#TBT: Nigerians on Twitter Reminisce and Celebrate Their Country’s 55 Years of Independence

Nigeria turns 55 today.

Africa’s most populous nation gained its independence from the United Kingdom Oct. 1, 1960. Nigerians on Twitter commemorated their independence day with a variety of celebratory tweets and insightful comments about how far the nation has come. 

The country has produced some of the world’s richest oil entrepreneurs. 

https://twitter.com/AfricaFactsZone/status/649664918585802753

Despite its reputation for corruption, Nigeria’s most recent presidential election in March, which saw Nigerians experience the nation’s first-ever democratic transition of power from one elected president to another elected president of a different party, has its citizens feeling very optimistic about the future. 

There is a plan. There is will, capacity and competence to execute it.
Nigeria will prevail. pic.twitter.com/gp91Lq9kIQ

— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) October 1, 2015

There was a joke about how first-generation black people living in the Diaspora who have parents from Nigeria will be claiming their Nigerian heritage extra hard today: 

https://twitter.com/_umanta/status/649626914177482753

There’s the idea that Nigeria—and Africa in general—is all doom and gloom and wouldn’t be such a great place to live. But when you look at some of the problems first-world nations face, like the U.S. gun problem, as demonstrated by Thursday’s campus shooting in Oregon, it makes you remember that Nigerians have to get adjusted to America’s downsides, too. 

Another shooting in the US today, #Nigeria should issue a travel advisory to its citizens in the US or to those travelling there.

— Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) October 1, 2015

I think something like 1 out of every 4 people in Africa are Nigerian. Let’s face it: Nigerians have a superiority complex as a result, which some people find annoying, but try finding a Nigerian who cares. 

"Nigeria isn't the only country in Afr-" pic.twitter.com/oLFCjzT7tm

— silk cynic (@EgusiFiend) October 1, 2015

Plop your black child down in front of this educational cartoon that teaches kids about Nigeria’s independence. It’s an episode from Bino and Fino, a brilliant cartoon series that wants black children to be proud of their African ancestry. It’s centered on a brother and sister who live in a modern-day city in sub-Saharan Africa. The series wants brown children all over the world to see themselves on television and learn more about their African heritage. 

Happy Independence Day Nigeria! Here's a children's cartoon episode that explains the history https://t.co/5mgZnO5vRW pic.twitter.com/Jkq7gvFfht

— Bino and Fino Show (@BinoandFino) October 1, 2015

Google even joined in on the celebrations. 

The Google Doodle for Nigeria's 55th Independence Day pic.twitter.com/NgyuZPDGwF

— OkayAfrica (@OkayAfrica) October 1, 2015

And this was especially dear to me (I’m a Ghanian-Nigerian-American). It’s a nod to the ongoing competition between two of the most dominant nations in Africa: Ghana and Nigeria.

https://twitter.com/MrCocoyam/status/649610805583970304

Happy birthday, Naija.

For more of black Twitter, check out The Chatterati on The Root and follow The Chatterati on Twitter.

Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.

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