In my country, there are over 300 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages. Of all these ethnic groups, the most commonly known are Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. The majority of the Hausas reside in the northern part of Nigeria, while the Igbos and Yorubas reside in the eastern and western parts respectively. However, due to job opportunities or in search of better living conditions, people from other ethnic groups migrate and relocate to other places. They might even decide to start living there permanently and build their families there. For example, a Hausa might choose to relocate to Osun, a Yoruba state in search of better employment, and Vice versa. One of the things Nigeria suffers from is Tribal differences, which lead to stigmatization, which in turn leads to social exclusion, discrimination and marginalization. People from another ethnic group have had to deal with stigmatization when they migrate to other regions. Today, the Hive Learners prompt asks us to discuss stigma? Have you or your loved ones ever had to deal with stigma due to something that happened to you or your loved ones?
My parents are from the Eastern part of the country. Due to work, they relocated to Osun State, ile- Ife- the heart of Yorubaland and settled here permanently. Despite living in the eastern part of Nigeria for more than 30 years, they sometimes get profiled based on their ethnic group. My mom spent many years in Lagos state, so she can speak the Yoruba language fluently. My dad, on the other hand, grew up in the eastern region of Nigeria. Although he understands and can speak the Yoruba language, it is evident in his intonation that he is not from around here. In my street, there are over 50 houses, and out of the 50 houses, we are the ones that are not from around there. Just as racism affects other parts of the world, tribalism affects Nigeria. Imagine living in a place filled with people who are from other ethnic groups where you have to be careful of the things you do or say, or else you get in trouble.
Many times, I have heard parents tell their children not to go to our house, simply because we are not from around there. Their go to phrase is, “The easterners are not good.” I remember when I was in high school. There was no school that day and my parents were out. My friends and I went out to a nearby house where there was a mango tree. As kids would always do, we started plucking the mangos. Unfortunately for us, the owner of the house came out, furious, and since we were on the tree, it was too late for us to climb down and escape. Out of the four of us, I was the only one who wasn’t from around there. To my surprise, she dragged only me to my parents house. I don’t exactly remember her words, but I was pretty sure she was yelling at me. It is surprising that after more than 20 years, I still remember this incident.
I am the only one who has been stigmatized or profiled because of my ethnic group. My dad has suffered the most in that aspect. My mom told me a story about how my dad almost got exiled before I was born. My dad is a businessman, and when it comes to business, there are bound to be ups and downs with customers. My dad sold something to a customer, and after two weeks, the customer returned it, saying it wasn't good. My dad didn’t know that the customer was a chief in the king's palace, and he spoke rudely to my dad. Two weeks later, the customer returned with men from the palace, who took my dad to the palace. The king's staff was brought forward, and my dad was ordered to leave the land. Thankfully, my mom had once treated the king, so she pleaded on my dad's behalf.
We have been stigmatized based on our tribal differences many times, and that is why we have to always be careful about the things we say or do. These are exactly what Yorubas and Hausas who are not in their own parts go through in other regions. Some of them even go through worse. However, despite these tribal differences, I have made friends with good people who don't judge based on whatever factor. They care about who you are, not where you are from.
Thanks for reading.
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