Lineage Over Merit: Navigating Class & Titles In Two Nations
By KIO AMACHREE
Living Between Two Worlds: Where Title Trumps Talent
British Class: An Invisible Pyramid
GROWING up in Britain, I witnessed a social order that most take for granted but that governs opportunities, relationships, and mobility in profound ways. Unlike the explicit segregation familiar from American history, British class is subtle, inherited, and deeply institutionalized. Old titles — dukes, earls, viscounts — are more than ceremonial; they convey social authority, cultural capital, and political influence.
Even after reforms reduced the hereditary role in governance, aristocratic legacy continued to shape access to elite schools, networks, and prestigious careers. Industrial capitalism may have widened access in theory, but social mobility is still filtered through accent, schooling, and family lineage. Class is lived experience: it is in the way people speak, behave, and navigate unspoken rules of belonging.
Nigeria’s Traditional Hierarchies: Soft Power and Authority
Across continents, I encountered a parallel in Nigeria. While the nation’s democratic constitution rejected feudalism, traditional structures endure. Yoruba Obas and northern Emirs retain authority derived from history and ancestral lineage, mediating between citizens and the modern state.
In Nigeria, titles carry moral authority and cultural legitimacy. They are active instruments of social influence, shaping commerce, education, and governance at local levels. Even in a republic, these rulers enforce norms, resolve disputes, and command deference — a testament to the enduring strength of customary authority.
The Common Thread: Cultural Segregation
What links Britain and Nigeria is not law but culture. Hierarchies in both societies operate silently, privileging lineage over individual achievement. In Britain, it is the seat in the House of Lords or the accent at an elite university; in Nigeria, it is the chieftaincy title that opens doors in business, politics, and social life.
These hierarchies persist without legal enforcement. They survive in rituals, educational systems, and social interactions. Individuals internalize these structures, often unquestioningly, and navigate them as if they were natural laws rather than human constructs.
Conclusion: Title, Tradition, and Talent
My upbringing in two worlds revealed a shared truth: societal privilege is rarely meritocratic. Wealth and talent matter, but lineage and title often dictate who is heard, who is respected, and who succeeds. Segregation, whether by class or tradition, lives on not in statutes but in the quiet, enduring power of history, culture, and perception.
In both the United Kingdom and Nigeria, hierarchy is a living force — one that privileges inherited prestige over earned skill, reminding us that social mobility requires more than talent alone; it demands navigation of centuries-old systems of influence.
