Have you ever thought about a battle cry for Nigerians, a battle cry to remind us of our true root(not that the British gave us), or that evident in the media of our brothers and sisters drowning while trying to cross a sea of ‘perceived hope’, a battle cry to help us overcome as a people the falsehood of our supposed representatives, a battle cry to help us face our glorious future – a battle cry to help us face a past that was denied and a future that feels very present. Here it is, poem by Nkiru Asika –
I am a Nigerian.
I am one in 5 Africans.
I am one in 8 Black people, anywhere in the world.
I am a Nobel Prize Winner.
An Olympic Gold Medalist.
A Grammy Award Winner.
A Soccer Champion.
A Prince of the Vatican.
An Oscar Nominee.
A Giant of Literature.
A Distinguished Scientist.
A Musical Icon.
My roots lie in the dusty Sahel of the North; in the rich rainforests of the East;
in the Savannah plains of the West; in the oil-filled swamps of the Delta;
in the warmth of our villages and the vibrancy of our cities.
My strength flows from the waters of the Niger and the Benue.
My joy springs from the rush of Gurara Falls and the natural wonders of Yankari.
Nigeria is my rock.
Nigeria is my hope.
Nigeria is my home.
I am the voice of two hundred tribes, speaking three hundred languages.
I am the dance of the circle of life.
I am the laughter of the world’s happiest people.
I am nourished by the crop of the soil, fed by the bounty of the rivers.
I am your neighbour.
I am your friend.
I am a warrior, priest, king.
I am a mother, teacher, queen.
I am my brother’s keeper.
I am a sage from an ancient civilization.
I am a child in the youngest nation on earth.
I am the beauty,
I am the sound,
I am the vision,
I am the spirit,
I am the passion,
I am the soul of a Continent.
I am a Nigerian.
I am the HEART OF AFRICA