Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has said he wants Nigeria to “keep happening” to him, as he dismissed the use of the phrase “Nigeria happened” to describe misfortune.
Omokri made the remarks in a post shared on Tuesday while reacting to ongoing debates that resurfaced after the death of ARISE News correspondent, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, who was killed during a robbery attack at her Abuja home.
According to him, Nigerians often blame the country for unpleasant situations but fail to give credit when positive events take place.
“When bad things happen, enemies of this country are quick to say that ‘Nigeria has happened’ to them. But they take the good that occurs to them in Nigeria personally, without attributing it to our great nation,” he said.
Omokri also argued that challenges exist everywhere and not only in Nigeria.
“Every year in America, 20,000 people are murdered. That is more than twice the murder rate in Nigeria. Have you ever heard Americans badmouthing their country as a result of this? This is Earth, not heaven,” he stated.
The former aide listed some areas of progress which he described as achievements for the country. He cited record power generation, reduced inflation, and expansion of the economy.
“Nigeria broke its power generation record with a peak of 5,801.84MW and maximum daily energy output of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours, the highest ever attained in the history of the electricity industry in Nigeria,” he wrote.
He further claimed that Nigeria had become a net exporter of refined petroleum products, an achievement he said only three civilian governments, including those of Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Tinubu, had made possible.
“Nigeria’s fuel imports have drastically reduced. According to the International Energy Agency, Nigeria has now emerged as the largest exporter of refined petroleum products in West Africa,” he said.
Omokri added that the Nigerian economy had grown by 67 billion dollars in two years, insisting that the naira still has stronger purchasing power compared to many African currencies.
“$100 in Nigeria will buy you more than $100 in Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia or South Africa,” he stated.
He further urged Nigerians to show more pride in their country instead of dwelling only on the negatives.
“Nigeria is a great country, but it is not perfect because perfection is divine. We can choose to look at the negatives, but there are many positive things happening in Nigeria that we refuse to project because we love bad news,” he added.
The phrase “Nigeria happened” has dominated conversations since the tragic death of Somtochukwu.
In one of her posts before her death, she had written, “I pray from the depth of my heart that Nigeria never happens to me or anyone I care about.”
Her colleague, Reuben Abati, also commented during a live broadcast of The Morning Show on Tuesday, saying, “When Nigeria happens to us, it is a sad thing.”
The expression has since divided opinion, with some Nigerians using it to describe systemic failures and harsh realities, while others argue that the country should not always be blamed for individual misfortunes.
