Between Patriotism and Disappointment

I saw a tweet few days ago and I could relate to it so I decided to write a piece to express myself..

Being born in Nigeria often feels like life already put you at a disadvantage. So many dreams feel impossible before they even begin. Some careers feel completely out of reach. This country has a way of limiting people even before they discover their full potential.

But words can’t fully explain how disappointed I feel about Nigeria, and I know many people silently feel the same way. I learned patriotism early. I truly love being Nigerian. But I strongly dislike the system we live under.

Before anyone asks me, “Why do you feel this way about Nigeria?”, ask yourself this first: Name five things you genuinely love about this country — aside from the people, the culture, and how we use humor to cope with hardship. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Now ask yourself five things you dislike about this country. You’ll probably go far beyond five. ( I was able to write 50 things lol )

People still say, “Nigeria isn’t that bad.” But for many people, the daily reality tells a different story.

How many lives have been deeply affected by insecurity, poor leadership, and broken systems?

The Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014 — only some returned. Leah Sharibu is still not home.

Lives lost during the End SARS protests, where young people asked for safety and accountability.

The naira redesign crisis, which left many people struggling, businesses shutting down, and families under extreme pressure — only for policies to later be changed again.

These are not just headlines. These are real people. Real families. Real pain.

Sometimes I honestly wonder why life is so difficult here, because the suffering often feels unnecessary and avoidable.

So after reading all of this — Be honest with yourself:

Can you still give me five reasons you love Nigeria?

With love

From Temii 💗