What's really ironic is that it was the British that coined this "Giant of Africa" title, and Nigerians just ran with it. Now other Africans are judging for themselves and they don't see it, and I can't blame them. The title is pointless and useless anyways. Until all of Africa gets its act together, being giant of Africa isn't even something to brag about - whether its Nigeria or South Africa were talking about.

True, True

recoome:

yeeeeeh!!! PUBLIC DISGRACE, if i were u(virgo) i would not eat for 1 wk, eros take it easy o!

LOL, recoome or whatever you call yourself. You need to chill. I don't care what you read or the hidden meaning of eros comment. Something was pointed out to me and I took note of it. Child, you need to stop jumping up and down in glee over some correction made. Some of you are just so dramatic. I believe people should always state their opinions boldly, so therefore I saw no insult in eros comment. Even if I did, it should be up to me to decide what to do about it. You sound really idiotic, 

recoome:

yeeeeeh!!! PUBLIC DISGRACE, if i were u(virgo) i would not eat for 1 wk, eros take it easy o!

@ Recoome.

You are obviously a 13 year old who is opportuned to have access to the internet today, hence the childish comments. I simply taught a fellow Nairalander how to maximize the use of the features available herein. So why the childish fuss. Grow up child and go to bed, adults are having a national debate.

eros:


@ Recoome.

You are obviously a 13 year old who is opportuned to have access to the internet today, hence the childish comments. I simply taught a fellow Nairalander how to maximize the use of the features available herein. So why the childish fuss. Grow up child and go to bed, adults are having a national debate.

My sentiments exactly.

Pls y can't u liv mr n mrs somolu alone because dere are very stupid 4 dat statement.it don't min dat my dare country '9ja is not ok due to our bad leaders but 4gotin dat it wil be better in d nearest,but dere hav 4gotin dat 'to serve nigeria with all my strenth and faithful loya and honest to serve 9ja with all my strenth to defend our unity, mr and mrs somolu wat are u durin just because of money u are killin ur country.wat a pity very soon u will deny u childred 4 money.ur word is in package,

This topic again? Why are people so concerned about titles?

I hope people in govt heard about this. They embezzle all the oil money and don't improve the country because they can't see past their nose. little do they know that chickens come home to roost. This is the embarrassment they have brought on Nigeria which they will taste once they leave this country. This is why it's important to develop your country. Nigerians that live outside the country take too much crap. Charity begins at home ie We all feel the impact and gross disrespect if we don't develop 'our' country. US citizens are respected all over the world (even if they're disliked) because the govt developed and invested in the country

In all honesty, South Africa is an above modest country. Their Economy is VERY GOOD compared to Nigeria's. Checkout the exchange rate of the two national currencies to the British Pound. South Africa is ahead of Nigeria I'm sorry to say. It's not that Nigeria is poor or illiterate. Nigeria was cursed to walk backwards with it's eyes closed. Nigeria was given a BIG MOUTH.  Other countries are busy moving forward. The sad part is that we have SOOO MUCH OIL. We get OIL NYAFU-NYAFU. But you know how it is, corruption destroys everything it lays it's hands on.

And our leaders are past that point where civillians can change their hearts. They just want to STEAL MONEY. STEAL MONEY ALL THE TIME. The thing don tire me.
But think about it, if you say Nigeria is poor or corrupt, what can you say about places like Sudan? Iraq? Afghanistan? These places are worse than Nigeria of course. Not only are their economies poor, but they also have to put up with constant suicide bombers.

Patriotic or Not patriotic, it's fair to call a spade a spade; which is that Nigeria is behind South Africa in more ways than one.
I think of Nigeria as a snake (NOT AN INSULT. LET ME EXPLAIN).

I think of us Nigerians as a snake because we LOVE to attack the easy preys. ==>> CORRUPTION. CRIMINALS. BLOOD MONEY. ETC ETC.

But even with all that, I STILL LOVE MY FATHER'S LAND. I still love my country [/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/b]

Nigeria is the undisputed Gaint Of Africa. Anyone that does not like that should go and eat sand. Our music and videos are all over the continent. Culturally, we have Africa under lock down. Our army kicks butts and we have proved this in Liberia and Sierra Leone where we stationed troops for more than a decade. In terms of human resources, the most qualified professionals are found in Nigeria. These are facts. Our banks, wholly controlled by dark skinned negros have gone continental. 33 billion barrels of crude reserves is enormous. Yes, 150 million people, some crazy, some mean hustlers, some fanatical preachers and world class tele evangelist, some renowed artist, some world renowed playwrits and authors, some so brillant that you can't just suppress them. Yes Nigeria is the Giant of Africa. Though we have our issues, but so far the Federal Republic of Naija is still in existence no African nation or any African can deride our swagger.

