"Make I no lie" is the Nigerian introduction to a statement that may be entirely false. The phrase promises honesty. It delivers performance. "Make I no lie, that girl fine die." "Make I no lie, I be the best for that office." "Make I no lie, that business go make you rich." The preface is supposed to authenticate what follows. Instead, it often signals the opposite. The psychology is fascinating. By announcing honesty, the speaker hopes to bypass skepticism. They are saying: Do not fact-check this. Do not question this. I have already vouched for my own truthfulness. It is a rhetorical shortcut. And the listeners! Some believe it immediately. "He said 'make I no lie,' so it must be true." Others become more suspicious. "Why did he need to say that?" The phrase divides audiences into the trusting and the cynical. But sometimes—sometimes—it is genuine. The friend who says "Make I no lie, you messed up" when no one else will. The colleague who says "Make I no lie, this plan won't work" when everyone else is pretending. The preface becomes a courage ritual. The honesty that follows is rare and valuable. Who in your life uses "make I no lie" most? And do you believe them more, or less, because of it?
