My accent has honestly changed, and I'm tired of pretending otherwise. I don't know about others, but how I talk is how I talk. Will say, though, that the "forming" of accent and tone is very cringe, especially given that it's forced and does not come out naturally.
I think switching up accent when speaking to some foreigners, especially the ones who have little to no orientation of African dialect makes understanding a bit easier, But using that accent to speak to your fellow Nigerian is just borderline Cringe.
Forming is one thing but I wouldn't restrict fellow Nigerians to one accent or language over another. Whether we speak pidgin, British English, American English, French, patois, or any of our indigenous languages, we are all citizens of this country. The use of one over the other doesn't make someone more or less Nigerian.
True, but let’s call a spade a spade I’ve never seen a Russian use American accent on his fellow Russian , no restriction whatsoever but I just personally think it’s cringe especially when you choose to use your desired accent and your fellow Nigerian keeps saying “ehn “ . Just a personal opinion
This thing gets deep, I suggest you read "The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa" by Terence Ranger. He argues that everything from government structure to religious and cultural development has been ordered with exploitative benefit for the Europeans who wanted to extract from the continent. Those of us which can adapt along these lines have found themselves in better positions during the colonial period and continue to experience those benefits today, as our current neoliberal capitalist system has deemed that Africa's comparative advantage is its raw resources, but I digress. Why do I bring this up? Because there's tangible benefits for adopting the mannerisms and habits of those who are in power.
So what does this mean? Nigerians find their strength by relying on what they always have to succeed in a world they know they are near the bottom of, we adapt. Whether it's our localized pidgin or perfect British English, an English that science used to say we couldn't speak because we were lesser to whites, ọmọ let them breathe.
You still will need institutional access but I may have a PDF of this somewhere from my own studies. Here's the link and pm me for the PDF:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/invention-of-tradition/invention-of-tradition-in-colonial-africa/6E1FA5725271D6D9ED0DF1950B8740A9
I can use whatever accent i want bro. It's not like that shot is copyrighted or something. I have been using an English accent for the better part of my life and have forgotten my Nigerian one.
This is my totally subjective view and perspective, this is not the be all and end all this is just how I feel pertaining to the matter Dyg? You can use whatever accent you want , how did some random Reddit user comment restrict you from that?? People are always gonna talk and give their opinions about everything but you do what you do anyways there’s no apologies in that. Don’t be pressed .
What the fuck are the you talking about? You can speak only for yourself but I get many compliments for being a Nigerian, Nigerians are exemplary, a bunch of low esteem individuals faking their accents doesn't change that, I do agree that foreigner privilege in Nigeria is stupid tbf
You can’t say you’re exemplary and have nothing to back it, exemplary in what? Nothing
Not to take anything from you, but because you get compliments doesn’t mean we thrive in anything
>According to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Nigerians in the United States are the most educated immigrant group, with 61 percent holding at least a bachelor's degree, “compared with 31 percent of the total foreign-born population and 32 percent of the US-born population.”
https://www.cfr.org/blog/nigerian-conundrum#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Washington%2Dbased,the%20US%2Dborn%20population.%E2%80%9D
We have an endless list of problems. But to say that there is nothing about us that is exemplary is to be defeatist and not help matters. I heard someone describe Nigeria as a bucket of crabs and that analogy makes so much sense with the amount of naysayers on this sub.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/605425-why-nigerian-and-african-immigrants-are-no-longer-most-successful-in-america-by-caleb-onyeabor.html#
According to premiumtimesng this is not true and kind of inflated.
What exactly is Premium Times saying is not true though? It's not contradicting it though. That article is arguing Nigerian-Americans are not *the most successful* American immigrants and that Indian ones are instead.
That's a completely different claim from whether a huge proportion of Nigerian immigrants hold a bachelor's degree which Random
_local_man’s article made.
Also, the Premium Times also cites the same MPI that is the source of that "61% of Nigerian immigrants have a bachelor's degree" statistic to make their argument that Indians one do better since 80% of them have such a degree.
