When it comes to laughter, it is not always accompanied by happiness at first, especially when dealing with Nigerians; it can be more than that. It could be a sarcastic statement, especially one where they laugh as if it were funny, because it means there is a struggle. It is like that meme where a friend asks you over the phone how you are doing, and then you start by laughing hard, not out of happiness but out of the struggle. This is what I am talking about when it ccomesto Nigerians.
Another technical example of this is when a given struggle takes place in the country, and the next step isthat the citizens make jokes about it. It does not mean they do not care or that they are not affected by the recent change, but this has become a coping mechanism used to deal with the struggle. Just when it gets too much, we look for another means to create a relaxing atmosphere that can be comfortable for us.
Fr example, the increase in the price of foodstuff, next you see hunger caricature cartoons that show how hunger is in the land. Next, there is a hike in the price of fuel, and next you see cracked jokes online about it or worse,e when NEPA takes power, and next you see people saying NEPA again,n and the same applies when they bring light, everybody shouts up NEPA. All this is a projection of poor power supply in the country, but humour is the best way we can respond. Sometimes I think about having complained for a while, and at some point, you just get tired of complaining,so what you do is make jokes about it instead. At least this way,you are getting some laughter out of it.
This norm of turning struggle into humour has gone far beyond just cracking some joke online; rather, it has grown our entertainment industry, especially movies anstand-upup comedies. Nigeria has a vast entertainment industry of comedy movies that talk about a lot of Nigerian problems and challenges. This has built the prominent names like Aki and Pawpaw, Mr Ibu and stand-up comedians like Bovi, AY and the likes of them. One thing that has struck out with me his how Nigerian comedians can make some funny jokes about politicians and yet get away with it. I remember when Alibaba spoke about how he made a joke during the Sani Abacha regime, and he was quite scared.
This coping mechanism with comedy has built the norm of not taking it too seriously, especially when there are serious issues. It boils down to even the everyday people like me. I could be down on cash and still be cracking jokes about it to my friend. It makes me laugh and keeps me going. For many, it has become a shared language among Nigerians who have lived in the country to relate with one another. Making it easy for another person to relate easily to the story. So if you are talking to a friend in Abuja about NEPA issues, they can relate to it easily, and the same things apply to other jokes that involve Nigerians in general. So when next you see a Nigerian cracking a joke, it might just be a story of shared suffering.
I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.
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▶️ 3Speak
This trend and pattern have come to stay. When you enter the social media space, it's even worse.Someone might be deliberating on an issue of serious concern that affects us collectively,just scroll down to the comments section, and you'll be shocked.Before you see anyone responding to the subject matter of discourse, the first ten (if not more) commenters are all about jokes and memes.It's really crazy.Our Leaders know this and are capitalizing on it. Ordinarily, when you push someone to the wall, it's expected that the person fights back. But when you push an average Naija person to the wall, they burst through the wall and continue with life as if nothing happened even making jokes out of that experience. The late Fela would say, "Smiling and suffering."
It's a double-edged sword, especially in a resilient culture like Nigeria's.On the positive side, humor acts as a coping mechanism,it diffuses tension, builds community, and keeps spirits high amid hardship.
But it's not all good. Over-reliance on jokes can downplay urgency, normalize suffering, and let leaders off the hook.Why change when the masses are "memeing" instead of marching? It risks apathy,serious issues like economic hardship or insecurity get trivialized, delaying action. Leaders exploit this,by ignoring outrage drowned in humor.
But again, it's Naija strength, not weakness.If we can just channel it smarter to force real change.
first the tittle drew me in 😆 🤣 😂
TBH this is one thing I love about us that ability to shake it off as if it doesn't matter, that is why Nigeria is like a training ground if you can survive here eeh let them take a Nigerian anywhere he will go there and become king ...like it's the aggressive, adaptive nature we have, no matter whatever it is bring it on we go dust m off continue like we no get that dulling spirit..
.okay check out this tax of a thing the way it was so rampant they even had to hold a session on my church talking about it, I was seriously scared ooo cause adding that to the cost of living already "omo na die oo
but we no send, now 2026 everybody just acting Normal ... e no get were e touch...
if you like add description family support or not no body cares....
they can't suppress us ooo the energy too much guy...
but eeh truth be told this why I love us we can turn anything to humor because if you wan reason m, omo e go choke so we meuveeeeeee regardless.
the sad part of it is our leaders know this, that's they can just get up and make any policy after all they will get use to it
So true. For many Nigerians, laughter isn’t always joy it’s survival. We joke not because the pain isn’t real, but because sometimes humor is the only soft place to land when complaints stop working. It’s how we breathe in the middle of the struggle.