United by long necks
A catalyst for development or demise
Written by Victor Odemena
Africa has been depicted in various ways to the world. When considering African heritage, one might envision cultural dominance symbolized by an animal as a totem or representation of its roots. From the Western perspective, Africa is often portrayed as a land characterized by kwashiorkor, mud houses, and the presence of the African man's best friend: the leopard in our backyards. While there are specific animals that embody our inherent identities such as the lion, the eagle, the black panther, and more, there is one creature that often goes unnoticed yet metaphorically encapsulates the essence of Africans: the giraffe, with its distinctive long legs and neck.
The giraffe is a prominent figure in many African landscapes, prompting the question of why it's often overlooked when describing African identity through animals. This phenomenon is intriguing—how can such an obvious creature go unnoticed? Does this oversight reflect a larger pattern within African culture, where despite being richly endowed with resources and intellect, we are often overlooked or forgettable? Are we so preoccupied with our pursuits that we neglect to make the impactful changes that could alter the course of life itself?
United by long necks. There's a very common slang in Nigerian pidgin for someone who seeks to reap the fruits of other people's labor: the "long-a-throat."
Emeka lives just above minimum wage; he eats what he can afford and leads a humble lifestyle. Emeka surfs through social media and sees a different type of lifestyle. What he sees is so shiny that it gives his eyes their own twinkle. Emeka wants what he sees but he is not well equipped to get it. This involves two things. It's either Emeka equips himself by playing the long-term game or he does all in his power to get rich quick. In either scenario, the "long-a-throat" mentality drives his ambitions. Not being content with what you have could make you fast-track your growth through unconventional means or it could ground you to grow to be better.
United by long legs. In Africa, if you have "long legs," it means you have an advantage because of your network. You were either born a "nepo baby" or you are "nepo by charisma."
Sandra is a "nepo baby." Her parents are well connected so the moment she finished her time at the university, even though she wasn't really qualified, she got a job in a top 4 multinational in the country. She earns enough to paint Lagos red on the weekend. Deji was well connected in university, a "nepo by charisma." He was confident, every bit influential, and he made the right friends who made it their goal to put Deji in the right spaces. He's that one guy that has a guy for everything you need. This is a trend that goes on in Africa where these spaces in higher places are occupied by friend groups and not individuals with objective merit. It is beneficial to some but it also costs many others. In terms of structure, it encourages mediocre systems and might not be the best for optimum productivity but in terms of function, it serves its purpose as a form of youth empowerment, so we cannot call it terrible as it serves its function.
Africa is a testimony of long necks and long legs. Our reality today is a product of that reality. So, is our way of the spotted, long-necked creature going to aid our development or would it lead to our eventual demise?