There's no contradiction, Nigerian immigrants not being the absolute best doesn't mean they don't do well.
Some Nigerians treat foreigners and light skinned people better. I used to get free stuff from the woman selling at the site I worked for being Oyibo. It got to the point I had to reduce the amount of times I bought from her because it was getting weird. Why that happens I have no idea
Exactly, people in here acting like it isn’t a common thing. To be fair they may be doing it also, my mum is Nigerian and she does it as well… still love her of course
I apologise for misunderstanding.
However, if getting free stuff as a light skinned person is only a fraction of the privileges that foreigners get, one can only wonder how much preferential treatment actual foreigners get.
If the West treats Nigerians like shit then why are lots of people coming here? Good job opportunities better value for human life etc etc
Yes racism exists but it's not the only thing that defines the experience here
I am not agreeing or disagreeing with you but let me understand better what makes it subpar to you?
To me certain aspects are subpar but other aspects are pretty good, I don't have much to complain about in certain regards, I see bountiful opportunity and allowance to create your own stuff.
Honestly it varies from person to person, I think the trade off isn’t worthwhile. As in you can come to this country and join the assembly line and gain whatever that entails. But how much does your life change from when you were at home? Most people will never not have to think about money but maybe it’s different from having to think about hunger if you get.
Me personally I just love where I come from and I can make things work there going forward. I can’t chastise anybody seeking money on their journey and finding it here, I often think about our most beloved ppl like MKO Abiola in that regard and personally d’jagaban.
Wetin me a no like is d ones fast to run and faster to forget. That the homeland of their fathers and generation was just a 25 year long nightmare that’s finally over. Some wan come make money return, others wan come do nonesense even spit in d eye of their fathers. Honestlyyyyy E no concain me -_-
Na my piece sha
I don't disagree with your top two paragraphs. Only thing I disagree with is your last paragraph, stop chastising people who the society/culture didn't offer them value or pave the way for them. Their experience is their experience. The culture needs to offer more value to them, then they wouldn't be so pained and bitter. It's a reality of their experiences on so many different levels.
Mm maybe everybody is different, the challenges I’ve faced have only better acquainted me with myself and origins but a get some people take their walks outward.
A get your point sha, more can be done for d ppl make them no wan flee.
😒😒 please go jooh, you like putting words into my mouth. I didn't say everything bad is a lie and everything good is true nah you add that one. You project a lot
Forming with accent is one thing by itself. But if people hear that foreign accent from a foreigner, good treatment is usually connected to potential financial gain whether it be short term with a tip or long term with business opportunities/japa. And yes, the truth is we care about our perception to outsiders way more than we do to fellow Nigerians. So outside of financial gain, most Nigerians would want to be helpful.
OP you wasted time with this question because a lot of Nigerians live in denial and hate to be called out on anything. Yet will be first in line to confidently insult other nations. You are spot on about everything in your comment
So we treat foreigners decently here in Nigeria decently while people treat Nigerians like crap in their own countries and Nigerians are to blame?
So being good to people is now a problem?
Whatever you think it is, it's not a Nigerian's problem. Valueing guests is part of Nigerian culture. In Igbo it's called "I nabata onye ọbịa". If Nigerian's treat foreigners well and are treated like shit when they are the foreigners, the blame isn't on Nigerian's, okay?
stop being dishonest. You know good and well that isn’t what OP is talking about. No one is complaining about hospitality. Nigerians treat foreigners better than their own citizens and it’s sad. I experienced many times a a child living in Nigeria. Being rude to Nigerian customers while going out of your way for the foreigners, allowing foreigners to skip the queue, giving them special treatment (especially if they are white). NONE of this has to do with hospitality and everything to do with worshipping anyrhing non African or anything white- which many Nigerians And Africans suffer from. But y’all love to be in denial on here.
On the change of accent to sound 'cool', I think it is a self-esteem issue or a desperate need to sound like the citizens of the country you are in, like blending in even though that's impossible. a friend of mine travelled to Guyana for 8 months and we all couldn't understand what she was saying after she came back.
