danjuma, Onyeka Onwenu and Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett are aging. 7. Delightful Cuisine: What would life be without egusi soup, ofe onugbu, efo riro, banga soup, tuwo, edikang-ikong, moi-moi, and dodo? And how can we express our gratitude for the joy that is puff-puff? Can the wonders of udala (agbalumo) be described in words? We are grateful for all we are blessed with. Nigeria will be great!   About the author: Joy Ehonwa is a writer, copy-editor and online proofreader who is passionate about relationships and personal development. She runs Pinpoint Creatives, a copy-editing, ghostwriting and transcription business, and blogs at www.anafricandiva.wordpress.com and www.girlaware.wordpress.com