Nigerian childhood was a different universe. Looking back now, I have one serious question: Who was responsible for all the information we received as children? 😂 Because some of the things we believed were absolutely wild. For example… How many of us were told that there was a special lizard that could magically turn into a snake? Till today, if I see a lizard moving suspiciously, a small part of my brain still remembers that story. Then there was the famous tooth tradition. You lose a tooth and somebody tells you: “Throw it on the roof and your new tooth will grow well.” Excuse me? What scientific journal was this published in? And somehow we all obeyed without asking questions. Then there was the legendary football myth. Every Nigerian child has heard one version or another of: “India beat Nigeria 99-0.” Ninety-nine goals. Not 9-0. Not 19-0. Ninety-nine. And somehow we accepted it as historical fact. Looking back, nobody stopped to ask: “Did the Nigeria goalkeeper leave the stadium?” 😂 Then there were the threats. “Swallow a seed and a tree will grow inside your stomach.” Really? So all those watermelon seeds I swallowed and I’m still not a garden? And let’s not forget: “If you make that face and the wind blows, your face will remain like that forever.” The amount of fear this generated should be studied. The funny thing is that almost every Nigerian child grew up hearing different versions of these stories. Different homes. Different tribes. Different states. Yet somehow we all received the same cinematic universe of childhood information. 😂👇 Be honest. What’s the biggest lie, myth, or story you were told as a Nigerian kid that you completely believed? I know the comment section is about to unlock memories.