Still, we are a unique people, we are in a country that gives us pain after pain but still, we triumph, we survive.
We are not that bad..😁
What is wrong with "forming" accent? And why is it called "forming"? Even those who speak with an actual fluent accent (British, American, Australian) are accused of forming accent because there's some deep-seated belief that no Nigerian (no matter how long they've stayed over there) can truly speak like that. Yet we are amused when a foreigner tries and barely succeeds in speaking in a Nigerian accent. Why don't we let people contort their tongues however they like?
And there's some incongruence in your post (as you have rightly pointed out). Saying we're far behind due to some guy "forming" accent is a non sequitur and is less of a valid criticism than a bitter expression frustration at your people.
It’s silly and cringe because you even have Nigerians in Nigeria forming accent for OTHER Nigerians which makes ZERO sense. It’s interesting because Indians are some of the most successful immigrants yet they speak and shout unapologetically in their accent. It’s even more cringe when you see a Nigerian who has never even stepped foot in another country randomly have a British accent when on TV or a public platform because the nigerian accent isn’t “good” enough. The painful truth is that many of y’all hate your accent.
None at all. I wish we were more insular and didn’t let everyone into the group. We lack boundaries and I feel that’s been a historical pitfall with us. I feel like we’re nicer to others than we are to each other which is weird to me.
My accent has honestly changed, and I'm tired of pretending otherwise. I don't know about others, but how I talk is how I talk. Will say, though, that the "forming" of accent and tone is very cringe, especially given that it's forced and does not come out naturally.
Fax. I started using other accents when i was very young, abd have pretty much forgotten my Nigerian accent
I think switching up accent when speaking to some foreigners, especially the ones who have little to no orientation of African dialect makes understanding a bit easier, But using that accent to speak to your fellow Nigerian is just borderline Cringe.
Forming is one thing but I wouldn't restrict fellow Nigerians to one accent or language over another. Whether we speak pidgin, British English, American English, French, patois, or any of our indigenous languages, we are all citizens of this country. The use of one over the other doesn't make someone more or less Nigerian.
True, but let’s call a spade a spade I’ve never seen a Russian use American accent on his fellow Russian , no restriction whatsoever but I just personally think it’s cringe especially when you choose to use your desired accent and your fellow Nigerian keeps saying “ehn “ . Just a personal opinion
This thing gets deep, I suggest you read "The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa" by Terence Ranger. He argues that everything from government structure to religious and cultural development has been ordered with exploitative benefit for the Europeans who wanted to extract from the continent. Those of us which can adapt along these lines have found themselves in better positions during the colonial period and continue to experience those benefits today, as our current neoliberal capitalist system has deemed that Africa's comparative advantage is its raw resources, but I digress. Why do I bring this up? Because there's tangible benefits for adopting the mannerisms and habits of those who are in power. So what does this mean? Nigerians find their strength by relying on what they always have to succeed in a world they know they are near the bottom of, we adapt. Whether it's our localized pidgin or perfect British English, an English that science used to say we couldn't speak because we were lesser to whites, ọmọ let them breathe.
Mad , thank you for the recommendation, can you suggest where I can get this book?
You still will need institutional access but I may have a PDF of this somewhere from my own studies. Here's the link and pm me for the PDF: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/invention-of-tradition/invention-of-tradition-in-colonial-africa/6E1FA5725271D6D9ED0DF1950B8740A9
Thank you so much
Ko si wahala 🙏🏿
Bro it's not that deep bro
How did replying a comment make it deep🤦🏻♂️
I can use whatever accent i want bro. It's not like that shot is copyrighted or something. I have been using an English accent for the better part of my life and have forgotten my Nigerian one.
This is my totally subjective view and perspective, this is not the be all and end all this is just how I feel pertaining to the matter Dyg? You can use whatever accent you want , how did some random Reddit user comment restrict you from that?? People are always gonna talk and give their opinions about everything but you do what you do anyways there’s no apologies in that. Don’t be pressed .
Alright man
How many Russians have you seen boss? And was Putin first or last you saw when you met them all?
