HOW NIGERIA WILL ELIMINATE RACIAL HATRED

by Blessing 'Blessyn' Kure | Jan 25, 2021 | Uncategorized

Throughout history, racial hatred has been perpetuated by humans in any number of forms and to variant extents.  In nations like Nigeria, where homogeneity of skin color is considered a cultural ‘blessing’, racial hatred takes a different, more subversive the form: from mild to (often) extreme ethnocentrism.

Nigeria has 36 states that make up six geo-political zones and over 370 ethnic groups.  Evidence indicates that the largest ethnic groups are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

The three ways to become a Nigerian citizen, according to Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), are by birth, registration or naturalization. Despite the three possibilities existing for people to attain citizenship of Nigeria, the average Nigerians holds great pride in ethnicity and blood as they view as ties to the land.  This means that in this perspective, you are Nigerian by blood, or you are not at all.  Many Nigerian people tend to hold little regard for citizens by registration or naturalization, which is most evident in light of the difficult – almost impossible – process of becoming a traditional ruler, politician, or to hold any affluent public office if one is not ethnically Nigerian.

It has been 58 years since Nigeria gained her independence, and the country has had to share power between the three largest ethnic groups, which hail from across the strong dividing lines of the country.  Modern Nigeria lives under a democratic government that sometimes fail to live up to the ideals of democracy due to prevailing tribal and ethnic separations.

Politics in Nigeria is inextricably tied to ethnicity, to the point that at the local and state government levels, a politician cannot represent an area of the country to which he does not ethnically belong to or genetically originate from.

Some ethnic groups are prohibited from inter-marrying with other groups due to cultural, historic, or spiritual reasons.  The need to preserve the culture and heritage of an ethnic group can lead to parents preferring – and sometimes orchestrating – the marriage of their children to someone of the same tribe, rather than bringing a foreigner from another ethic group or country into the family.

Conversely, it is not uncommon to see foreigners receiving preferential treatment over locals by virtue of their colour, whether at gatherings or even in terms of employment.  It is common of the Nigerian mentality to believe that a foreigner knows better than a Nigerian in the same field, sometimes irrespective of qualification.  The colour caste is enforced and supported by some Nigerians who believe whites are the ‘top dog’, whilst people who are near-white, Asian or have some other lighter-skinned non-Caucasian complexion are considered next on the color caste spectrum.

To combat racial casting that doesn’t favour Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari signed Executive Order 5 on Monday, February 5, 2018, in Abuja, the country’s capital.  Executive Order 5 prohibits the granting of visas to foreigners who are competing with locals for jobs and is aimed at improving local content in public procurement within science, engineering, and technology.  This is intended to curb the proclivity of the many foreign companies based in Nigeria – especially those of Asian origin – from the usually employment practice of their own nationals as expatriates for positions that can be filled by Nigerians.

The country’s entertainment industry has sought to address key societal issues regarding ethnic hatred or bias between the North and the East, East and West, West and North etc., as the case may be.  With Nigerian artists like Olamide, Phyno, and Kheengz, amongst others, singing in the country’s indigenous languages of Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa respectively, the beloved musicians have greatly inspired ethnic tolerance through their work.

As Nigerians continue to develop an improved sense of reverence for life in general – and particularly human life – we are on the way to developing a sense of reverence for racial and ethnic diversity.  As we have learned to regard that which promotes life as good, and that which destroys life as evil; so we will learn to regard that which promotes unity in diversity as good and that which threatens, hinders, or destroys said unity as evil.  A change in thinking and consciousness, reassessment of values, and positive distortion of racial and ethnic perception is thus needed to create true appreciation and passion for racial diversity.  Through this, we can find the motivation to act in the interests of unity despite our differences.

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DEPRESSION IN NIGERIA

by Blessing 'Blessyn' Kure | Jan 25, 2021 | Uncategorized

Dear Nigerians, understand that Depression is not just a feeling that will go away. It’s not a character flaw or a sign of personal weakness, or something that one just “snaps out of” just because you advised them to. It is more than just feeling sad and – No! – it does not stem from insufficient prayers or lack of faith.

Depression is a very sensitive experience, and although its many variations may seem similar, there are important differences been Major Depression, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Psychotic Depression, and Postpartum Depression. Depression, like all mental illnesses, must be diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional to enable the person living with it the right information to manage it.  

