WHO IS A BRITISH NIGERIAN?

The other day I was celebrating the fact that l’ve lived and survived in Nigerian for 8 years. One of my facebook friends said, ‘’but you are an Nigerian,’’ And I responded with ‘’yes I am a British Nigerian’’. And we both laughed out loud in cyber space. So let me ponder more on what makes me both? Here are my answers.

Heartfelt

I am a hybrid of the two worlds. I feel both British and Nigerian. As I said in my very first blog post, I’ve lived in two continents at different stages of my life so I can identify with both cultures. This is not so for everyone. Some people relocate to the UK or Naija and spend over 50 years there and still feel either fully British or Nigerian. It just depends on your heart because remember the saying, ‘’Home is where the heart is.’’

Culture

I embrace both cultures. This means I embrace the ideas, customs and social behaviour of both countries.  I don’t think I will ever embrace the ‘’Nigerian time’’ excuse for lateness or the British stiff upper lip for being unemotional. I have learnt to be a professional from my time spent working in the UK and I have learnt to be bold in Lagos, especially as an entrepreneur. I try and choose the good ones from both sides.

Accent

No matter how long I live in Nigeria, I will always have a London accent and that is because once you develop an accent as an adult, you rarely loose it. So the London accent is here to stay. That is not to say that I cant switch and speak with a Naija accent when I need to. But my main accent will always be that of a Londoner. And quite frankly, I like it.

Food

I love bangers and mash as much as I love eba and okra soup. I also like making a British Sunday roast for the family with all the added extras, even in Lagos. As soon as I visit London I always look out for a local fish n chips joint. I love my Naija delicacies too including various soup dishes like Okra or Egusi as well as corn, coconut and ube and not forgetting my malt drink. 

Switch & Match

As soon as I land in London, I am able to switch back to being British and the same can be said for when I am in Lagos. There's an art to it you know. I just cant explain it. But those that know, know.

Name

I am blessed to have two names that emphasize my unique cultural identity. To my London friends I am Rita or R-ia and to my Nigerian friends I am RiRi. How cool is that? So I can conclude that I am indeed a true British Nigerian. 

Please remember that there's no rule for what you are. It really depends on you and what's important to you. 

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