We All Laughed at This Joke… Until We Realized It Was Propaganda

Welcome to the Official Nigerian Propaganda Survival Guide

Congratulations, dear citizen. If you’re reading this, it means you have officially survived another day in The Federal Republic of Gaslighting. You might have thought you were just laughing at random jokes, but surprise—you’ve been conditioned for years!

From childhood myths to social media trends, Nigeria has been serving us well-cooked propaganda since Jollof was invented. But today, we break free. We’re exposing the lies, the deceit, and the “e go better” nonsense they’ve been feeding us.

Let’s dive in before The Neps takes light. 🚨

1. “Nigeria Will Be Better” – The Greatest Lie Ever Told

Back in the day, our parents used to say this with full chest. Politicians repeated it like a TikTok sound trend, and pastors turned it into prayer points.

Fast forward to 2025, and Japa rates are higher than the dollar exchange rate. If Nigeria is improving, then why is your uncle suddenly a Canadian Uber driver?

We laughed at every government promise. Now, we just ask, “Better for who?”

🛑 Propaganda Level: As strong as ASUU strike excuses.

2. “If You Don’t Eat Your Food, It Will Cry” – Emotional Blackmail 101

Nigerian parents really had us out here apologizing to beans. BEANS.

Meanwhile, nobody told us that the real enemy wasn’t our abandoned rice, it was INFLATION. Because now, it’s food that is refusing to eat us.

Today, nobody is wasting food. Why? Because one plate of rice at a Lagos buka now costs the same price as an iPhone charger.

🛑 Propaganda Level: Emotional damage but make it culinary.

3. “Hard Work Always Pays” – The National Anthem of Broke People

They told us, “Just work hard, and you’ll make it.”

Meanwhile, the person who got the job knows somebody that knows somebody. Hustle culture had us thinking “grind hard” was the solution—until we saw that the real solution was connections and a rich uncle.

Yes, hard work pays, but shortcuts pay faster. And at this point, even Yahoo boys are more transparent than Nigerian HR departments.

🛑 Propaganda Level: Nigerian motivational speaker starter pack.

4. “There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel” – But NEPA Took Light

They told us to “be patient,” that “suffering is temporary.” They just forgot to mention that the tunnel was constructed by Nigerian contractors.

For how long have we been hearing, “Just endure small, e go better”? We’re still enduring, and now Nigerians are applying for Canadian visas before they’ve finished NYSC.

🛑 Propaganda Level: Sponsored by inverter and generator companies.

5. “Boys Will Be Boys” – A Free Pass for Nonsense

This was society’s way of excusing premium foolishness.

• Boy bullies a girl in school? “Boys will be boys.”
• Someone cheats in a relationship? “Boys will be boys.”
• A grown man acts like a toddler because he has malaria? “Boys will be boys.”

We laughed. We let it slide. Now we know it was just a cover for foolish behavior.

🛑 Propaganda Level: Backstage pass to patriarchy.

Bonus Round: Hidden Propaganda You Didn’t Even Notice

🎤 “Go to School, Get a Good Job”

Translation: Go and suffer, then beg LinkedIn strangers for job referrals.

💍 “A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen”

Meanwhile, all the best chefs in the world are men. Choose struggle at your own risk.

🧓🏽 “Respect Your Elders”

Even the ones that stole the country’s money? 😂

Final Thoughts: We’ve Been Played

At this point, are we laughing, or are we just coping? Because it turns out, half the things we grew up believing were just well-branded propaganda.

The next time someone tells you, “Just keep believing!” ask them, “Believing in what, please?”

BREAKING NEWS: Nigerian parents admit they made up half these lies just to control us. 😂😂😂