By Niyi Aborisade
Flora Shaw, Lady Lugard was a British journalist and writer and the wife of Lord Lugard (the colonial Administrator) who is credited to had coined the name ‘Nigeria’ the sovereign state we are indigenous to is bearing till today. The name, according to research came about around 1897. Our name was indeed given to us by our colonial master.
The name Niger (Latin word) which means black, according to the Century Dictionary of 1904, Nigeria is defined as a region in a Central Africa, nearly equivalent to Sudan and the home of the most pronounced type of Negro race. Yes, no doubt about it, as out of every four black people in the world, one is a Nigeria.
Please mark the Latin word ‘Niger’ and ‘Negro’ which means black and later became abusive and derogatory name for the black slaves that were captured from the sub Sahara Africa. It is a racial slur typically directed at black people. It is an adaptation of Negro, a descendant of Latin adjective Niger, it was later changed to Nigger in English Language .
The African American fought tooth and nail to ensure that they are not called Negro or Nigger. It is now a criminal offence in the UK and USA to call a black man ‘Nigger.’
I have taken time in the preamble to allow us to see why we should change our Name from Nigeria to a genuine name of our own and not a colonial name. Why should we continue to be called ‘Niger Area’ which later metamorphosed to Nigeria. You may wish to ask me what is in a name? Does it matter, is it not the people that are not helping our matters in Nigeria? Does name has any relevance to our predicament? Before, I answer that question, have you considered why we have tried everything and nothing works? From inadequate supply of electricity to no pipe borne water, no good roads, poor economy, bad names all over the world etc despite our enormous resources and manpower.
Is there anything attached to the name and how can it change our situation.
As I have stated earlier that Nigeria is a religious nation and therefore I will not hesitate to cite examples from the scriptures and the traditional Oracle.
It is because name is important to destiny that the almighty God changed the name of Abram to Abraham because God said he will become father of nations. Abraham was 99 years old when his name was changed to enable him to fulfill his destiny. In Genesis 17 vs 5 by so doing, God gave him a new identity. His wife’s name was also changed from Sarai to Sarah which means mother of nations (Genesis 17 v 5), Jacob’s name was changed to Israel to fulfill his destiny according to Genesis 32 vs 28. Jesus Christ called Simon ” Cephas” which means Rock upon which the Christian church is to be built. God in fact gives Jesus Christ’s name to show his identity including calling him Emmanuel which means God is with us. When people are converted to Christianity they also get a new name known as baptismal names.
In the Qur’an the importance of name was emphasized as it states “call them their fathers names, it is just with Allaah (Qu’ran 33:5)”. The prophet states ” whosoever ascribes himself to someone other than his (real) father knowing that he is not his (real) father, paradise is forbidden him”. (al-Bukharee and Muslim) Qur’an 49 :11 says ” And do not insult one another and do not call each other by (offensive nicknames, wretched is the name of disobedience after (one’s faith”) Names are therefore very significant in Islamic world, hence people are named after the prophets or people of importance in their religion.
The Ifa Oracle of the Yorubas (from the western part of Nigeria) of old predicts the name of a child before he was born with specific instructions as to why he should be called that name to fulfill his mission on earth. In some cases when a child that has been dying repeatedly and appeared to be coming back popularly known as Abiku, the Ifa Oracle will give instructions that they should name the child Ifadeyi that is IFA has bound this or he is under the custody of Ifa, a kind of warning signal to the spirit world not to touch him. That is part of the importance and value that the Yoruba give to ‘name'(s). The princes are identified by the names they bear and there must be a reason/meaning behind every Yoruba name. The Igbos have similar tradition and the same for the Hausas and all ethnic groups in Nigeria. Our names are our identity!
I have stated the above to show how our names are synonymous with our identity and has bearing on our destiny. If the almighty God can intervene to change people’s name so that they can fulfill their destiny, then we need to change Nigeria name from the offensive word Niger, Nigger, Negro, Nigeria.
Ghana was formerly known as Gold Coast and they successfully changed their name.
Nigeria changed from Right hand drive to left hand drive in 1973; we changed our money from Pounds to Naira in 1973, we also changed the colonial Anthem to our own indigenous Anthem composed by a Nigerian. However, the most important one which is the bastardized colonial name given to us has never been changed. This name has not brought Unity to Nigeria and neither progress that we should have. It is not our name, it is a convenient name of description of who we are not given by a foreigner and oppressor.
Iran successfully changed his name from Persian to Iran, Transjordan to Jordan, Bechuana land to Bostwana, Anbyssinia to Ethiopia and Ceylon to Sri Lanka. It is a matter of Identity.
I call on the National Assembly and the Executive to institute a panel that will determine the name to give Nigeria. We cannot continue to bear this name and expect to compete successfully with progressive countries in the world. How can we change when we don’t know who we are as a country. Name is an identity, the National Movement For Positive Change (NMPC) has set the ball rolling by changing our from Name from Nigerian Movement For Positive Change to National Movement For Positive Change and we are calling the government to do the needful of giving us a good name.
The name Nigeria must change and so our misfortunes and failure will depart with the old name. We shall be called a new name that will bring Unity prosperity, greatness and advancement to our land .
We need to redeem this shame and reproach of bearing name given to us by Colonial Master who have no genuine interest in our progress.
Niyi Aborisade is the President, National Movement for Positive Change (NMPC) Worldwide
Name indeed are crucial to human beings, it’s fundamental to understanding not just the world around us, but each other as well. So does it really matter what your name is? Do you become what you’re called, or are you called what you are? Like you mentioned in your article, comrade Niyi, the bible has a lot to say about names. For instance the word ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’; the first book of the Bible is a book of origins.
The first man we meet in the Bible: Adam is a Hebrew name derived from the Hebrew word Adamah meaning ‘ground’. Adam was formed “from the dust of the ground” and so, his name (and the general Hebrew name for ‘man’) is rooted in how mankind began. Concerning Jesus Christ, His first name is Jewish name ‘Yeshua’, which is derived from the word meaning ‘to rescue/deliver. Matthew’s Gospel puts it this way: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).
The question now is this; ‘Nigeria’ Who do you think you are? Abraham’s name (an extension of his old name ‘Abram’) meaning ‘father of many’, was a confirmation of God’s radical promise to the then childless, 99-year-old Abram that he would be a “father of many nations”. This new name cements God’s great promise to Abraham into his very identity. Jacob is so named because Jacob means ‘he grasps the heel’, which is a Hebrew idiom for ‘he deceives’. In this case, Jacob really was named after what he became until changed to Israel.
In the book of Hosea, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer, and name her children ‘Lo-Ruhamah’ and ‘Lo-Ammi’, which mean ‘not loved’ and ‘not my people’ respectively. Gomer and the children represent Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, but in the story God ultimately remains faithful and restores Israel (Hosea 2:14), saying: “I will say to those called ‘not my people,’ ‘You are my people” (Hosea 2:23). Naming is one of the great privileges given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, the power to describe the world with certainty, to label reality and determine people’s view of it.
Comrade Niyi makes a strong case for a change of name for our nation. I support this strongly, our future depends on it. We as a nation really do need to ask ourselves who we think we are?. To ask what your own name is, is really to ask: ‘Who am I?,’ or indeed: ‘Who will I become?’.
Thank you very much pastor Victor Oladele for this beautiful rejoinder