Nigeria, our beloved country, has officially become The Land of Skits, Comments, and Chaos- a gathering of social media addicts. If you’re looking for where people “gather,” just head to the comment section of any trending post, and you’ll see the virtual community at its finest. Forget town hall meetings, forget public discussions that could drive the country forward, we gather in the comments section.
It’s our new national pastime—trolling, commenting, analyzing, and bantering on matters we know nothing about. We’ve become digital participants in whatever is trending, whether it concerns us or not.
Last week? It was Wizkid and Davido beefing over Puma. Or was it money? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what exactly it was about, but does it really matter? Whether it’s sneakers or multi-million-dollar contracts signed with a foreign company, the important thing is that the comments section was buzzing! People were lending their “expert” opinions on everything from who should be the face of Puma to how much both artists have in their bank accounts. Of course, 99.9% of the people involved in the online conversation know absolutely nothing about the behind-the-scenes. But they gather all the same.
The week before that? Bobrisky and the EFCC were the headliners, with tales of prison visits and some criminal investigation thrown into the mix. Everyone gathered in the comments, of course, as self-appointed lawyers and anti-corruption experts. This week? Speed Darlington’s turn on the chopping block.
Social Media: Nigeria’s New National Theatre
Nigerians love drama. Let’s not pretend otherwise. And where better to play out this daily soap opera than on social media? When drama strikes, Nigerians, no matter the class or age, “gather” in one place—the comments section. What makes it even more fascinating is how we all act like this is our job—dissecting social media fights, getting emotionally involved in issues that shouldn’t concern us, while the real issues remain ignored.
When I say “we gather,” I’m talking about everyone.
From those who can barely afford data to those using the latest iPhones, from the jobless to the high-flying executives who should be doing actual work. We all love to have a say on these viral trends. What started as a fun way to engage has now turned into an obsession—a dangerous one.
We are so consumed with these skits, drama, and daily trending topics that we’ve forgotten the things that really matter. It’s almost as if our obsession with social media is a strategy to distract ourselves from the reality that is fast catching up with us.
While We Skit, Politicians Are Looting
Let’s be honest, it’s not just social media where we gather. You see the same pattern in churches across Nigeria. Every Sunday, prayer warriors gather to cry for breakthroughs. While they close their eyes and shout “Holy Ghost fire!”, our politicians are milking the nation dry. They’ve become seasoned professionals at siphoning whatever little is left in the coffers, yet we hail them.
Oh yes! We hail these looters like heroes. They are “boss,” “chairman,” “Odogwu”—we even give them local chieftaincy titles in return for crumbs. Social media trends may change, but the pattern remains the same. While we pray for prosperity, those with power laugh all the way to their private jets and off-shore accounts.
Ironically, we still go on social media to make memes out of our pain. Have you noticed how everything in Nigeria has become “content”? We joke about it, turn it into comedy skits, and laugh at the very things killing us. The future is not some distant concept—it’s happening right now, and we’re sitting on our phones, laughing at our own decline.
Skitting While Rome Burns
The obsession with social media isn’t just a fun distraction. It’s costing us something. While we’re glued to our screens, pouring energy into meaningless skits, comment wars and hyping up trivial issues, other countries are progressing. They’re tackling innovation, solving complex problems, and leaving us far behind. Yet here we are—”skitting” backward.
We seem to forget that our focus as a country should be elsewhere. Let’s take the tech boom in countries like Kenya, Rwanda, or even Ghana. These countries are positioning themselves for the future, investing in industries that will pay off in the long run.
But in Nigeria? Our own “industry” is made up of Instagram skits and Twitter fights. Not that these things are inherently bad, but when that’s all you see day in and day out, it’s concerning.
We could be discussing policies, education, health, or even how to make life easier for the average Nigerian. But no. We are too busy flooding the comment sections to give our two cents on who won the latest social media beef.
Praying and Tithing for a Breakthrough… But Where’s the Accountability?
Here’s the irony.
As a nation, we’re incredibly religious. Churches are full every Sunday, with believers praying and tithing for breakthroughs, prosperity, and good governance. But outside those church walls, there’s little to no accountability.
We are praying, but we’re not holding our leaders accountable. And here’s the joke: after Sunday service, we go back to social media to troll, skit, and repeat the cycle.
The cost of this behavior is high. Our misplaced priorities could mean future generations grow up in a Nigeria that’s far worse than what we have today. We are raising a generation that sees clout-chasing and social media validation as the ultimate success. A generation that can’t distinguish between entertainment and reality.
We can joke all we want, but these things have real consequences. If we’re too distracted by skits and comments to notice the rot around us, we will continue to sink deeper. The country’s progress is being stalled while we are entertained by nonsense.
Meanwhile, the cost of living skyrockets, crime rates increase, and the standard of education plummets. But we’re still out here praying for miracles, tithing, and hoping God will come down to fix the mess we created.
What It Will Cost Us in the Long Run
Every country has its distractions. The difference is that in some countries, distractions don’t take precedence over the important stuff. In Nigeria, the lines are so blurred that it’s hard to see where the joke ends and reality begins.
We’re at a crossroads. If we don’t shift our focus soon, we’ll find ourselves falling further behind in the global race. Our youth are some of the brightest in the world, but their talents are being wasted on skits and social media fights. While other countries are coding, building businesses, and innovating, we’re out here laughing at Speed Darlington’s latest antics.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for humor. In fact, Nigeria’s ability to laugh through the pain is what has kept us going this long. But when the laughter becomes a permanent state of distraction, we’re in trouble.
We need to channel this energy into real conversations about how to move the country forward. There’s no harm in gathering—whether in the comments section, in churches, or anywhere else—as long as we’re gathering to push for change. If not, the joke will be on us, and the punchline won’t be funny.
Conclusion: A Time for Change
It’s high time we take a step back and reassess where our focus lies. Yes, social media is fun, and yes, it’s entertaining. But it shouldn’t be the only place we gather. We need to start gathering where it matters—in discussions about real issues, in movements that push for accountability, in spaces that challenge the status quo.
If not, we’ll keep “skitting” ourselves backward while other countries move forward. And trust me, the future won’t be kind to a nation that spent all its time laughing in the comment section.
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