NIGERIANS! "THE QUICKEST, EVER READY, SLEEP-TALKING LEADERS IN ACCUSING OTHER FOLKS OF SUFFERING FROM INFERIORITY COMPLEX" 
here u are crying over a common tv commercial and displaying "inferiority complex" @ the highest level.
Its a damn shame, Giant of Africa ma arzz lmao , who givez a poo abt who the giant of africa izz.
Btw, furk the words inferiority complex. , am tired of reading it on nairaland already

In my very candid opinion, house lets pause and ask ourselves the real thing (positive or negative) what make us THINK that we are the  giants of Africa. Is it the rate of unemployment, banditry, woeful performance in sports, poverty, corruption, PHCN's head ache, looting of the treasury by the politicans and their associates, Bad roads,  lack of assess to education by the poor, or the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Lets not deceive ourselves even the countries that we once played big brother roles in the past have overtaken us in terms of development of infrastructure.
Please i need and answer to this.

A giant means you excel in all your undertakings and surpass others. May be we are really giants in those issues i mentioned.

I need your answers.

Instead of resorting to personal Insults, Why dont u use your time to Lay out your points carefully, like someone who actually visited the four walls of college, Or even High school, and go straight to the point, Instead of calling a brother ''Boko Haram'' Economist
Yes, Power is necessary for development, But It is still not everything, because If that was the case, U should decide to start living in North Korea, since it seems like POWER is all that matters to u!!!
South African has had a longer time in development,, hence why there is sufficient power supp;ly {Abeit not Constant, since Power cuts still occur]
Moreso, SA needs that Huge amount of power , Not becasue they just love generating power for no reason , But because they need it to power their Mining sector, and Mining as we all know, requires tremendioud amounts of power


So Nigeria doesn’t require power because we dont have mining? How indefensible is your argument? U dont  see anything wrong that RSA with 1/3 of Naija's population generates  more electricity than Naija  by  over 1000%. Egypt generates about 24,000MGW with 88million population which is about 600% more than what Naija generates.  Can you point any country that can grow without manufacturing? What facts are you talking about when you have refused to see the obvious? It's your job to tell us how economic progress is not tied to manufacturing that is powered by electricity. I cannot argue against emotion, but facts. So far, you have provided me with emotions not facts. Keep making up  excuses or do you accept the fact that RSA is the  real giant , then we roll up our sleeves and go back to rebuild our country.

A chinese friend of mine who works here in Lagos had this interesting assessment of Nigerians, which tickles me to no end.

He says Nigerians are the first to wake up, always. But unfortunately they are always the last to get off the bed. They wake up, their eyes fully open, but never get off the bed. They spend all their time talking about what they plan to do when they eventually get up, but when they do, everybody has already left the building.

A chinese friend of mine who works here in Lagos had this interesting assessment of Nigerians, which tickles me to no end.

He says Nigerians are the first to wake up, always. But unfortunately they are always the last to get off the bed. They wake up, their eyes fully open, but never get off the bed. They spend all their time talking about what they plan to do when they eventually get up, but when they do, everybody has already left the building.

Soo true! Always planning and building in our head, without getting dirty to dig the foundation.

and so, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12610268

Nigeria is the most supportive country in Africa for overseas students, in an international league table, countless of other achievements. RSA has got better infrastructures in main cities, that is clear. The fact is rural SA is no better than a typical Nigerian village. I had seen it myself, I have been to a ZULU community around the boarder of Lesotho and I can emphatically say it is a completely rural underdevelop place just like any remote Nigerian village. Apart from being Africa's economy giant, all others such as most beautiful, most secure, most friendly are all debatable. So, I would say, RSA is good at marketing. Both nations have their pro and cons. Nigeria should learn to market herself in good light to the rest of the world.

id-nole4:

and so, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12610268

Nigeria is the most supportive country in Africa for overseas students, in an international league table, countless of other achievements. RSA has got better infrastructures in main cities, that is clear. The fact is rural SA is no better than a typical Nigerian village. I had seen it myself, I have been to a ZULU community around the boarder of Lesotho and I can emphatically say it is a completely rural underdevelop place just like any remote Nigerian village. Apart from being Africa's economy giant, all others such as most beautiful, most secure, most friendly are all debatable. So, I would say, RSA is good at marketing. Both nations have their pro and cons. Nigeria should learn to market herself in good light to the rest of the world.

