"I dey your back" is the Nigerian promise of loyalty, support, and invisible surveillance. It is said by friends before a fight. By family before a journey. By colleagues before a presentation. The literal meaning is "I am behind you." The practical meaning is "I am watching you. I am supporting you. I am ready to intervene if you fail. I am also ready to judge if you fail." The phrase is comforting and controlling. It says you are not alone. It also says you are not free. The person at your back sees everything. Your mistakes. Your shortcuts. Your fears. They are support and witness simultaneously. In Nigerian politics, "I dey your back" is dangerous. It means loyalty until betrayal. It means alliance until advantage shifts. The back is where the knife goes. In personal relationships, it is gentler. The mother who says "I dey your back" to a child traveling abroad. The friend who says it before a job interview. The sincerity is real, even if the surveillance is implicit. Who has told you "I dey your back"? And did they actually show up when you needed them?
