Dating Nigerian and Proud!
Posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at 10:44 AMBy Omonike Odi
When I was five, I had a Ghanaian friend named Lora. When Lora came to play one day, she said “my daddy has gone to werk?” In my wee wisdom I said “Lora it’s not werk, it’s work” and she said “it’s not work it’s werk!” That was our first argument!
This reminds me of my Nigerian- born,Lagos-bred friend whose Yoruba accent is thickly laced over his perfect Queen’s English. He would say “ed’ when he meant to say “head” because the consonant ‘h’ is misplaced in the Yoruba “konsonanti”. The fact is where we are raised affects not only how we speak but our mannerisms and behaviour as well. It even defines our dating experiences.
If you’re dating a home bred Nigerian guy a.k.a Bobo, chances are, your man has the local flavour and if he was raised abroad a.k.a Boo, then your palate has adapted to a ‘naija’ guy spiced with an intercontinental taste. So is your man a Bobo or a boo?
If he can pass for a ‘local’ on the outside but is an “oyibo” on the inside, you can be certain you have a Boo! You can tell because he doesn’t wear “Ankara” but always looks spiffy in crisp shirts from Next or Gap. He calls you “Baby” and uses intangible pet names like “Snugglebunny” to describe you. And yes, he doesn’t always get your innuendos and you don’t hear everything he says the first time, but when he says “I love you” in that foreign accent, you know his is the voice you want to hear first thing when you wake up and last thing before you fall asleep! He knows how to pamper and spoil you and gives you flowers, chocolates, perfumes, and designer clothes from his trips abroad. He is quite the gentleman and pulls out your chair and opens the door for you. He doesn’t mind that you’re career driven and is quick to support you whether you want to be a doctor or an artist. When he tells you sweet nothings, you blush and giggle because even though you know it’s absolute rubbish, it makes perfect sense!
And if he says “I ‘rove’ you” when he means “I ‘love’ you”, then you know you have a Bobo! You may fault his phonetics but there’s plenty to like about this son of the soil. With the right steel in his chest and the perfect pout on his lips, you can’t deny you secretly like his swagger and that almost brash way he talks in ‘naija’ slang. He says stuff like “no long thing” and calls you pet names like “o baby”, “sweetim” or “Nne”, mother because yours reminds him of his mother’s love. He takes you to eat “Nkwobi” and “Isi ewu” and knows where to find the best “point and kill” joints where you can eat fresh fish. And even though he is not from your home town, he has won your family over and whenever he comes to visit, your siblings know that “big bros” is around. He understands the igbo word- “maintenance moni” and doesn’t wait for you to ask but just takes care of it. He buys your recharge cards and doesn’t expect you to spend all of it on him and yes, he’s even man enough to tell you when he’s broke!
Regardless of the tonal inflections of his tribal language on the english language or the cultural imprint of his environment on his behaviour, a man who has the fear of God, who can take care of you and be the man you need is not all glitter but pure gold!
So ladies, lets make a toast, to the Nigerian man.
Naija man wey sabi!
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Omonike Odi is a freelance writer and a media content provider on all media platforms. Read more from her on her blog at http://omonaikee.blogspot.com where this week she interviews a very special guest check on it or follow her on twitter for daily inspirational quotes at https://twitter.com/omonaikee or contact her – omonaikee@yahoo.com
Toast Τ̲̅☺ my bobo,love u muchous
A toast to Ghanaian men……..kisses and not forgetting our neighbors Naija
Well said, so like doll, i raise a toast to my boo, love you stax…..
I love my nigerian bobo, Akungba for that matter!
Chei! Too funny… Abeg, wetin be Akungba?
Yes oh, to all our Bobos and Boos alike…
OMGosh! You described the bobo perfectly, not leaving a detail behind…ℓ☺ℓ
Well, I’ve had my fair share of bobos. It’s time 4 a boo joor.
