Some stereotypes are just ridiculous.

The African soil as a place, is full of different kinds of stereotypes. Some of these stereotypes are overly outrageous that you sometimes wonder where in the world they got it from it.

Nigeria is not left out either. The stereotypes are as ancient as Methuselah and quite difficult to change. ”Who do you want to explain to?” And ”how many people will believe your explanation?”

One of such common stereotypes in Nigeria is regarding the female child. Some families believe that as a female child, you end up on the kitchen irrespective of how well read you are and so they don't pay full attention to their female children rather they focus on the male child the more.

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Personally, I have faced several types of stereotypes that right now as it stands, I have developed a shock absorber. Nothing of the sort freaks me out anymore. I had to learn to train my mind to understand that people will always talk and be opinionated but as long as they do not cross my bottom line, I am and will be good.

The first category of stereotype I encountered was related to my ethnicity. To the best of my knowledge, I am aware that no one can choose the family or race they are born into. So why was I being stereotyped for being mixed. Mixed in the sense that my dad is from Akwa-ibom state while my mom is from Abia state. Two different tribes and tongues

I remember being laughed at anytime I state my place of origin and I couldn't speak the dialect. Certain friends in school who hailed from the same Akwa,-ibom state, treated me like one with tainted blood. Whenever they wanted to say something about me and without my knowledge, they will just code it by blasting in tongues (native dialect) while I would be there looking at the way their lips were running fast like a power bike.

The second stereotype also related to my tribe happened to be sexually inclined. One time, when I worked as a sales girl for a store at Lagos Island, a very rich male customer entered our store and my boss asked me to attend to him. I was busy being a diligent worker unbeknownst to me that the customer was sizing me up.

After I was done packing his goods, the man asked my name to which I told him. Then he asked my state and I replied with ”Akwa-ibom sir”. Chai, you guys need to have seen the way this customer spread out all his thirty-two teeth in the sun. Then he said ”I like Akwa-ibom girls, they are good in bed”. Oh my word! What in God's name was that?

I had to excuse myself from his presence with the last good girl unction in me because had I remained there, I would have caused a scene. This was just one of many instances of this same stereotype.

The next stereotype that still happens till date is about my facial appearance. Most times, when I get to a new place where no one knows anything about me, people there would look at me and conclude that I look like a Ghanian, so I am a Ghanian and not a Nigerian. When I tell them I am a full blown Nigerian, they open their mouths wide in shock.

Another stereotype that I'll share is how people (males especially) look at me and conclude that I must have multiple boyfriends. ”Oag as how now?” ”Can't a beautiful girl be single in peace again?”

This was the question I asked one particular guy who was a coursemate. He told me that he believes that men flock around me and I must have up to three boyfriends that service and maintain me for me to be looking so beautiful every time and when I nodded my head in the negative, the guy called stingy girl. This particular stereotype makes me wonder if a lady cannot use her own money for herself. I like to look good always and so I do the needful that would make me look my best. How does that pertain to me having a boyfriend or boyfriends?

The last I'll share is about single mothers being wayward and incompetent of being good parents. Like duh, what planet did you fall from? Who says single moms can be good at parenting? Many women today who are singke moms were never wayward. Some became singke moms via raoe incident, others ran away from abusive relationships and took their kids with them to raise in a toxic free environment. Not all came about as a result of waywardness but thw society will nit understand. They look down on single moms like leprosy and it hurts ....some times.

Hmmm, the list is endless but I believe these ones are enough to put forth that stereotypes are not a good thing and we should have better mindsets towards others irrespective of the past. So far, I have learnt to ignore most of these stereotypes. After all, you don't know me like I know me.

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Thank you all for reading. This my entry to the #hivelearners initiative for w174 e01.

Images used are mine.