PRNigeria

I thought long and hard before deciding to begin this blog. Is there anything to say that has not already been expressed? What content will truly set this apart from other blogs? And is anyone really interested in ramblings and information from an 'oyibo' who has only been here nearly 3 years?

Well I can't answer any of these questions so it's down to what feedback, hits and comments I receive.

What I do know, is that Nigeria is a country of sharp contrasts. One day you will feel like the country is a dangerous messy place with little or no organisation and no potential to be a member of the Global society. The next day you will feel that everything is possible here, and with a little bit of luck and good management the country, its people and yourself will improve.

You can be driving in Lagos, after a hard day's work, in the foulest of moods, cursing and spitting wrath at all comers until you see a sight on the road that just makes you burst out with laughter at the sheer lunacy or beauty of the world around you.

It's that type of place; up one minute, down the next and as sure as the sun will rise so too will your spirits once again.

When I first arrived I loved Nigeria, particularly Lagos. It reminded me of the city of Ankh Morpork in Terry Pratchets fiction: Dusty, chaotic and disorientating. I buzzed off it and would drive with the windows rolled down talking to anyone and everyone who shouted to me.

3 months later I hated every Nigerian, and despised Lagos for exactly the same things I had loved.

After that, I seemed to have mellowed, fitted into the life, begun to understand the Nigerian psyche in business and social circles and accepted my lot.

Today it seems like anywhere else in the world, it has problems, crime, chaos, but also a strange sense of order and common sense. You just have to know where to look.

The idea of this blog is not just to give a semblance of direction to life here, be it business, government, religion or culture, but also to commentate on the PR/communication industry in local and global terms.

Much like Nigeria it will no doubt be chaotic and varied in content, but you should see a semblance of order come through amidst the colour!