Nigeria's International Image & the Blight of Internet Fraud

Have you ever been judged based on your nationality?

This is something that Nigerians are very familiar with. The sad reality is that based on your nationality, you could be written off and denied countless opportunities from stereotypes attached.

I've met people who after introduction instantly said '419' or 'Boko Haram'. This is something I can never get used to. I was reading an article about Nigerian Fraudsters who were arrested in the U.A.E. This article like many others mentions that many internet fraud related acts could be traced to Nigeria. But this same article highlights the heavy blow the act of certain individuals deals on Nigerians.

These quotes from the article were my favourite:

"A lot of Nigerians are doing fantastic things all over the world, but they don't get as much media mileage as the guys doing bad things. It affects all the guys doing legitimate stuff especially in the tech space,".

"A lot of foreign companies don't ship to Nigeria, many payment platforms don't accept payments from us because it has ruined our image."

 

My new favourite thing

Something that’s fast becoming a favourite for me is watching people. 

I’ve been doing this for some time, but I am realising more, how much I enjoy it.

At airports, social gatherings, it’s amazing the stories the mind could form from just observing.

Airports make a great scene – raw impatience, politeness, lateness, cluelessness, all forms of emotions are usually displayed. Have you witnessed any extreme reactions from someone at an airport? Intense!