I've had this on my mind, for some time, and I suppose today is a good day to ask:

Why do Nigerians love begging?

And no, I don't mean the Almajiri style of begging or even the street beggars or Instagram beggers, or even Nairaland beggers, I mean their enablers.

Why do Nigerians love being begged?

In every facet of our nation, people love to dehumanize others in the name of begging. Everybody wants you to beg them;

Has FRSC caught you before? Na beg, VIO, LASTMA, Police, Soldier, immigration officer, virtually every uniform man wants you to beg him. You beg to release your car, beg to reduce the bribe he must collect, beg to have right of way, beg, to be able to get on your flight. Just beg them.....even on top your own money, you must beg.

It doesn't stop with the uniform men though, have you been to any government ministry or parastatal for one thing or the other? Some people's begging starts at the gate, you beg the security men there to allow you pass. You have a job interview, you beg, you want to see a director for a contract, you must beg his secretary, receptionist, or someone, to remember you. And woe betide you, you are poorly dressed, your begging will be double, because, who are you?

A tenant owes rent, the landlord can evict him, but not before making multiple threats and getting a few "Abeg sir", because it is essential to milk every ounce of dignity in your average person, before you can do the needful.

Have you been to the hospital recently? Especially general hospitals, you will beg for everything from bed space to consultation time. Who wan look you? Shebi you're priding in yourself? Siddon there make death dey look you. Even on top your own money, you will beg to be treated like a human being.

In school, you will still beg your teachers and lecturers. Some of these people intentionally fail students, just so they can have a lot of people begging them, "Sir, please, sir, I just want to see my script" that is all. Have you tried to get hostel space? You will still have to beg the portress or administrator. You think you will make progress without calling a few umdeserving people "mummy"? You must have somewhere you can squat, be that.

You wan toast babe and you never learn how to beg? Guy, na ashawo get you be that. Some girls genuinely think you don't like them if you haven't begged them for three months at least, "After all, if he likes you, why didn't he try harder?" Well done o, e be like na you be Jesus wey dey wash away sins. What of inside marriage? "Honey, come and eat" for where? When you haven't begged him? What kind of wife doesn't beg her husband? Una quarrel, beg for forgiveness. You wan smash? Beg for the mekwe.

Some people think intimidation only exists in rich people, but try and cross a poor man, the way you will beg in this life, you will wish you came as an animal.

Nigerians are low key sadists and masochists, those that are not in a position to oppress are just waiting for their turn. It is not only politicians making masses beg for their rights, the masses are oppressing each other as well, in their own limited capacities.

And nothing irks the average Nigerian more than someone that doesn't know how to beg.....e dey pain them die. How are you not begging? Who raised you? How dare you raise your chin in the face of oppression? It annoys the average Nigerian to no end, when they meet the few people that still have something left of their dignity and refuse to grovel at their feet. Those young men challenging SARS? They must be criminals, a young lady asserting her right? Na small girl wey get big mouth, a young man refusing to cower? Ha! No home training, you no sabi talk.

The worst are those ones enabling the oppression, the people who want you to beg, even when you're not wrong. Those ones saying "Madam just beg am, no too talk" or "Instead of you to beg him" or "Oga just beg am, make e die the matter"

Beg for what? Is he holding the Book of Life? Na him get key to heaven's gate? Why are there so many cowards that want to die a thousand deaths in this country? Why are there so many sadists that want to "put people in their place"? Are we a nation cursed to beg?

Nigerians, why do we love begging?

TBH I didn't read everything.

But you dont always have to beg if you totally do the right thing.
The question should be, 'Why do we like shortcuts?'

hmmm...what should I say to this one NW...well everyone wants to be superior

Recently i read an opinion from a celebrity/social media personality that hardly will you see an igbo man or woman begging, which is kind of true when i sit down to reason the statement.

But still i refused it to be a statement of fact.

Have never been to the east before...but i want to believe there will definitely be an igbo man begging somewhere.

professorval1:
TBH I didn't read everything.

But you dont always have to beg if you totally do the right thing.
The question should be, 'Why do we like shortcuts?'

even in the hospitals that people ready to pay ate ignored?