A toast to my boo…..love you loads
killed at the differences, so true….love the piece, about time we recognise what is good and give it the right kudos!
l sincerely love this write up, it describes ma ex-bobo and ma boo, lol
mine is bobo and boo mixed together. has never lived abroad and still doesn’t have any nigerian accent. Treats me like a boo would and wouldn’t hesitate to take me to Yahuza. So wetin we go call that type
booboo
Hate to break it to you… but it’s impossible for your BooBobo not to have a Nigerian accent if he’s never lived anywhere else but Nigeria. I think you meant to say he doesn’t have a yoruba, hausa or an igbo accent… anyways I agree with you on everything else sha, my man is a bobo & a boo mixed together. The line between the boo & the bobo is so blurred that I don’t know where one starts and the other ends. We speak mostly Igbo to each other and he calls me Nne, he is well-read, non-traditional, progressive, & open minded. Whenever we discuss issues, he’s so articulate, reasonable and logical that I marvel at the fact that he’s never left Nigeria yet he thinks like a world traveller. He definitely has the best of both Boo & Bobo
That’s true. Like you said, his accent may not be Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa, but if you were born in Nigeria, and lived there all your life, you def will have a Nigerian accent, and this is not a bad thing as every place has its unique accent – various American accents, Canadian, English, French…you name it.
‘So is your man a bobo or a boo?’ Loves it!!! My man is a mixture of both oh… But i ‘roff’ him still!
LOVE THIS!.
Boo all the way
i think my man is a bob-boo. He’s caught in the middle and i love the healthy mix. Cheers beau!
to my ghanaian or nigerian bobo or boo our african men are just wonderful to be with.
I salute my boo with a ting of bobo.
I salute my boo with a tinge of bobo
i don laff tire, but I love this write up die, I ‘ Rove’ my Bobo ooooooooo, though he is a mixture of both sha ‘cos his Yoruba is not all dat Gbaski , but he no oyinbo finish sha.
Good write up and really down to earth.
yes o naija men are the best….:)
mi likey..:-)
Nice writeup, but its a bit exaggerated. most learned nigerian men have a good mix of both bobo and boo. i for one wouldnt prefer it any other way. A boo will seem to superficial for me and a bobo will be too crass. Cheers to the perfect blend of both.
Good piece,keep up the good work.
awwww…perfect write-up…..to my bobo boo…luv u hopelessly:)
I love my ‘Bobo’! Got me at ‘point and kill joints’.lmao
YES ooo…mine is a boo and bobo all wrapped in one! Toast to my bestfriend, big brother, partner and lover.. J, love him to bits!!!
I have a bobo but it annoys me most time when he doesn’t get words right I think I need a boo no matter how my mum and siblings love him
I don’t really think these differences apply. And I think I might just scream the next time the word ‘oyinbo’ (white) is used, simply because someone was brought up in another country.
LOL! Lovely write-up! My ayanfe is definitely a blend of both. Prefer it that way jare, all that boo ish na looooong thing!
LOL! Lovely write-up! My ayanfe is definitely a blend of both. Prefer it that way jare, all that boo ish na looooong thing!!
Why oh! Why does it always have to be about the money ladies? For the boo, she loves cos “He knows how to pamper and spoil you and gives you flowers, chocolates, perfumes, and designer clothes from his trips abroad”.
and the bobo cos He takes you to eat “Nkwobi” and “Isi ewu” and knows where to find the best “point and kill” joints where you can eat fresh fish. And even though he is not from your home town……….. your family love him becouse he understands “maintenance moni”. SMH!!!
I don’t think the writer is necessarily advocating the love of the money the boo or bobo spends on his chick, her statements seem to mainly point out the different ways he appreciates her.
My ex-boo (with dollops of bobo in him) gave me a slot of driving lessons as a valentine’s gift last year and I thought it was sweet because even though he didn’t pay for all of my lessons (which aren’t cheap at all in jand & he gave me 6 to start me off although I ended up using a total number of 23 lessons), he knew I was keen to start driving and did something thoughtful about it. He also gave me my first copy of the Highway Code.
I paid for the other 17 lessons that were needed and passed my test on the first go. I’ll always remember him for being the one who encouraged me to get my UK license.
Ok…….therein lies my problem with why most ladies are still single, it is because of this selfish approach of me, me, me.
Lord help men.
PS: I’m a woman
echoing my sentiments – came across as a materialistic piece.
your point about materialism here is as irrelevant as Eedris Abdulkareem is to Naija music now! whaattt! where did u grow up dat u cannot identify these traits amongst Nigerian men! The article was focused on ‘the way’ each kind operates not how much they spend…what is wrong with u… So if a man pends one naira on a woman he loves (at his own will) it is suddenly a materialistic relationship!! come of it abeg… The fact that regardless of the kind of men in d two scenarios, both types device a way of expressing care and showing love to their partners, goes to show that IT IS A NATURAL PART OF LOVE TO GIVEEEEEEE!!!!! it doesnt always come down to naira and kobo, but Love is Giving and giving isnt always about money or material things! it is the giving of ones self and all u have to offer to someone u truly want the best for….How is dat a crime again??? If u don’t want anyone to Give to u, carry ur over zealousness n go n pray to God to stop givers from coming ur way…. and enjoy it!! But pls dont come here to form speaking d truth!
