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| Nigeria is incredibly diverse. It would be a mistake to stereotype Nigerians since there were 132 million of them in 2006. As the most populous country in Africa, you will find many religions, cultures and ethnicities represented... all colorful threads in a huge social fabric. There is only one thing I will say stereotypically about Nigerians: they are the loudest people in the room (louder, even while less numerous, than Americans)
As an outsider, you can also make big mistakes if you begin to divide up the country by socioeconomic groups in order to better understand it: north/south, Christian/Muslim, urban/rural, rich/poor, federalist/separatist and so forth. To truly understand the complex fabric of Nigeria's society and culture is a feat even its leaders have not been able to achieve since independence. Maybe this is why democracy has proved challenging.
Journalists, political scientists and sociologists have come to very negative conclusions about Nigeria on the whole. Sensational stories about the country flood the world headlines each year: oil terrorists kidnap foreign workers, bodies in the road in Lagos, muslims lynch christians, christians burn mosques, etc. But why are they the happiest people on earth, according to a recent poll? It seems a whole other side of the equation is missing. While you may think that society is corrupt, violent and dangerous, you may be utterly surprised when you find generosity, warmth and intelligence.
The entire civil service, government, military, academic and other social sectors have worked hard to unify the country in the face of ever deepening divisions. And to a large scale, these tactics are working. Policy, media and programs all work to counteract factionalism. They know that the only way Nigeria will remain strong is if its people stand together.
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