Land of Opportunity

Those who follow my blog regularly will recognize the name Eko...one of my very good friends here who is willing to answer all my curious questions about how things work in Nigeria. Over the Christmas holiday, as is customary, he returned to his village north of Calabar and just on the other side of the Cameroon border. Rather than simply traveling to visit his family for the holidays, Eko's journey had a different purpose: to acquire land.

Land in Nigeria can be acquired in two ways. You can purchase it (the process of which is similar to buying land in the US) or you can inherit it. In Eko's case, he was entitled to a piece of land left behind by his father, a former high chief in the region of Calabar. But the way the land is acquired is a delicate dance of flatter, gifts, and exhibitions of loyalty. Families here in Nigeria are typically large and the lines between immediate and extended family blurry. As is the case with Eko's family (and knowing very well that many sought their same inherited right to his father's land) Eko had to act fast...well relatively speaking.

The process took the better part of December to finalize his land acquisition. Eko explained that he had to approach a number of chiefs, bringing with him good wishes, fine cloth (considered one of the most reverent gifts one can give), and of course money. After meeting with several chiefs, he was finally referred to the high chief offering the same accolades and signs of devotion. At long last, he was escorted to the property which would be offered to him by entitlement, all the while providing good meals for those who accompanied him.

When Eko first explained this process, it seemed a long, drawn-out, and arduous process of flattery just to acquire a small plot of land. But as I thought more about, I realized we do this back home. Though not necessarily reserved for land purchase, it resembled our process of schmoozing...vendors sending gifts of appreciation for business; lunches and dinners meant to gain new clients or appease old ones; golf outings in which more business agreements are made than from behind a desk. It rang all too familiar.

So when it comes to land and opportunity, the delicate dance seems similar and familiar. Though the thing being sought and the "perks" offered along the way may be different, the way to opportunity remains the same.