Bobo-boo combination all the way! lovely write up!
hahhhhaha i LOVE this article
Nice write up either bobo or boo Nigerian men are super duper AWOooooooooooooooooooooo
Babe u get am……….o na gba ka m isi anytime i hear our 9ja brodas who speak perfect english like u just describe switch to displaying our traits…….it swells my pride.
I don’t have a “bobo” or a “boo”. I have a “boo boo”, which is what I call my husband. He is a little bit of everything; local flavor with plenty of international swagger. I have a lot of love for him.
got me laughing….hehehehe….
cheeeiii …. my own na bobo boo a perfect blend of posh, tush and NKWOBI buhahhahaha
i love my ‘Bobo-boo’ – he’s an original village boy all polished up, so I got the best of both worlds! A toast to you, Prof ’tisco!
I love my Ghanaman. Born and bread in Ghana with a lot of travelling experince. He is all that a girl needs
Love it!! A toast to my Boboo, my Naija guy is the perfect combination of both x
the best article in a while…..lovely!guess i wld love a fine mixture of bobo and boo..
i luv my booboo so much,he is a mixture of d 2.kisses baby.
My husband is a perfect blend of bobo-boo but i love it when he goes the ‘bobo’ way cos i get to eat some locals baby
awwww @ the article.. finally BN is uploading ohh…
I love alot of boo but a blend of bobo will make it a whole nice package…. (am a combination of both myself a babe and a baybee lol. (just made up). besides, we can be razz together and do our thing.
nnamen…………..henhenehe lipsealed God pls giv us wisdom to no d fakeones and realones i fear boo…………..so i hav never dated one……… thou am a career lady………….
‘Bo’ haha!
So i forwarded the article to my boo and here’s the reply…..
Hey Snugglebunny,
I think the mail encapsulates every notable quality I exude and bereft of anything you abhor my dear. Quite frankly though, I’m not familiar with the term ‘maintenance moni ohh’…..
But I’m sure we can always come to an amicable compromise with regards the aforementioned term above as I’m sure you dont want your ‘boo’ to age before his time my dear…..
Anyway ‘nne’, I look foward to sharing a bowl of catfish with you when next I set my eyes on you….
I ‘rove you’……..
lol
That just made me smile
Congratulations on having a correct guy!
lol! Such a cool sense of humour.
too funny! i hereby pronounce him mr totality!
EL-OH-Freaking-EL!!!!
i love this piece. it makes me smile. A big toast to my boo or bobo, he seems to have the qualities of both. i love you pieces
lovely!!!! man
So i forwarded the article to my boo and here’s the reply…..
Hey Snugglebunny,
I think the mail encapsulates every notable quality I exude and bereft of anything you abhor my dear. Quite frankly though, I’m not familiar with the term ‘maintenance moni ohh’…..
But I’m sure we can always come to an amicable compromise with regards the aforementioned term above as I’m sure you dont want your ‘boo’ to age before his time my dear…..
Anyway ‘nne’, I look foward to sharing a bowl of catfish with you when next I set my eyes on you….
I ‘rove you’……..
So is he a boo or bobo? LOL
awwwwwww this is hilarious!
A toast to love, it doesnt matter where your man come’s from Nigerian or Ghanaian. Rich or poor. If he is a bobo and you correct him, he should be willing to improve words or mannerisms because he loves you and its not about stupid pride. If he is a boo he should value your thoughts also and not justify stupid actions by the fact that “afterall I paid for x y z so keep quiet!” when there is a fight.
I really enjoyed this Note..am enjoying the mixture of the Boo and Bobo.
Nice one, tumbs up all them bobos!!!
The first article I’m reading this year. I love
Nice article. Made me smile!
I’m married to a Bobo and I’m happy and proud to be his wife
Awww,nice article.I have a bobo who is a bobo & I can do no wrong in his eyes.rove u Is-love,can’t wait to have ur babies…
Very sharable article. Love it.
Bobo, Boo, all good.
