Nigerians And Their Xenophile Syndrome

By Dr jalarth Uche Opara

It beats me hollow how many Nigerians have become willing slaves to xenophile mentality. For clarity, a xenophile is someone excessively obsessed with foreign things.

Anything foreign seems to make many lose composure and, at times, behave irrationally.

Among the many areas where this obsession manifests most visibly is football.

An average Nigerian football enthusiast discusses the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and other European competitions with almost religious passion, fanatical dedication, and emotional extremism. To many, foreign football has become a religion with sacred commandments that must never be violated.

Anyone who supports a rival club is treated like an infidel deserving verbal warfare. Artificial enemies are created between supporters of Arsenal and Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Clubs that neither know their existence nor care about their welfare become the basis for hatred, insults, and emotional instability.

People curse one another, destroy friendships, and argue as though their very survival depends on the outcome of matches played thousands of miles away.

Some have even developed health complications from the emotional stress of football results that have absolutely no direct impact on their daily struggles or economic realities.

The desperation and emotional attachment many Nigerians display toward foreign football raise serious questions in thoughtful minds.

What happened to our local league? Can the same zeal, loyalty, and commitment shown toward European clubs be extended to Nigerian football clubs? How many of these passionate supporters proudly wear the jerseys of Enyimba F.C., Heartland F.C., or other Nigerian teams?

Instead, everywhere is flooded with foreign jerseys branded with the names of foreign players, while our local clubs struggle for attention even within their own homeland.

There is nothing wrong with appreciating global football. The world is now a global village. But when admiration for foreign systems becomes contempt for one’s own identity and institutions, then admiration has gradually transformed into psychological dependence.

A people who neglect their own and worship others will forever remain consumers, never creators.

Stop all these crazy show of Xenophile mentality. It helps nobody

Jarlathuche@gmail.com