you dont really know what u are saying in those bolded.
ITS ONLY ONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO RSA THAT CAN CALL NIGERIA THE GIANT OF AFRICA, Nigeria is in no way a match for RSA

its curse on black nations all over the globe

you dont really know what u are saying in those bolded.
ITS ONLY ONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO RSA THAT CAN CALL NIGERIA THE GIANT OF AFRICA, Nigeria is in no way a match for RSA

@ nfo, I should clarify. Nigeria and South Africa are not only the two countries in Africa, so most this, most that in Africa is also relative to all other countries in Africa. So, if I said 'most beautiful' is debatable, its not only limited to S.A and Nija, perhaps Mauritius is the most beautiful country in Africa perhaps not.

I said both Nigeria and South Africa have their pros and cons. No need to start arguing Nigeria is not a giant of Africa in reality knowing fully well that she's not.

id-nole4:

@ nfo, I should clarify. Nigeria and South Africa are not only the two countries in Africa, so most this, most that in Africa is also relative to all other countries in Africa. So, if I said 'most beautiful' is debatable, its not only limited to S.A and Nija, perhaps Mauritius is the most beautiful country in Africa perhaps not.

Cape Town is the second most beautiful city in the world

id-nole4:


I said both Nigeria and South Africa have their pros and cons. No need to start arguing Nigeria is not a giant of Africa in reality knowing fully well that she's not.

Thank u for accepting the truth

Is it the higher rape cases,free to carry gun without license, increase in HIV + or daily strike,lack of water and power supply in many rural areas,that makes SA better than Nigeria.
I was told i was delusional on my opinion,even UN still recognize Nigeria more than SA,take it or leave it.
OUR FATHER SHALL NEVER BE IN VAIN
9jja 4 life

I said both Nigeria and South Africa have their pros and cons. No need to start arguing Nigeria is not a giant of Africa in reality knowing fully well that she's not.

In holistic term, yes. Even so I am proud to be a Nigerian. Its just a matter of time. SA had her independence in 1912, Nigeria in 1960. She had use cheap Black African labour in the process of her development, Nigeria never uses cheap labour. Nigeria has never enslave and accumulated wealth base on enslavement. One can explain the differences in the degree of development from this perspective.

Cape Town is the second most beautiful city in the world

As I said, still debatable. Are you saying cape town minus cape flats and langa

Is it the higher violation cases,free to carry gun without license, increase in HIV + or daily strike,lack of water and power supply in many rural areas,that makes SA better than Nigeria.
I was told i was delusional on my opinion,even UN still recognize Nigeria more than SA,take it or leave it.
OUR FATHER SHALL NEVER BE IN VAIN
9jja 4 life

and I add , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa [abeg see for your self]

this is what they mean when they say NIGERIA AFRICA GAINT

n December, Ghana joined the ranks of Africa's oil producers - it now expects its economic growth rate to double. The BBC's Rob Walker went to Takoradi, the hub of the new industry, to see how a once-sleepy city is changing. He plans to return regularly, to build a portrait of a society in transformation.

On the western edge of the Ghanaian city of Takoradi, newly built villas with wide verandas are rapidly eating into green forest and farmland.
Continue reading the main story
Meet the people
Screen grab from clickable map of Takoradi

* Residents at the heart of the oil boom

For Takoradi's ambitious new entrepreneurs like Peter Abitty, there is opportunity here.

Mr Abitty is a real estate agent with a bright pink shirt, and an even brighter smile.

He shows me round an eight-bedroom house looking out onto the sea, surrounded by banana trees and coconut palms.

Yours for $5,000 (£3,000) a month - five times its rental value a couple of years ago.

"Tenants that come here can take the coconuts for free! We don't charge anything," Mr Abitty says.

Already there has been lots of interest.

"The reason is very obvious." The estate agent points over the horizon: "It's out there: oil, oil, oil."
'Everyone will gain'

Ghana made its first big oil find off the coast from Takoradi in 2007, and turned on the taps late last year.
[size=18pt]
The discovery may not be on the same scale as the African oil giants, Nigeria and Angola.[/size]
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Chief Nana Kofi Abuna

If there is oil and gas in the region, we in the west should benefit more than everybody else”

End Quote Chief Nana Kofi Abuna V

But it is enough for the government to forecast that the rate of economic growth will more than double from 5% last year to as much as 12% this year.

