Nigeria: Are We Hopeless Hopefuls?
Nigerians are generally perceived as a happy people, a people known for wearing a smile even in the face of adversity. That's why the late Afro-Beat musician and social activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti described them as a "suffering and smiling" people. What is less known, or less discussed, about them is that they are also a very hopeful people. Ordinarily, hope is the feeling or anticipation that your situation will improve, that events will turn out in your favour or for the better, or that you will be able to get what you want or desire. For Nigerians, however, hope is a philosophy of survival, a philosophy that makes the sufferer anticipate a better tomorrow, even when there is no practical basis for improvement or change for the better. The Nigerian philosophy of hope is fuelled by cultural, spiritual and political factors. Although Nigeria is made up of various ethnic groups, there is a shared philosophy of hope by which the people anticipate improvement in their cond