I love this article! I love it too much! i was dating a typical niaja bobo who i loved so much! Now i’m with a Ghanaian boo boo…who has a bit of naija in him! Lol!
i love my boo!!!! sadly i have come to realise that me and bobos are worlds aparts partly due to myvery western ubringing dated one once and we couldn’t cope my reasoning and his were completely different but strangely enough i seem to have a lot of them as friends. (both non-nigerian but african none the less so i guess the same ideology applies)
lovely article..it reminds me so much of my boo…i love my boo so much…he’s so not a bobo and i love him that way…
Abeg, bobo anyday, mixed with the fear of God, educated and got his priorities in check..that’s as real as it gets!
I loooooooooooooooooooove this article! I’ve been in 3 relationships in my life time but none of them compares to the aforementioned! I hope I get a boo-bobo soon! Amen!
Chei……Lord when am I going to get my own bobo or boo….any 1 wld do he just has to be God fearing sikena
hmnnn..seems most people claim bobo and boo..he is what he is..you know, he knows..so no ‘posing’ ha!
Yay!!!! BN is B-A-C-K! My man is a bob-boo, an amazing mix of both o lol. “a man who has the fear of God, who can take care of you and be the man you need is not all glitter but pure gold!” – my best part of the article. Love it
Thank You Ladies…LOL
This is nice’ kudos mr writer, and 2 all d bobos and boos out there’ just make your woman happy’ thats the key 2 a happy relationship.
All I know is that he is “a man who has the fear of God, who takes care of me and is all the man I need”…I call him my onitemi
I don’t even have any. I want me some mix of bobo and boo.28420124 add me. BN publish o.
my sis i feel u,also dere
When you love/like a man, all this boo or bobo becomes a superficial thing to focus on, it doesn’t matter anymore. A bobo can change to a boo if he wants to. African men are stuck in their ways, because they believe their culture and their ways is the best. Not always the best approach but understandable. Boo, is more of adopting an American way of life. When I was younger, I said I don’t want a man like my dad because he’s a real typical nigerian man. My dad takes so much pride in his culture that he deliberately doesn’t want to adopt any other way. I’m currently dating this guy I met in college, he was an international student straight from Nigeria at that time. I was happy to see another black person in the midst of all these Asian and Jewish students. When we first started dating, it was like we spoke two different languages. He didn’t get the way I talked and I definitely didn’t get a lot of his jokes or his naija slangs. But for some reason, I liked him because he’s godly, a good man with a big heart that’s all that matters. He’s more of a bobo than boo and I love it. I rove my Nigerian men.
Well written article,I love it
Mine is a boo! love him! love him! love him!
Really funny lol
very lovely write up!!! a toast to love….whether na boo or bobo or d bob-boo!
well I guess I have a bobo morphing into boo after 10 years in America. Love him nontheless. cheers.
Omg! Mines a cross between bobo and boo! More of a boo though… Boobo. He aiiiit. *blush*
i rove my bobo
well said…..on point. mine calls me ‘mama’,blowin him a kiss
Lovely delivery
I drink to this…….toast…….*wink*
Wat a fantabulous description,but u didn,t talk abt d nigeria local gal n d white clean gal.
excellent piece
Glad you all enjoyed it! There’s more- http://www.omonaikee.blogspot.com
Really like this article. For those who have an issue with the guy spending on you, split the cost of his gift to you (ITK!). In the quest to prove your independence, don’t forget that most men, the world over, enjoy pampering their ladies. There’s just no pleasing you lot.
I have a Boytoy who is a Boo at the table and a Bobo in bed. When I have a booboo and cry boohoo, his boyboy makes me say ‘Oy….just kidding
Nice one Nike! Never knew you could write. Worship Team is proud of you!
Nice one Nike! Never knew you were a writer. Worship Team is proud of you!
Nice one Omonyki. my bobobo0 is just correct. i am also his Snugglebunny/asampete/apunanwu
Mine has it all..in luv with my bobo…oops boo.
CHEERS to Naija Men! The best men in the world! Lord abeg, send “him” come sharp in Jesus Name!
Good one! Very humorous and lighthearted piece
Love this piece, a toast to my boo
This article is so recycled… I have definitely read it somewhere before…. anyway I love my boo with seasonal bobo attributes
This is lovely! It got me really laughing! & just so everyone knows, i LOVE my BOBO o!!!!!
this article make me feel all sorts… used to date a boo…but it ended *mysteriously*…. for next time, i’ld rather a mix of both.