And unlike those countries, Ghana enjoys a reputation as one of Africa's best governed states.

Takoradi, a dusty, run-down port city, is the hub for the new industry.

But it is not just international oil companies that are booming here.

"In five years time, I see Takoradi becoming one of the modern cities of the world," said Alfred Fafali Adagbedu, owner of Seaweld Engineering, one of the many new local companies set up to service the oil sector.

"I can imagine skyscrapers, six-lane highways and malls."

Mr Adagbedu left a job in Equatorial Guinea and came home to Ghana after oil was discovered.

"The transport industry is going to improve, because workers on the rig are going to need to be transported. Agriculture is going to see a boom because all those people on the rig will need to be fed."

Click to play

Watch: Rob Walker explores Takoradi

"Even market women are going to see more business, because a lot of workers are going to have very fat pay checks. Everyone in this city is going to gain in business."

It is a boost the city badly needs.

At the once-thriving railway station, washing hangs from a train that has not moved in years.

Squatters have moved into the sleeping car.

Once the trains stopped running, many businesses ground to a halt as well.

The city authorities now want to reverse this decline. They want to demolish part of the city centre and redevelop it with high-rise buildings to provide more space for new businesses attracted by the oil find.

It would mean several hundred existing residents being relocated.
Rising prices

"There should be some sacrifice, if we want to move ahead as a metropolis. But I believe with proper education they will understand," said city assembly member John Davies.
Map of Ghana coastline

The redevelopment will take at least five years, and will depend on the city finding the necessary investment.

But for many residents, Takoradi has already changed.

New traffic jams clog up the streets at rush hour. Hotels are fully booked.

The price of goods has risen, and rents for many residents - not just those in luxury villas - have spiralled.

In one of the newly built parts of the city, I meet Efua, a teacher.

Efua's landlord told her the rent on h

they mean an OIL GAINT

Posted by: adconline
Insert Quote
  A chinese friend of mine who works here in Lagos had this interesting assessment of Nigerians, which tickles me to no end.

He says Nigerians are the first to wake up, always. But unfortunately they are always the last to get off the bed. They wake up, their eyes fully open, but never get off the bed. They spend all their time talking about what they plan to do when they eventually get up, but when they do, everybody has already left the building.

Soo true! Always planning and building in our head, without getting dirty to dig the foundation.

[b]@ adconline GBAM, you are so so dead right in every way. Tune into Network News EVERYDAY, all you see is one banner after the other with some Technocrat busy talking about what we plan , aim , looking to do, 

SEMINAR upon SEMINAR, then they also waste peoples time by inviting every Tom Dck and Harry (half of them asleep or waiting for the food during the break sessions), so tell me who is working or taking action when we spend 80% of the time Talking,

You see 85% staff in parastatals attending a seminar they know Zilch about, all looking at a speaker who gets paid foreign currency to come and talk to people who don't know what they are looking for. Every body dressed in Ankara, Suit, Agbada, , Buba and Soro, name it. .

Most of them are even side talking while the speaker is busy lying to the audience as well

The icing on the cake/sad part was last year I saw a banner on TV saying " Bla Bla Years of OIL IN NIGERIA: How Far Have We Come, Everybody attended this one from VP, Minister Of Petroleum and all CEO/Snr staff of most 9ija Oil companies, All talking the same rubbish year on end, with no action but fat pockets for them

WHAT A CRYING SHAME . WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS OF OUR OWN MISFORTUNE,  TALK TALK TALK AND NO ACTION, F O K THESE SEMINARS MEN[/b]

It is Only Yoruba ppl in this forum that want to Justify that TREASON commited by those 1DIOTICS,  How can you love money to the extent that you wanna sell your country's Respect. It is obvious that the Yorubas are the king of Betrayal in this country, listen to her statement, " South Africa is actually the Giant of Africa" and some dude here are saying she did not mention Nigeria. Can A South African do the same advert for Nigeria, You have to love your country and be patriotic,  Now who said Igbos love money more than any other ethnic in Nigeria. Imagin that ugly Somolo woman, South Africans here Mock us for that Advert.

kayci_d77:

It is Only Yoruba ppl in this forum that want to Justify that TREASON commited by those 1DIOTICS,  How can you love money to the extent you wanna you sell your country's Respect. It is obvious that the Yorubas are the king of Betrayal in this country, listen to her statement, " South Africa is actually the Giant of Africa" and some dude her said she did not mention Nigeria. A South African do the same advert for Nigeria, You have to love your country and be patriotic,  Now who said Igbos love money more than any other ethnic in Nigeria. Imagin that ugly Somolo woman, South African here Mock us for that Advert.

