The average Nigerian is a disappointed person.
Every day, when we wake up and appear on earth, our default state is disappointment. The absence of electricity, which would have made life easier rings us disappointment, the state of the roads and the underdevelopment that stretches all around us, creating a sad reality that we have to fight through it to achieve.
When any Nigerian thrives in this country, he does it, in spite of the disappointment and disadvantage that the country offers its citizens.
In our personal lives and interactions we learn disappointment from an early age. As kids, our parents throw disappointment our way. From the little things such as telling us to get dressed, while they runo off to keep us from tagging along, to elaborate lies about gifts and promises.
Our siblings disappoint us with their actions, and friends always come short of expectations in many silly and hurtful ways.
In our love lives, our hearts are broken a million times. We place our emotional trust and faith in the hands of other people, exposing our vulnerability. It almost always ends in disappointment. At work, we are disappointed with a lot of failed promises, and the bland reality of adulthood.
And what about our religions? Pastors and Imams devise new ways to destroy our faith in organised religion, via sinful scandalous acts and more.
That’s why music is our escape. We throw all our expectations on to the people who thrill us and connect with our hearts via the art of music. We seek a higher connection, and personalise their successes. Do you know how many Nigerians live their lives via Wizkid? Can you fathom how much his every success feels like a win to millions of Nigerians?
That’s huge. His international campaign feels like a blessing to his fans. And so far, everything has worked out straight from a fairytale. Big deals, big collaborations, fast cars, hit records.
Until now.
Until Drake decided to be absent from ‘Come Closer’ video shoot. We all hoped for that to happen. It was supposed to be a big win. The greatest Nigerian win in the history of greatest Nigerian wins. Maybe ever.
But Drake failed to turn up and we all felt the familiar feeling of disappointment. Somehow, our reality has found its way into our alternate world of escape. We have felt the painful pangs of heartbreak collectively again.
And that’s why Nigerians are angry.
