Time was, and it seemed such a long time now, when being a travelling Nigerian was a delight. Travelling Nigerians had money to spend courtesy of a generous BTA (Basic Travel Allowance). We had goodwill to spend courtesy of our cheerful, sunny disposition. And in some cases, we had I.O.U. to collect courtesy of our generous, benevolent government. I witnessed the phase when the green passport brought smiles – of envy? – to the faces of immigration officials. I witnessed the phase when we didn’t need visas to some European and African countries. I witnessed the phase when Oxford Street in London, Champs Elyse in Paris, Manhattan in New York treated us deferentially because we were, next to Arabs, the big spenders of the time. Not to talk about Beirut and Milan which treated our travelers as gods and goddesses. My earlier trips to East and Southern Africa were such a revelation. Many doors, and I dare say laps, which would have been exclusive, were opened just for being a Nigerian journalist and tourist. Even newly independent South Africa, despite being ahead of us on many fronts, treated us with respect and warmth. You got the feeling that many of their people would have traded places if they could.

Things could not have been more different today. The same South Africa which treated us so nicely some three, four decades ago, now treats us with disdain and hatred. I am a living witness to the anti-apartheid struggles into which Nigeria poured enormous resources. I had a more than average knowledge of Nigeria’s commitment to the struggle having interviewed both General Joe Garba, the External Affairs Minister and Prof Bolaji Akinyemi the DG, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs at the time on different occasions. I also interviewed leading South African activists including Oliver Thambo, the then Chairman of ANC, the liberation and later political platform on which Nelson Mandela rose to power. It is therefore confounding to me that the younger generation of South Africans feels no appreciation of the role Nigeria played and therefore no obligation whatsoever towards Nigeria and Nigerians. South Africa is in the vanguard of many African countries which see us as nuisances at best. Many of these countries we had helped in one way or another when Africa was the centre piece of our foreign policy and we were busy playing Big Brother.

Time was, again it seemed such a long time ago, when every Nigerian who travelled out could not wait to come back. Even those who went in search of the clichéd golden fleece, left the day they wrote their final papers after asking the school authorities to mail their results to them. Nigeria was it back then. Not anymore. Not when a student visa is seen as a reason for a permanent stay. In fact, any visa is seen by some as a reason for a permanent stay. Rare is that delegate these days, irrespective of its religious or professional leaning, that would not have at least one its members disappearing into the thin air on arrival to any foreign country. That has created a trust deficit which has wiped away the welcoming smiles I mentioned earlier. Now, the green passport brings out the worst in some immigration officials. Benign offences like overstaying for a few days which used to be treated with the levity it deserved, can now lead to deportation and even detention especially if the color of the passport is green. Nigerian potential travelers have one of the strictest visa requirements one can find anywhere today. It is very disconcerting to some of us who knew when Nigerians were being encouraged to travel to different host countries because of our petro-dollars. Now, it could not have been clearer if the visa forms had been stamped ‘do not come’. Or, ‘Nigerians not welcomed’ instead of the rather impossible requirements some of them demand.

There are many reasons many countries are tightening their borders generally - except perhaps the likes of Nigeria with its open borders, even to potential bandits and terrorists. One of them is racial. Some are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the coloring of the demographic landscape in their countries and they blame uncontrolled immigration. Another is economic. The fear of AI taking low level jobs is heightening unemployment tensions. Another is the fear that the sheer volume of immigrants is undermining their values and cultures. This is not helped by some Nigerians who do not respect the norms and cultures of their host communities. A Yoruba proverb says ‘a visitor who is respected in a city or community is one who has respected himself’. (A wo ilu mate, o mo iwon ara re ni). Many diaspora Nigerians allow their ebullient and entitlement attitude becloud the fact that they are in a foreign country. This unfortunately, is one reason Nigerians are unwittingly helping those foreign nationalists who want to build walls rather than bridges. Another reason ironically Western countries don’t want us is because of our leaders who constantly defer to them. It is ironic because it costs us respect. It also hypes these countries beyond what they really are in the eyes of Nigerians. A son mimics his father and many Nigerians believe success means living abroad. The perception that life is better abroad has been encouraged by our business and political leaders. Another is the decaying educational system which is pushing many middleclass families into sending their children abroad for education. Few of those children plan to come back. Not all of them are good ambassadors. Then there is insecurity fueled by lack of employment opportunities. All these have put pressure on the ‘Japa syndrome’ which has devalued the worth of Nigerians to the outside world. But the greatest disservice to travelling Nigerians and Nigerians in the diaspora, is the continuous de-marketing of Nigeria by Nigerians. They may not know it, but their words and actions are encouraging xenophobic actions towards Nigerians in the diaspora while tightening visa requirements for those at home who want to travel.

Nigerians are making great impacts in all fields for their host countries - the sheer number of Nigerian footballers at the current World Cup representing different countries is but a small example. Many Nigerians in the diaspora show up and are counted when the strides of their host countries are being evaluated. Unfortunately, negative news travel better than positive ones. Especially if they are spread by your own people. Nigeria can be a great country. One that would make ‘the Japa syndrome’ unnecessary again. One that would bring back respect to our green passport. But it needs all hands on deck. It needs a large dose of patriotism from everyone who calls himself a Nigerian. After all, if you call your best linen a rag, then don’t be surprised if people wipe the floor with it.

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