This is primarily directed to Nigerians that are either currently living or previously lived overseas. Yes, we all know that there are bad Nigerians just like there are bad Americans. Nigeria as a country has be getting a lot of bad press over advance fee fraud and internet scam. For sure these things are real. A small percentage of Nigerians both at home and abroad  thrive in these ugly activities. Thing is, no hardworking Nigerian condones crime in any form or shape. Personally I do not. Innocent Nigerians always do receive unfair treatments because of the activities of a few other Nigerians. I  for one find it always frustrating trying to, say, make a payment online on a website and then seeing on the  same website a notice  mostly in upper case letters that credit cards with  Nigerian billing addresses are not accepted. An example is the ETS website for online payment of GRE tests. Of all the countries in the world, one country is singled out for this kind of treatment . Whether this is fair or not considering that crime is not a native of any one country is a matter for another day.

I dont know if any of you have noticed that whenever a group of Africans are together discussing Africa and African issues particularly in the UK and US, they always start and end their talks on Nigeria. I can bet you that it is all about negativities emanating from the country that stinks to high heavens. I do not have an issue with anybody discussing what. But when people throw things at your face and go on to be sarcastic about happenings in Nigeria, I find that rude. Yes, I am not proud of that aspect of things in Nigeria but you can bet on your life that I am a proud and smart Nigerian flying the flag high. I find it rather uncharitable and sometimes uncomfortable that other African brothers and sisters always pass unsavory and derogatory remarks about our great country. Is that how they see us all? Such blanket labeling of every Nigerian as a rogue is entirely unfair. I always advance that we are a country of 140/150 million. And that the percentage of Nigerians indulging in these activities is inconsequential because of this. You wouldn't be surprised that the percentage is lower when juxtaposed with that of most other African countries. It is just that we are too many. Just as there are  loads of Nigerians doing exceptionally well in their chosen fields of endeavor there is this other tiny minority doing despicable things wittingly or unwittingly.

Please I wanna know how some of you handled or intend to handle situations where  issues on Nigeria came up in social gatherings particularly negative ones. Did you just keep quiet, defend your country without necessarily condoning with crime or do the "unpatriotic" thing of condenming your beloved country which could seem an easy thing to do in the face of it all. Do not get me wrong some non-Nigerians are very objective and constructive in their criticisms. They just deal with the issues. But some do not. Is it that they do not know how to talk without making anyone uncomfortable?

Honestly, I am beginning to avoid African social gatherings because of this. I hope it is not just me being too sensitive. Or what do you guys think. Share your views all this one. Why do they hate us? 

Prof.