Are you confusing the issue? Is the issue whether South Africa is actually the true giant of Africa? Or whether it is unpatriotic, or an outright betrayal, for a Nigerian to make an arguably truthful statement that South Africa is the true giant of Africa?

anyone got a link to the video/tourism commercial, ?

I have searched on here, but no luck     http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/videos

In fact there is another couple who have done a few of their vidoes on this website and I can bet my bottom dollar they sound Nigerian.

Smart move by SA if they can get us Nigerians doing commercials for them

Lets face it whether Bimbo says or not with Seun her husband,  Both countries are not mates of each other and we all know that The Tip of the Nose is far away from the head" Igi Imu jina si ori,  Na Lie?

Lets stop deluding ourselves, We are not equals, Yes we have Potential, but then ifs not bn tapped by the right people to harness the qualities for tourism, we go just dey the ride the latest Range Rovers in our Pot Hole ridden roads with no street lights and think we are some bigz boys country,  Naaaaa

A country where Motelts/Guest houses/4 storey buildings with no fire exit are called Hotels and allowed to charge Dollars, for no quality whatsoever,

Wake up Nigeria, Wake up,

NB: Can we stop comparing bad things in other countries as a measure of how well we are doing,  "so what if a Zulu village is not any better than a village in Nigeria, ? That is not the issue,

Try compare with Malaysia (got their independence around the same time as us ) that used only Palm Kernel discovered in Nigeria 1st ,to boost its economy

Enuff of this it took America 100 years to get to where they are,  ITS A silly WAY OF APPROACHING THINGS,

Positive international views of South Africa have improved sharply over the last year, according to the annual BBC World Service Country Rating Poll of 16 major countries around the world.

Thanks in part to the successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, as well as the country's new membership of the "Brics" group of fast-growing emerging economies, the proportion of poll respondents positively rating South Africa's influence in the world rose from 35% to 42%.

This was the second-biggest rise among the countries surveyed, after Brazil's jump in positive international perceptions from 40% to 49%, lifting South Africa into ninth place in the overall order of popularity.

Of the 27 countries surveyed, 17 have positive views of South Africa, two have "lean negative" views, while eight are divided.

South Africa is particularly popular among its African counterparts, with positive views highest in Kenya (73%), Nigeria (67%) and Ghana (57%). In Egypt, positive views rose dramatically, by 26 points to 40%, while negative ratings fell by 14 points to 13%, making the overall view of SA shift from negative to positive.

In Brazil, views of South Africa shifted from being divided in 2010 to "leaning positive" in 2011 (42% vs 36%), the survey found, thanks to a seven-point drop in negative views. Views of SA were 48% positive in Mexico and 43% postive in Chile, but divided (23% versus 24%) in Peru.

The latest Range Rover Sport or Vogue on rickety roads don't make us big boyz of Africa,,,wake up,

Little by little we are getting more blind to the subtle insults, digs that come our way as Nigerians.  A foreigner comes in and names his record label Orangutan and we flock to it and nobody sees the subtle reference to us as descendants of apes?? If it were in the US, groups would have risen to force him to change the name. As an amateur student of psychology, i caught a glimpse of the sorry look of Judas on the wife's face.
Should the Federal Govt contest it? Nope, cause we are in a sorry state right now. The best thing to do is to work in our little way to combat the ills of the country. WHen we have cleaned up our acts, nobody will dare try to wrest our original title from us. Long live Nigeria and Nigerians!!

Little by little we are getting more blind to the subtle insults, digs that come our way as Nigerians.  A foreigner comes in and names his record label Orangutan and we flock to it and nobody sees the subtle reference to us as descendants of apes?? If it were in the US, groups would have risen to force him to change the name. As an amateur student of psychology, i caught a glimpse of the sorry look of Judas on the wife's face.
Should the Federal Govt contest it? Nope, cause we are in a sorry state right now. The best thing to do is to work in our little way to combat the ills of the country. WHen we have cleaned up our acts, nobody will dare try to wrest our original title from us. Long live Nigeria and Nigerians!!