EXPLAINER: Why ‘May Nigeria not happen to you’ is trending on X in Nigeria

There is no doubt that Nigerians are creative people who use different words, phrases, sentences, and slang to convey their emotions and feelings at every point in time.

One of the many popular phrases among Nigerians in recent times is ‘May Nigeria not happen to you’. The phrase is used to express the country’s challenges, particularly systemic corruption, harsh economic realities, and falling victim to a lack of functional systems, among others.

Although the phrase has always been commonly used among Nigerians, it has recently gained more traction on X in Nigeria after being referenced by the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele.

Oyedele, while speaking at The Platform, an event organised by the Covenant Nation, described the usage of the phrase as unpatriotic. He urged Nigerians to abandon the phrase and instead adopt a more positive outlook by replacing it with “May Nigeria work for me.”

According to him, the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have caused significant hardship but argued that the country is on the path to recovery.

“There is nothing wrong with Nigeria. But maybe there is something wrong with the people ruling Nigeria,” he stated.

Drawing a parallel with the United States, Oyedele said, “In America, people get killed every day by gunmen. But have you ever heard Americans say, ‘May America never happen to you?’ Let’s stop saying, ‘May Nigeria never happen to you.’ Maybe we can turn it into, ‘May Nigeria work for me.’”

Expressing optimism about the country’s future, he added, “Going by available data, I personally believe that the worst is behind us.”

In a follow-up post on X, he tweeted, “May Nigeria work for you! May Nigeria work for me! May Nigeria work for us! May Nigeria win!”

Oyedele’s comments on the phrase have, however, been met with criticism, with many taking to X to disagree with his stance.

Instead of adopting the alternative phrase suggested by the finance expert, netizens have continued to tweet the phrase alongside other prayer points, hence making it a trending term.

In a recent usage of the term on Tuesday, a user, @Allezamani, tweeted, “As you step out today for your daily bread, May Nigeria not happen to you. Good morning.”

Another user, @EmekaTweets, wrote, “‘May Nigeria not happen to you’ is always the prayer for every young person pulling themselves up by the bootstraps.”

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