Depression is as serious as any other physical ailment, but it is treatable medical illness characterised by an imbalance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Although in recent times mental illness has been romanticised because of its affiliation with troubled artistic people, depression is not romantic. It is manageable, with the right treatment.  There are key symptoms to look out for before one can conclude that they have crossed the line between regular sadness or mood swings and depression. Because life is full of ups and down and everyone experiences the blues from time to time. But when the “down” times last too long or interfere with an individual’s ability to function at home or at work, that person may be suffering from a common, serious illness: Depression.

The prevalent signs and symptoms of major depressive episodes according to Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance DBSA include: prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells, self-reproach, significant changes in appetite and sleep patterns, irritability, anger, worry, anxiety, pessimism, indifference, persistent lethargy, feelings of guilt, hostility, worthlessness or helplessness, inability to concentrate, indecisiveness, social withdrawal, recurring thoughts of death or suicide, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping, difficulty concentrating, persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain, or some combination of these.

Depression often follows stressful events that severely affect their emotional wellbeing, such as marital problems, death of a loved one, illness, financial crisis and lots more.  While depression sometimes runs in families, many with the illness have no family history of depression. Hence, the exact causes of depression and mood disorders in general are still unconfirmed.

The latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO), show that Nigeria has 7,079,815 sufferers of depression.  That is 3.9 percent of the nation’s population. With an additional 4,894,557 Nigerians (2.7 per cent of the population), suffering from anxiety disorders. There has been an increasing rate of suicide over the years, which can be traced to mental illness (such as Depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) that has likely gone undetected or untreated. A compilation of suicide statistics in Nigeria carried out by Haruna Ibrahim showed that there were 79 reported cases of suicide between April 8 2017 to May 12, 2018, with a WHO study that showed Nigeria as the 30th most suicide prone country in the world.

Nigeria’s high ranking position in this global study has largely been attributed to the scarcity of practicing psychologists and therapists, unavailability of mental health outfits that are not psychiatric hospitals, the high cost of seeking medical attention regarding mental health, the fear of confiding in strangers (professionals) for fear of being judged and the stronghold of mental illnesses on the patients that convinces them to conceal its existence or withdraw into oneself to avoid shaming and other repercussions that may come with being public about the struggle. These are some of the major reasons why people refuse to seek the much-needed medical attention for their ailment.

Self-help may seem solid for the mild cases or as complementary to professional treatments, however getting professional advice and treatment should be sought to rule out the likelihood of more severe situations, or to prevent them. Tragically, a large percentage of the nation’s sufferers’ resort to self-help to avoid being seen as a “crazy person”. The stigma may tamper with life as they know it, both personally and professionally. Organisations will not want to be affiliated with staff members who live with mental health issues, romantic partners of both genders many flee for fear that their unborn children will inherit the ailment and lots of other myths which only succeed in making the situation more grave. Of course, more often than not, these realities are not true. They are catastrophised fears that encourage people to stay quiet, even to people who would never judge them and would only support them. Men and women can sometimes experience depression differently, with women being more likely to have feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt, whilst men may be more likely to be very tired, irritable, experience a loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities or have difficulty sleeping. Regardless of the symptoms, untreated depression can worsen for anyone. Many men (and some women) who struggle to manage their mental health may isolate themselves from friends, bury themselves in work, or use alcohol or drugs to excess. They can become frustrated, discouraged, irritable, angry, and sometimes abusive.

If you have a depressed loved one, here’s how you can help them: Do not tell them to snap out of it or say that it’s just a phase. Offer emotional support and encouragement, but understand there may be initial resistance because they need their space. Never discount the feelings they feel but point out realities and offer hope. Be on alert and never ignore comments about suicide. Remind them that with time and treatment, the depression will lift. Everyone can suffer from depression within the cause of their lives regardless of race, culture, gender, age, socio-economic status and any other categorisations humans fall into, so we need to stop perceiving depression as an elitist disease, or something Africans should be immune to just because we come from centuries of extreme physical and emotional strength. As a common Nigerian adage goes: “Disease no dey kill African man” which means disease cannot kill an African man so anything that does it literally make you bedridden is no cause for alarm.

Until we realise the importance of our mental health and that of those around us, until we start to tolerate and support each other and normalise seeking help for our mental health just as we have for our physical and spiritual health, only then can we manage the situation and curb the surge in suicide rates in Nigeria.

Do not wait till you or someone next to you is affected because then it might be too late, spread the word and create awareness.

Remember: Your mind runs your body.

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