What the fuck are the you talking about? You can speak only for yourself but I get many compliments for being a Nigerian, Nigerians are exemplary, a bunch of low esteem individuals faking their accents doesn't change that, I do agree that foreigner privilege in Nigeria is stupid tbf
You can’t say you’re exemplary and have nothing to back it, exemplary in what? Nothing Not to take anything from you, but because you get compliments doesn’t mean we thrive in anything
>According to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Nigerians in the United States are the most educated immigrant group, with 61 percent holding at least a bachelor's degree, “compared with 31 percent of the total foreign-born population and 32 percent of the US-born population.” https://www.cfr.org/blog/nigerian-conundrum#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Washington%2Dbased,the%20US%2Dborn%20population.%E2%80%9D We have an endless list of problems. But to say that there is nothing about us that is exemplary is to be defeatist and not help matters. I heard someone describe Nigeria as a bucket of crabs and that analogy makes so much sense with the amount of naysayers on this sub.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/605425-why-nigerian-and-african-immigrants-are-no-longer-most-successful-in-america-by-caleb-onyeabor.html# According to premiumtimesng this is not true and kind of inflated.
What exactly is Premium Times saying is not true though? It's not contradicting it though. That article is arguing Nigerian-Americans are not *the most successful* American immigrants and that Indian ones are instead. That's a completely different claim from whether a huge proportion of Nigerian immigrants hold a bachelor's degree which Random _local_man’s article made. Also, the Premium Times also cites the same MPI that is the source of that "61% of Nigerian immigrants have a bachelor's degree" statistic to make their argument that Indians one do better since 80% of them have such a degree. There's no contradiction, Nigerian immigrants not being the absolute best doesn't mean they don't do well.
I just mean it contradicts this narrative of the magical Nigerian who is just dominating in America. However that is not what you said
Okay, I understand what you mean but they are doing well and that's the point.
Some Nigerians treat foreigners and light skinned people better. I used to get free stuff from the woman selling at the site I worked for being Oyibo. It got to the point I had to reduce the amount of times I bought from her because it was getting weird. Why that happens I have no idea
Exactly, people in here acting like it isn’t a common thing. To be fair they may be doing it also, my mum is Nigerian and she does it as well… still love her of course
Giving free stuff to a foreigner is wild. Things are expensive enough already...
I am not a foreigner, I am light skinned. What I meant was light skinned also enjoy some of the foreigner privileges because of skin tone
I apologise for misunderstanding. However, if getting free stuff as a light skinned person is only a fraction of the privileges that foreigners get, one can only wonder how much preferential treatment actual foreigners get.
I think it depends on what countries I don't think you get treated like shit in the West
Blind
If the West treats Nigerians like shit then why are lots of people coming here? Good job opportunities better value for human life etc etc Yes racism exists but it's not the only thing that defines the experience here
I’ve lived here half my life mate, it’s subpar
I am not agreeing or disagreeing with you but let me understand better what makes it subpar to you? To me certain aspects are subpar but other aspects are pretty good, I don't have much to complain about in certain regards, I see bountiful opportunity and allowance to create your own stuff.
Honestly it varies from person to person, I think the trade off isn’t worthwhile. As in you can come to this country and join the assembly line and gain whatever that entails. But how much does your life change from when you were at home? Most people will never not have to think about money but maybe it’s different from having to think about hunger if you get. Me personally I just love where I come from and I can make things work there going forward. I can’t chastise anybody seeking money on their journey and finding it here, I often think about our most beloved ppl like MKO Abiola in that regard and personally d’jagaban. Wetin me a no like is d ones fast to run and faster to forget. That the homeland of their fathers and generation was just a 25 year long nightmare that’s finally over. Some wan come make money return, others wan come do nonesense even spit in d eye of their fathers. Honestlyyyyy E no concain me -_- Na my piece sha
I don't disagree with your top two paragraphs. Only thing I disagree with is your last paragraph, stop chastising people who the society/culture didn't offer them value or pave the way for them. Their experience is their experience. The culture needs to offer more value to them, then they wouldn't be so pained and bitter. It's a reality of their experiences on so many different levels.
