ciao!!!!

And by the way, if readers don’t like the subject matter then next time we won’t read. I’m sorry you were hoping for everyone to just mindlessly praise it but I felt (and so did some other people) that it was not reflective of Nigerians.

If you think I misquoted you, that’s your business. Both my comments and yours are up there so whoever wants to be the judge of that can do that. I’m not discussing this with you any longer. I have said what I intended to say. I cannot and will not attempt to force a writer to write something that they do not want to write about. If the subject matter doesn’t interest me, I will simply not read it. I do not understand why just because I have a different opinion you are insistent on forcing me to agree with you. And last time I checked, commenting on an open story that was posted only a couple of days ago did not classify as ‘dwelling on the issue’.

Get a life Bebe. You’re hardly one to talk about the relevance of my opinions. As long as I am Nigerian my opinion IS relevant. If you don’t like it, suck it up and deal.

Obama has no effect on Nigerians other than being just another figure with aspirational qualities.

And yes, a Nigerian born in Nigeria CANNOT dream of becoming the President of the United States because the US constitution bars anyone not born on US soil from becoming President. Why do you think so many people are determined to prove that Obama was born in Kenya? Because it would make him ineligible for the Presidency and he would have to be removed.

And no, I did NOT gain a spring in my step just because Obama became president. While I was undoubtedly happy for him, and while I acknowledged the significance of his presidency as a mark of progress for Black Americans and other Blacks in America, I did not personally identify with Obama’s win because I, and most Nigerians do not personally identify with his story.

Not only that, I did not delude myself for one second that Obama’s presidency was going to improve race relations in America. In fact, Obama’s presidency has made racism against Blacks in America significantly worse.

The fact that Obama is part African is irrelevant to Nigerians because the fact that he was able to achieve what he did achieve in America is hinged upon the fact that he is American. Hence no African can come out and say “Because of Obama, I too can dream of becoming President of the United States.”

No! You CANNOT. Unless you were born on United States soil, no matter how much you might admire Obama, the dream of becoming POTUS is FOREVER CLOSED TO YOU.

In other words, the only people Obama has a tangible and meaningful effect on are those who are in a position where such an effect from just such a person would be useful to them, which is why Ladi and I are insisting that we discuss the success of NIGERIANS rather than focusing on America.

Showcasing the success of Nigerians in Nigeria actually has the potential to affect other Nigerians in a positive manner. Showcasing the success of Americans in America is simply that. Nothing more. It has no effect on the every day Nigerian because the surrounding circumstances are completely different.

I don’t understand why so many people here are so averse to anyone with a dissenting opinion. This is a very relevant issue: the fact that so many Nigerian publications and media tend to highlight the success of the West over domestic success. I am not saying that we cannot give credit where it is due because Obama being president is definitely a good thing… for the self esteem of Black Americans. However, for Nigerians, Obama being president is irrelevant. Obama is first an American, and only after half-Kenyan. The possibilities open to him are open to him specifically because he is an American. If Obama were not born in Hawaii, all talk of a political career for him would have been moot, no matter the greatness of his desire to have one.

What is known as “The Obama Effect” is the change in mindset that swept across AMERICA after Obama’s election causing young Black Americans to begin to have more positive hopes for the future and to resolve to work towards a more positive and more successful future. This of course manifests in an uptick in work ethic and school performance and school attendance among young Black Americans. That sort of thing.

Obama affects Black Americans this way because they see him as representative of them. They can identify with him even though the very fact that he did not identify with the usual Black American narrative of slavery and oppression was key in helping him appear more suitable as a candidate.

Obama is NOT representative of Nigerians. He’s not even representative of Kenyans… a group of people to whom he even has a legitimate claim. When Obama won the election there were reports of some Kenyans dancing around and singing “we’re going to the White House/America”. I immediately shook my head and laughed because those people were fooling themselves. Obama does not identify with Kenya to the point that he would improve things with Kenya in relation to America to America’s detriment. He identifies with AMERICA first. And trust me, if it came down to America or Kenya and one had to go, he wouldn’t hesitate to blow Kenya off the face of the Earth.