You’ll be just fine gurl! Get ready for the best mix ever! *wink*
boo i love u wit al ma bein
I married a boo with a hint of bobo.Love him to bits. By the way, he is 100% born and raised in Nigeria.
I know this is going to sound very “iffy” of me, but I do not think the man described as the ‘boo’ would wear crisp shirts from Next or Gap? Do these high street brands (especially Gap), even make suiting and formal wear?
Perhaps, these labels should have been replaced with Harvie and Hudson; Hilditch and Key; Savile Row Company. Maybe, even Paul Smith or TM Lewin.
I am only suggesting this because, the Ghanaian and Nigerian men I know that fit the ‘boo’ description, have impeccable taste and style!
Unfortunately I done have a boo or bobo….. and i dont wanna date anyone because they fall into any of them classes…all i want is a Godly man that will love me (like the bone of his bone) and take care of me!
*don’t
only ladies r talking here……..where r the men oooo
we need men suggestion here
I luv ma Ghanain man who is a bobo n trying had to become a boo.i jx luv him 2 è bits cos he makes me happy.babe, l luv u 2 è max.kiss kiss!
to all my bobo and boo, everything naija i hail ooooooooooooooo
better say “i love u” in in yoruba than say “i rove u” cos u will just leave me laughing out my lungs…..
lmao….love you boobo
kudos to our nija guys. i love you david. my boo.
Another gbosa for my mixed breed “bobo and boo”…He calls me baby and sends me flowers all d way from naija and still takes me to the maddest asun joint and cat-fish peppersoup joint!!! I heart my man plenty… irreplaceable…
Nicely put together piece
Most of all, a man that pants after God’s heart
An enjoyable read too.
I’d appreciate a nice blend o’ both worlds…a boobo
Hi Nike, I love this write -up. You go girl! BTW, Pls whatever happened to the Ghanaian friend of yours?
I am looking for her- her name is really Lora and we really did argue over the pronounciation of the word “work”. She relocated back to Ghana and I hope I meet her again someday, I have a picture of both of us taken on my 4th or 5th birthday! Lol!
Ive always had this thing for Ghanian men anyway… I used to have some of them as my superiors at work. There is is just this calmness with ghanian men. I like their accent too.
As for boo or bobo, na beta work i dey find for now. I think ive seen him but this 9 year age difference between us is a bit too wide. Still praying to God though**
I am a bobo to the hilt. Nothing do me!!
Am so lovin dis piece, kip it up nike…really lightened ma mood…also wud lyk a mixture of both(boo n bobo)…lol
Thank you! and glad it lightened your mood
a toast to my future boo lol
A perfect blend will do the trick for me, I need u to be as Nigerian as u can be, and still know how far. So cheers to my future booboo
what a great story
lmao! no doubt i admire the bobo profile but i see myself ending up with a boo! i toast to that!
What about “bekee” aka “oyibo”. Toast to my Bekee joor
This piece is so hilarious but makes sense. A toast to all the good bobos and boos in Naija and beyond.
Im a proud african man… and not ashamed of my identity… Im a real bobo buh have some elements of the boo in me.. which I seldom appreciate…. I would love to cook some pepper soup
for my lady… mixed with agidi and in the evening give her some fura and nono to drink shikena!
This just made my evening.Mine is a pinch of boo and another pinch of bobo.Lemmie explain – im not Nigerian, so when a guy asks to buy pepe soup on our first encounter i went NUMB.Aparently, his buddies had dared him to come talk to me and thats the best he could do! We are so inseparable now, i love him and looking forward to hitting Lagos soon.
i prefer a bobo dat pays all my bills i dont want a boo that will tell me to share d bill when we go out for dinner..
Typical NAija BABE..ALWAYS WANTS SOMEONE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER WELFARE…up to her undies…the world has changed…we like our women independent…
toast to ma ‘Boo Bobo’. He’s da best of both worlds
Cheers to my boo… LOV YA LOADS…
lolest yall r killing me i have a bobo-boo here in SA his pet name for me is Nkiruka and i call him Nunu or papikie he cracks me up when he tries to be romantic cant wait to hit naija he raves about the food and entertainment there so far i love bitter leaf and egusi soup and i can make jelof rice *naughtychuckle*
i want a sweet sugar mummy