Am I Racist?

I have recently found myself asking this question and I console myself with the thought that if I am questioning myself I may not be too far gone. But really, am I?

Having lived now in 4 countries outside my own and seen the way life really is, should be or could be, is it wrong to want some of the ways of the outside world back at home? Like D'banj would say, 'in case you don't know...', I am back home. Back in Nigeria, back in Las Giddy (Lagos)... and loving it!

What did I see outside and want back home? Virtually everywhere else there is a 'we first then others' approach to almost everything good. I have had the experience of being asked as a Senior Manager in Diageo if I wouldn't mind taking an Assistant Manager job in the UK to prove myself in another company before I am given the managerial role I applied for in that company. What other reason but for the fact that even though I lived in and even voted in the UK, I am not British. I have seen how my brothers and sisters are aggressively learning Dutch to be able to get residency in the Netherlands. In the Middle East, it is in the order of 'from here, from the Arab world, from Europe or America and then 'others' ' which is the category I would fall into.

So is it racist of me to expect that we would do the same at home? Nigerians first, Africans second, and then 'others'?

So far I am alarmed at how many organizations have the token 'foreigner' on their board with the aim of looking international when it really doesn't matter. The practices are not international, there are ethical issues everywhere and the outsider is still there. I have seen so many come to Nigeria on international assignment and weep when it is time to go. It is almost as laughable as the use of 'International' as part of a mechanic workshop's name - Ajagun International Automobile Mechanic Workshop. I'm not sure it adds anything. Of course I have spelt the name correctly which is not what I saw, but that's beside the point.

We are Africa's largest population, it is said that we have the largest collection of blacks on this planet (1 out of every 10 blacks is a Nigerian, I heard, that makes the black population 1.5 billion). Do we still lack the talent and skills to the extent that we need to consider others first?

I have seen Nigerians in very senior positions in other countries, in fact 3 weeks back I was with some Nigerian footballers in a night club in Juffair, Bahrain and informed that 2 of our own (Joshua and Affiz) play for the Bahrain National team. We have the talents in abundance why not consider one of us first?

Truly, is that racist of me?