Hi, it's Biola 💯

WHEN NIGERIA’S BAD NEWS TRAVELS FASTER THAN ITS ACHIEVEMENTS. 1/ There is something troubling about the silence surrounding the Flamingos’ historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory. An accident on Third Mainland Bridge happens, and within minutes, Nigerians in the diaspora know. A shooting in Oshodi happens, and the story travels instantly. But Nigeria makes sporting history, and suddenly, some timelines go quiet. 2/ I think we need to look beyond the diaspora’s apparent reluctance to celebrate Nigeria. There is an information ecosystem at play. A significant number of Nigerians abroad depend on information supplied by Nigerian media, influencers, bloggers and social media commentators to understand what is happening back home. 3/ These information distributors have enormous influence over what travels, what trends and what becomes a subject of conversation within diaspora communities. When negative stories receive immediate amplification while positive developments receive little or no attention, a distorted picture of Nigeria gradually emerges. The diaspora may not be seeing the whole Nigeria. It may be seeing the Nigeria that its information gatekeepers consistently choose to present. 4/ But there is another dimension: selective patriotism. Sometimes, political disagreements and resentment towards a government become so consuming that people struggle to acknowledge anything positive about their country. They become conditioned to search for what is wrong, even when something extraordinary has happened. 5/ You can dislike the government and still love Nigeria. You can oppose the president, condemn corruption, criticise policies and demand accountability while celebrating Nigerian athletes, innovators, entrepreneurs and young people doing extraordinary things. These positions are not mutually exclusive. 6/ The Flamingos did not win this trophy for a political party, an administration or an individual. They won it through talent, hard work and determination. Their victory belongs to them, Nigeria and Africa. Why should their moment of glory become collateral damage in our political disagreements? 7/ I am not advocating propaganda or the suppression of negative news. Nigeria’s challenges deserve attention. Investigative journalism and accountability are essential. But why are we so efficient at exporting our bad news and seemingly less enthusiastic about distributing our achievements? Why should tragedy travel faster than triumph? 8/ Those who have assumed the responsibility of informing and influencing Nigerians abroad must recognise that their platforms carry responsibilities. The diaspora must equally look beyond its familiar information channels and seek a more balanced understanding of developments back home. 9/ A country’s failures should never be concealed. But neither should its achievements be deliberately or inadvertently buried. When a nation is represented to its people abroad almost exclusively through its tragedies, we are not presenting the full story of that nation. We are presenting a distortion. 10/ Patriotism should not be conditional on political agreement. Do not allow your disagreement with a government to become an inability to celebrate your country. Congratulations, Flamingos. You have made history for Nigeria and Africa. Your achievement deserves to travel as far as every negative headline about Nigeria has ever travelled. 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