So, let’s stop deluding ourselves. We are very happy for Mr. Obama. It is a good thing that he is President. It was a long time coming. We are also very happy for Black Americans and other Blacks in America that can be directly or indirectly affected by the significance of Mr. Obama’s presidency.

However, if you think for even a moment that Obama somehow has a hand in any positivity in your life personally as a Nigerian in Nigeria (assuming you are a Nigerian in Nigeria), then you need a very serious reality check.

What stops a Nigerian from dreaming. Having ur mind set on opinions like these actually acts as a draw back. A can’t do attitude is one of the things that should be done away with.
Do not forget that Obama is NOT an African American. He has an african father and an american mother…hence he is bi-racial, but not african american,[don't just string the two words together], so when I say he is an inspiration to nigerians, it is on point!
Stop being overly critical of the writers standpoint or views. The Obama effect doesn’t mean he will ‘effect’ the reduction in price of garri. Think intelligently, I’m sure you did english in school and understand figures of speech … or will u say Obama did not help educational system, hence your not knowing not to take words at surface value?!

Also, what socio-economic stratum did that 15,000 come from? For all we know the 15,000 surveyed could have been purely upper-middle to upper class Nigerians, who while they represent a very valid portion of society, are definitely not representative of the whole of the Nigerian experience.

Obama becoming president hasn’t done ANYTHING for Nigerians, but we’re a group of people famous for simply parroting whatever the rest of the world is saying. When America went into recession last year, suddenly Nigerians in Nigeria were complaining about a credit crunch.

I almost died of laughter. What credit crunch? Nigeria has NO CREDIT SYSTEM so for people in Nigeria to be moaning about an imaginary credit crunch to me is absolutely ridiculous, yet it almost became a buzz word even in discussions that did NOT directly involve bank-to-bank loans/transactions.

We should be talking about OUR people, OUR role models, OUR disgraces, OUR issues. Obama hasn’t changed the price of gari neither has he made it easier for a Nigerian undergraduate to get a job in Nigeria so I’m not sure what “effect” he’s supposed to have.

Obama is generally aspirational. Yes, that’s definitely true and I’ll give you that, but Obama is only particularly/especially aspirational to Black Americans. Because Obama became president does not mean that a Nigerian born in Nigeria can get up and dream of becoming the President of the United States.

It just sounds like if Nigerians are obsessed with other people’s problems (especially those in the West). So Obama has the highest seat? Eh heh? People in Africa are still hungry, Nepa aint functioning etc because we are busy screaming Obama instead of pressing for change within. Did he even visit Nigeria? Tschew! And what are the details of this survey?

P.s. I have read your articles from the get-go so I love them was just ‘one kain’ when I read this one.

As a writer, I write about subjects that provokes thoughts within me.

I’m not sure if you’ve read other friday posts but they vary from local, to societal to broader issues.

The moment I start pre-cooking an article to fit a demographic – either geographic or otherwise, then, I would no longer be staying through to my art.

Believe me when I tell you that few have a better grasp of our rich history than I do. And I think to underestimate what Obama becoming the President of the United states has done for Black men and women across the globe (in particular,) our continent is disappointing.

Occupying the most powerful office in the world is no easy task. Just the accomplishment along is enough to inspire the local mechanic, the fruit seller, the bus conductor to aspire or perhaps instil these values in the next generation.

I know this because I collaborated with a local NGO in March to conduct a nationwide survey amongst a cross-section of 15,000 Nigerians to test the impact of Barack Obama taking office.

The results speak for itself.

I really like your interpretation of the subject matter.

I completely dig your spin on the question, and a great answer too.

Great mind!

We are working on the Nigerian scene article at present.

Stay tuned!

Regards,

Thank you for your comment.

I’d like to refer you back to the 4th paragraph. Kindly read again and perhaps you might get the point.

If you have read Renaissance Man in the past, you might appreciate that I don’t write obligatory articles just because I’m Nigerian or live in Nigeria.

I like and truly appreciate how your mind works

Regards,

I’m glad you picked up the point!

Regards,