Dear You,

They think Africa is the jungle.

I have had friends come over to Africa thinking it would be an adventure straight out of Nat Geo Wild.

They enter Lagos and discover that Ediale doesn’t even know where to take them to see an elephant.

Ediale hasn’t seen a live elephant himself.

I haven’t seen a live lion.

What I have seen are monkeys and tortoises.

So I take them to a place in Lekki called the Lekki Conservation Centre.

And they are usually very disappointed.

How many Nigerians have seen a mud house before?

Even mountains.

I saw a good number of mountains when I served in Taraba.

Yeah, we have some of nature’s gifts here and there. But they aren’t exactly everywhere.

Unless you have one in your village and you live there, it could be a luxury to see one.

It’s a luxury to go see beautiful natural landscapes in Obudu Cattle Ranch.

It’s also a bit of luxury to go experience some waterfalls.

I bet many visitors have experienced these things more than Africans.

I have never seen an elephant live. The lions I have seen live are cats. Let’s not offend the gods by calling them lions (well, a hungry lion is still a lion, ribs exposed or not).

So Speed is coming to Africa, and this flyer does no justice. Africans are already angry that his imagination isn’t impressive.

Maybe it’s time we start telling our own stories better. If people keep imagining Africa as a jungle, perhaps we haven’t shown them enough of our cities, our art, our brilliance, and the reality of our everyday lives.

We need to define Africa for ourselves not as a place of wild animals, but as a continent full of thinkers, builders, and dreamers.

Because truly, Africa isn’t what they think it is. It’s not the jungle. It’s a mix of chaos and creativity, of culture and courage.

It’s people like us trying to make meaning, to build, to laugh, and to live. And if Speed or anyone else wants to know the real Africa, maybe they should start seeing it through our eyes and lenses.

Or…as they come. They see for themselves.

Your Africa Spotter

Ediale

#ForTheCulture

PS: Again, thank God he didn’t put “juju” on the poster.