Nigeria’s Unspoken Obsession With Whiteness
NIGERIA may be a Black African country, but it often operates under the shadow of white supremacist values. Colonialism may have formally ended decades ago, yet its residue lingers in the collective psyche. The British did not just draw borders and build institutions; they implanted a belief system that equated whiteness with authority, competence, and superiority. That belief still echoes today, shaping the way Nigerians perceive themselves and others.
Take the workplace. A white expatriate who arrives in Lagos or Abuja can expect higher pay, quicker promotions, and an aura of respect, often without possessing stronger qualifications than Nigerians already doing the job. The assumption of competence, based purely on skin color and foreignness, persists like a reflex.
The education system reflects the same mindset. Parents scramble to enroll their children in “British” or “American” schools, even when those institutions are little more than local operations wrapped in foreign branding. Students are celebrated for adopting foreign accents, sometimes without ever stepping foot outside Nigeria. The accent becomes less about communication and more about status—a signal of belonging to a higher class.
This reverence extends into social life. Marriages to white foreigners are often perceived as a social upgrade. Foreign visitors are treated with awe, their presence alone enough to confer prestige. Meanwhile, local talents, traditions, and even skin tones are subtly dismissed or undervalued, feeding an inferiority complex that many Nigerians are not even conscious of carrying.
The tragedy is not just psychological. It has real consequences. When whiteness is prized above Nigerian excellence, opportunities are denied, self-worth is eroded, and progress is stunted. A society that continually validates outsiders while doubting itself risks entrenching dependency and undermining its own potential.
Nigeria’s challenge is not only to overcome corruption, poverty, or bad governance—it is also to decolonize the mind. Until Nigerians begin to see equal value in their own people, culture, and innovations, the country will continue to operate as a Black nation with a white supremacist soul.
– Mayowa @mayoveli
