OUR COUNTRY NIGERIANS AND OUR FOREIGN ACCENT

It’s become extremely difficult to identify
a Nigerian from his or her accent these
days. We are now sounding more
American and British than the Americans
and British people themselves. When you
listen to radio and voice over done for TV
commercials and radio jingles, You hardly
hear the ‘Nigerian accent’ we grew up
hearing again, and I begin to ask how we
got here. Is this western influence? Did
over half of our population suddenly
travel abroad overnight to acquire an
accent?

As I begin to ask questions, let me take a
look at the people closest to me. Two of
my uncles studied in the United States.

Not just first degree but masters degree
as well. One of them even had a Ph.D and
lived there for over 20years before
returning back; none of them have an
American accent. One of my maternal
uncles and another aunt has been living
in the UK ever since I can remember.
When they came visiting some years back,
none of them had a British accent. And
so does my uncle that has lived in
Australia for about 20years.

My wife schooled in the UK for her
masters degree and don’t have an
atom of British accent when she
speaks.
Her elder sister schooled for 2 years in
the United States and doesn’t have an
American accent either. My wife’s half
younger brother and sister are half cast
because their mum is a FULL white
English woman and has lived with them
as long as they can remember. They
schooled in the UK to masters degree
level and lived there for a while as well
and they don’t have a British accent
(though a few words can’t escape her). I
can go on and on about so many others.
So it beats me hollow when a Nigerian
travels to the united states for 2 months
and returns with an American Accent or
when a Nigerian goes for her masters
degree in the UK and starts talking
through her nose when she returns. It’s
even so bad now, that some people
accompany someone who is traveling
overseas to the international airport and
comes back home with an accent. Hian!
I can understand that some people were
born and raised there and have become
part of their system and way of life. But
one thing I have discovered is that those
that travelled there don’t loose their
Nigerian tongue completely. When I was
in New York, I stayed in Manhattan with
my cousin who had been living in the
United States since he was 8 years old.

He is about 30 now. He has a flat mate
that is also a Nigerian who went there to
school and has been living there. I
observed that they had this strong black
American accent when they speak on the
phone or have a conversation with their
American friends, but when ever we were
having a chat in the house, they always
returned to their Nigerian Accent. Even
when he visits Nigeria, He speaks in his
Nigerian accent even though he can
speak like an American very well and not
those fake and undone accents I get to
hear on radio.

I have observed closely those ‘returnees’
that have lost their Nigerian accent really
haven’t. Once in a while, when you have
a conversation with them, it slips out in
some words or sentences and they return
to their other accent. But will you blame
them, Speaking in an American or British
accent is now a status symbol. We admire
and respect anything that has a
resemblance with America or England.

We see them as more superior and since
as they enjoy that position they would
want to remain there.
I have worked in the entertainment and
media industry for over 10years now and
trust me, I have seen a lot. Most of our
on air personalities now have a foreign
accent. There was even a radio station in
Lagos that wouldn’t even want to hire
you if you had a Nigerian accent. Our
voice over artists who grew up in Ibadan
can’t even pronounce “Adeola Odeku
Street’ anymore the way we will know
that it’s a street in Victoria Island and not
Los Angeles they are talking about. Some
of them cannot even pronounce their
own name very well. This is sad. I grew
up listening to Tokunbo Ajayi, Cyril Stober
and Ruth Benemesia Opia deliver news
casting in a way that made you admire
them for this professionalism. All that is
gone.

A young girl once worked as a news
caster in a TV station in Lagos and I
heard that because she had a foreign
accent, she got lots of privileges and I
know this for a fact because its my
industry and I have friends in every
media house. She got holidays oversees
and other perks others that had been
working there could not dream of. Of
course she left after a while and we
hardly see her anymore but this is our
reality. Though I thought her she was a
good newscaster. I also know a certain
media house on cable TV that that’s how
they roll. They all speak through their
noses and form cliques amongst
themselves. You are valued according to
your accent. So every one wants to
belong, whether you grew up there, or
you only visited for 2 weeks, or you went
there for your masters degree program;
all join, Just dey blow foneh dey go.
That’s the only way you can be seen as a
sophisticated babe or big boy. I
remember one time when one of them
referred to those of us with Nigerian
Accent as ‘locals’. Na wa oh!
These led some of my friends in a certain
radio station in Lagos (ok, I only know 2
of them and not we like we hang out; just
famzing) to start what they call the LAFA
Awards. LAFA stands for Locally Acquired
Foreign Accent. It was done to expose On
Air Personalities on radio that never lived
outside the country and have a foreign
accent. I had a good laugh as they called
out the winners and I can’t wait for the
next LAFA Awards.

I would also like to ask; I know a lot of
white people who have lived in Nigeria
for so many years. Some of them where
even born here, especially the Lebanese.
But how come they don’t have a Nigerian
Accent? Why is it the other way round?

I think Nigerians should be confortable
with speaking with their Nigerian Accent.
CNN recently ranked the different accents
in the world according to how sexy they
sounded and Surprise! Surprise! The
disdained Nigerian accent was ranked
5th. Ranked even higher than the
American and British accent. I don’t think
you need a foreign accent to have a high
self-esteem. The people we admire here
in Nigeria for their success and all they
have achieved did all they did without an
American accent and still have a high
place in our society.
The likes of Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga
and Femi Otedola don’t have one. Even in
our entertainment industry, Tuface, P
square, Wizkid and Asa don’t have
foreign accent. Likewise Nneka, D’Banj
and Don Jazzy that have lived abroad
don’t have one talk less of Davido that
was even born there. We should learn to
embrace the way we speak and be proud
of it just like the Americans and the
British would never change their accent
for anyone.

Written By Ekene Som Mekwunye.
E: ekenemekwunye@yahoo.com
T: @ekenem

Ekene is a Filmmaker and TV Director. He
was trained in Nigeria and Hollywood as
well. He has produced programs for
Mnet and MTV before setting up
Riverside Productions, which is behind
shows like My Big Nigerian Wedding etc.