In this edition of the Mic on Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, the scope of the conversation is widened to accommodate some socio-cultural issues.
Our guest, a Nigerian author and activist, Praise Fowowe expressed skepticism about the President Tinubu administration’s decision to readopt the old national anthem, saying
“I don’t know how the new old anthem became a priority for this administration; how it is meant to change the quality of lives of our people.”
He emphasized that the old anthem evokes memories of colonization, suggesting it may not resonate positively with contemporary Nigerian identity.
Discussing migration, Mr. Fowowe addressed the phenomenon of “Japa Syndrome” – the term for Nigerians migrating abroad, noting that “This Japa Syndrome thing is something that we (Nigerians) are just too loud about because it’s not just Nigerians that are migrating to other parts of the world.” He highlighted that many Nigerians seek environments where their talents and abilities are adequately rewarded without subjugation. “A lot of our people are looking for a place that gives expression to their power, to their ability and that can reward them handsomely without having to bow down to anyone.”
In his critical analysis of gender empowerment, Mr Fowowe pointed out the disparity in focus between girls and boys. “The buzz empowers the girl child. No one is talking about the boy child,” he remarked. He therefore warned that this could lead to future societal issues, with empowered women potentially facing disempowered men, increasing the risk of gender-based violence and societal imbalance. “We are going to have a lot of empowered women in the future waiting to get married to disempowered men. That’s a recipe for gender-based violence and will create an imbalance.”
While he lamented on the part of addressing systemic issues by predicting a rise in female-led households, which he believes could create imbalances in children’s identities and emotional health, Mr. Fowowe, however, stressed the need for better family support structures. “Part of the problems I have is that I’m asking how come Nigeria does not have a Ministry of Family Affairs. We are going to have a fatherless country. That’s what is going to happen. We are going to have more families that are female-led than families where you have father and mother. It will create an imbalance in the identity, the psyche, and emotions of the children being raised.”
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