"No be small thing" is the Nigerian way of saying "This is huge" while pretending to be modest. The phrase is used for everything. A promotion. A wedding. A birth. A funeral. A new car. A new house. A new hairdo. "No be small thing" says: This is significant. But I am too humble to say it directly. I will understate it so you can overstate it. The economy of exaggeration is central to Nigerian communication. You cannot say "I am happy." You must say "I am the happiest person on earth." You cannot say "It was good." You must say "No be small thing." The listener is expected to amplify. To add "Indeed!" To add "Glory be!" To match the energy. And the reverse! "No be small thing" is also used for tragedy. "The accident no be small thing." "The loss no be small thing." The phrase becomes universal. It covers joy and sorrow. It is the Swiss Army knife of Nigerian expression. What was the last "no be small thing" moment in your life? And did people amplify it enough, or did you have to amplify it yourself?