Sometimes the people begging are the ones that want to do the right thing after everyone else has saved time by using shortcut....but you didn't read everything, so.....

tabtabtab:
Recently i read an opinion from a celebrity/social media personality that hardly will you see an igbo man or woman begging, which is kind of true when i sit down to reason the statement.

But still i refused it to be a statement of fact.

Have never been to the east before...but i want to believe there will definitely be an igbo man begging somewhere.

Read the Post, that's not the kind of begging she's talking about.




Nice post Safarigirl. I have also sat down to wonder the same thing but came to the conclusion that many Nigerians are Sadist. Why do I have to beg you to do what you're supposed to do? Ontop my money!

JeffreyJames:
Read the Post, that's not the kind of begging she's talking about.

Nice post Safarigirl. I have also sat down to wonder the same thing but came to the conclusion that many Nigerians are Sadist. Why do I have to beg you to do what you're supposed to do? Ontop my money!

Very nice post that should be on the front page seeing that it deals with a fundamental issue in our society.
Maybe the mods are waiting for us to beg them before they do the needful?

Spot on, Safari Girl

I remember telling somebody that even if Jesus comes down from Heaven to rule this country, nothing much will change, because Nigeria has a two-way problem comprising of not just the leaders, but the masses, too.

The mind of an average Nigerian works in a strange way. Our mentality is so warped that it is both scary and pitiful. The foundation of our reasoning on basic fundamental social issues -- like the one you just mentioned, and many more --- is simply disgraceful, and that is why I strongly believe we will "probably" never progress as nation.

I lost all hope when I noticed even those in academia who should know better, who should be enlightened & free --- professors, etc ---- still suffer from the same virus.

How can a collection of mostly mentally backward, wicked & sadistic individuals expect to collectively progress as group(nation) ? Impossicanto!!!

Social issues like the one you've highlighted is an indicator to how & where we started failing as nation. A mental revolution has to begin inside the minds of every average Nigerian before we can start dreaming of progress as nation.

Until then, we die here.

You didn't add the part where you have to beg your Landlord to fix his house, on top your money o.

This is so apt. It fully deserves to be on the front page. Thanks for the insight OP. You are right. Nigeria is beyond fuked up and it's largely down to the masses rather than the leaders.
People like you and I who see the begging culture as unnatural are treated as insane, while those who beg for their rights are regarded as the sane ones. One thing I know is that I will never beg, except as a very last resort.

Self entitlement are two words i'll use to answer your question.

Girl you just mirrored my thoughts...
goddamn

i can see why I like you much.


I hate begging and it has gotten me into lots of trouble sha..
A lecturer once collected my exam booklet about 26 mins into the exam because a girl turned back to look at. my work... the man thought i would beg because the babe was seriously begging him..

i instead signed the attendance sheet and bounced out

It is one of the many parts that makes a Nigerian Nigerian.

safarigirl:
even in the hospitals that people ready to pay ate ignored?

Sometimes the people begging are the ones that want to do the right thing after everyone else has saved time by using shortcut....but you didn't read everything, so.....

na poverty ooo.

if the system is completely decentralized and less autonomous, this whole thing will fade away in less than 72 hours... because power has been reduced to the barest minimum. It iths why I do not take those who call of end sars serious or those who at the receiving end of every section of this country BECAUSE an average Nigerian is power drunk and you can take that to the bank.

if you want to know what stuff they are made off, give them power and that is why you will see the true nature of the people you share a country with.

Why do you think nothing works in this country? It is because of similar reasons. For instance, the elites believe if they make things work in this country, they will no longer have power and so, to retain their power, they have to oppress the mass because begging giving them orgasmic kinda euphoria.

Even the MUDS want you to beg and roll on the floor before pushing this topic to front page.

okeniti:
Self entitlement are two words i'll use to answer your question.

Spot on! Nigerians feel entitled to everything others have including their dignity. We thrive on constant comparisons to others and trying to literally oppress others.

Growing up, I naively believed “oppression” was just slang for making yourself better but now I realize it’s as described on the packaging.

.