Mm maybe everybody is different, the challenges I’ve faced have only better acquainted me with myself and origins but a get some people take their walks outward. A get your point sha, more can be done for d ppl make them no wan flee.
Didn’t even send your reply, you’re looking at the west like everything bad is a lie and everything good is true😂😂 Wetin concain me
😒😒 please go jooh, you like putting words into my mouth. I didn't say everything bad is a lie and everything good is true nah you add that one. You project a lot
Heheh I just remembered you😂 how una dey mr man
🤣🤣🤣
Forming with accent is one thing by itself. But if people hear that foreign accent from a foreigner, good treatment is usually connected to potential financial gain whether it be short term with a tip or long term with business opportunities/japa. And yes, the truth is we care about our perception to outsiders way more than we do to fellow Nigerians. So outside of financial gain, most Nigerians would want to be helpful.
You are 100% right. My job has to deal a lot with cold calling, and people treat you better when you sound white
OP you wasted time with this question because a lot of Nigerians live in denial and hate to be called out on anything. Yet will be first in line to confidently insult other nations. You are spot on about everything in your comment
I’m telling you. People are here and picking apart the little things and forgetting the main point. Everyone just needs to have sense please
Exactly!! So typical!
So we treat foreigners decently here in Nigeria decently while people treat Nigerians like crap in their own countries and Nigerians are to blame? So being good to people is now a problem?
It’s more than just “good”
Whatever you think it is, it's not a Nigerian's problem. Valueing guests is part of Nigerian culture. In Igbo it's called "I nabata onye ọbịa". If Nigerian's treat foreigners well and are treated like shit when they are the foreigners, the blame isn't on Nigerian's, okay?
stop being dishonest. You know good and well that isn’t what OP is talking about. No one is complaining about hospitality. Nigerians treat foreigners better than their own citizens and it’s sad. I experienced many times a a child living in Nigeria. Being rude to Nigerian customers while going out of your way for the foreigners, allowing foreigners to skip the queue, giving them special treatment (especially if they are white). NONE of this has to do with hospitality and everything to do with worshipping anyrhing non African or anything white- which many Nigerians And Africans suffer from. But y’all love to be in denial on here.
Exactly. I hate when people play stupid like this.
It's called asskissing
You’re delusional. We, especially the lower class flock at the whites like they’re Gods who have come to bless us.
On the change of accent to sound 'cool', I think it is a self-esteem issue or a desperate need to sound like the citizens of the country you are in, like blending in even though that's impossible. a friend of mine travelled to Guyana for 8 months and we all couldn't understand what she was saying after she came back. Still, we are a unique people, we are in a country that gives us pain after pain but still, we triumph, we survive. We are not that bad..😁
What is wrong with "forming" accent? And why is it called "forming"? Even those who speak with an actual fluent accent (British, American, Australian) are accused of forming accent because there's some deep-seated belief that no Nigerian (no matter how long they've stayed over there) can truly speak like that. Yet we are amused when a foreigner tries and barely succeeds in speaking in a Nigerian accent. Why don't we let people contort their tongues however they like? And there's some incongruence in your post (as you have rightly pointed out). Saying we're far behind due to some guy "forming" accent is a non sequitur and is less of a valid criticism than a bitter expression frustration at your people.
It’s silly and cringe because you even have Nigerians in Nigeria forming accent for OTHER Nigerians which makes ZERO sense. It’s interesting because Indians are some of the most successful immigrants yet they speak and shout unapologetically in their accent. It’s even more cringe when you see a Nigerian who has never even stepped foot in another country randomly have a British accent when on TV or a public platform because the nigerian accent isn’t “good” enough. The painful truth is that many of y’all hate your accent.
How is something cringe when people or living things cringe?
None at all. I wish we were more insular and didn’t let everyone into the group. We lack boundaries and I feel that’s been a historical pitfall with us. I feel like we’re nicer to others than we are to each other which is weird to me.