When we say German we think Machines, when we say Russian we think Vodka, we say Japanese we think Robots, talk about Wine we think French. Talk about Nigeria we think…?
So I was thinking of something peculiar to Nigeria, something positive, something we do others don’t do quite often, something we are good at not the usual 419 fraud you often hear about.
Well, after thinking, eating, sleeping, then back to thinking again, I finally came up with something, something I bet no country does better than we do.
It’s called packaging. Yeah PACKAGING!
I am not talking about the product packaging in a manufacturing process, so if you’re a not a Nigerian you’re most likely to get lost somewhere in this article, but never mind you will soon get to find yourself back in between.
So yes packaging, talk about packaging, think Nigeria!
So what is “packaging” in this sense?
A Nigerian will have two expensive smart phones and will never recharge more than a hundred naira airtime on each.
In Nigerian this is our standard, everything is more about what we see, and the content is of secondary importance. Who cares about what’s inside?
Well since a book has to be judged by it’s cover, the cover must always appear beautiful, right?
So you need to “package” the right way.
We spend more than we earn just to impress and yes we really do impress, we can decorate fufu in cake icing and you will think it’s the most beautiful cake you’ve ever seen.
Flamboyant is not just a word to us, it’s a lifestyle. We live Big. Dress Big. Talk Big. We are always so eager to consume material goods.
A new Porsche model comes out today in Europe, count three days after and you see it driving pass you in the Lagos traffic.
You won’t climb up the social quo if you don’t “pack” yourself properly. So we learn how to package at a very early age.
A woman in her mid-sixties was struggling with her iPad, punching carefully and slowly like a hen trying to pick corns, after several attempts she frowns and says my son can you please show me how to check pictures on my ipad.
She doesn’t even know how to use it but went ahead to get it because she likes the confidence that radiates whenever her friend Mama Emeka flashes it out during the monthly “umuada” meeting .
The saying dress how you want to be addressed is the slogan for the customer service of most companies, the number of “yes sirs” you will get if you visit a bank wearing a suit is quite different from the one you will get if you visit wearing a casual wear. Customer service depends on the customers dressing.
What kind of car did he park outside, is it the latest Murano? Ah Welcome Sir! Have a sit Sir! Sorry Sir!
I still stand on my ground that the most magnificent weddings in the world are Nigerian weddings. Weddings in Nigeria are like Indian circus, different attires, different colours, it’s just beautiful!.
So the Nigerian men are staying single for much longer than their fathers did since they need a fortune to come up with something worth called a wedding in the Nigerian sense.
You have to either wear it, drive it or live it, else no one will take you serious.
Packaging is why a Tailor will prefer you call him a Fashion designer and a Bricklayer calling himself a construction officer.
Even when you don’t want to be showy, in Nigeria you just have to. Else how will you get up the social quo and fit into the society?
Our bank account often don’t reflect our lifestyle.
A Lagos boy will pop the most expensive Rozay bottle in a club, then go back home to his garri without sugar….shey all na packaging now? Atleast his firends now call him “CHAIRMAN”.
Don’t go broke trying to look rich, act your wage!
If you earn say 60k monthly and you buy a shoe of 50k after receiving your salary, who are you deceiving? Shey you will trek in your moccasins for Buhari when hunger dances to the beat of your growling stomach?
Well the truth of the matter is we Nigerians are good at this, but packaging is not just a Nigerian construct, it’s everywhere in the world but we are the best at it.
We should be proud of that right or whoelse does this better?
Think Nigeria Think packaging!
Hope this article was well “packaged” sha?
