What is Nigeria better known for?
Nigeria is well known for:
- Largest population and GDP in Africa
- Unique traditional weddings
- Food and food habits
- Cultural events like Durbar royal horse parade and Nollywood movies
Nigeria offers a rich culture, a sense of humor, and the ability to change. Nigeria is known for more than the "Nigerian princes" looking to deposit their money into the accounts of their unsuspecting victims.
Nigeria is globally known for its diverse cultures, traditions, creativity, art, and situations unique to the region.
Nigeria is known for its highest population and largest economy in Africa[edit]
Statistics indicate that one out of every six people is Nigerian on the African continent. The population is estimated to be around 218.89 million, which is astounding for a country about twice the size of California. [1]
The Nigerian economy is the largest in Africa, with over USD 514 billion in GDP. Oil exports are known to be the prime contributors to the Nigerian economy.[2]
Nigerian traditional weddings are known to be enormous in terms of food, clothing, dancing, and celebrations[edit]
In Nigeria, there is social pressure on people to get married. The high population means that traditional weddings happen almost every week somewhere. Weddings are a sacred part of the culture, but they are also a chance to show off food, clothes, music, and dance moves in a colorful celebration of life.
Since there are about 250 ethnic groups, ceremonies vary from region to region. Once the essential parts are over, it's time for music, dancing, and the best part: throwing bills into the air to make money rain on the newlyweds.[3]
Nigerians are known for their Jollof rice preparations and some peculiar food habits[edit]
This tomato-based rice dish is always a hit at parties. It can be prepared in several ways, with meat, spices, chili, onions, and vegetables.
Most people agree that this dish was created in Senegal, but it quickly spread to other West African countries. Ghana and Nigeria stand out because they have been fighting for years to be the best. This battle called the "Jollof wars" is still ongoing.
While there may not be a winner, Nigerians make such delicious Jollof that their rivals too covet it.[4]
A peculiar Nigerian food habit is eating chicken down to the bone. Just eating the meat isn't enough. They break the bone and eat the marrow.[5]
Nigerian cuisine is probably the only one in the world with a popular dish made of cow skin called Kpomo.[6]
Nigeria is renowned for Nollywood, which is the 3rd largest film-producing industry in the world[edit]
Nigeria makes fewer movies than Hollywood and Bollywood and contributes 5% of the Nigerian GDP.
Nollywood films are known for their low production quality, which has been improving over the years. But they make up for their lack of complexity with fascinating storylines about Nigerian moral standards and societal dynamics.
The movies usually have over-the-top stories about servant-master relationships, the supernatural, corruption, and adultery. The films garner a significant following throughout the rest of Africa, where spectators may relish Nigeria's outlandishness.[7]
Nigeria is famous for the Durbar royal horse parade, where all the royals and nobles pass on horses with unique costumes[edit]
Durbar is an end-of-Ramadan festival celebrated in several northern Nigerian towns. Thousands of people, mainly of Hausa-Fulani ancestry, gather in cities around the region to see this visual spectacular as Ramadan draws close.
It is celebrated with a procession and ceremony at the Emir's Palace in Kano, a city in Nigeria. Members of the Emir's family and nobles and troops parade on horseback as musicians play. Royal families have distinctive costumes, including flowing robes and turbans in every rainbow hue.
The princes, their hands encased in black leather gloves, strut past the Emir while raising their fists in a "power" gesture. As polygamists, the Emirs have dozens upon dozens of sons, and they all participate in the festivities. One of the difficult parts is trying to keep track of them all.[8]
Nigeria is known for the proverbs[edit]
Proverbs are essential to Nigerian culture, and Nigerians constantly make new ones. Some aphorisms are direct, while some are obscure, so one needs what Nigerians refer to as "proverbial sense" to grasp them.
Some famous proverbial sayings from Nigeria are:
- The whip hurts legs, not guilt.
- Until lions have historians, hunt stories will praise hunters.[9]
Nigeria is notorious for traffic jams[edit]
Nigeria's traffic is renowned for being slow and chaotic. "Go slows", or traffic jams, are frequent on Nigeria's highways.
This has created alternative businesses around it. One may shop from their car. Street vendors sell handkerchiefs, belts, books, newspapers, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, electronics, and oil paintings to the cars stuck in traffic.[10]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Nigeria Population (2022) - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "Richest African Countries 2022". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "What to Expect at a Nigerian Wedding". Brides. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ Roseanne (2020-06-13). "Nigerian Jollof Rice". ChopBellehFull. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "How People Eat Chicken - With Picture (insult From Ghana?) - Politics - Nigeria". www.nairaland.com. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "You Should Stop Eating Kpomo Today". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ Collins, Sophie (2022-03-13). "Explained: Inside Nollywood, the Fastest Growing Film Industry in the World". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "Kano Durbar Festival: Nigeria's Most Spectacular Horseparade". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "Some Nigerian Proverbs | African Studies Center". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ↑ "Jam today: Nigerians turn a profit from the choked traffic of Lagos". The Guardian. 2022-09-01. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2022-11-09.