I think that being a Nigerian is a privilege that many people look down on, and even more take for granted.

The green white green country, a hundred and fifty million strong is the very heart of the second largest continent in the world. There are more people in the state of Lagos alone than there are in more than 195 countries in the world. Nigeria is the seventh most populated country on the planet. Nigeria is huge, massive and powerful. And being the seventh most populated country, it is not surprising to know that she is everywhere.

Being a Nigerian is like being part of a global community. It's true that a select few have given the rest of the world a less than impressive impression of the Nigerian people, with countless cases of fraud, and embezzlement and unfortunate incidents like the attempted bombing by Abdulmotalab, and the Woolwich murders that happened not so long ago, our image has been slightly marred in the eyes of the rest of the world.

But despite this, there is one thing that I love about being a Nigerian. It's the simple fact that no matter where you go she is everywhere.

With well over a million Nigerians living outside the country, every single country can feel like home.

For instance, whenever I travel, despite being a Nigerian citizen, I don't have permanent residence in the country, so I stay in an accommodation in Lagos but whenever I want to go out of the country, a friend is always more than willing to refer me to some sort of accommodation outside of Nigeria. They give me tips on where to go, how to move around the country I'm staying in freely and most importantly, where to find the Nigerian community. And I can help any of my friends travelling to Nigeria, especially Lagos where I'm familiar with a network of many different accommodations in Lagos.

Our identity is unmistakable, when you see another fellow countryman or countrywoman you know almost immediately, you're looking at another citizens from home. For anyone who is used to travelling, this is an important factor

Why is this so important for me? Being a world traveller, I noticed that there was a small tendency for me, or anyone for that matter to loose a little bit of their identity as they imbibed new cultures into their own. Being around my fellow nationals counters this with a sort of grounding effect. There is a certain reassurance knowing that no matter where you go in the world, you're not alone. It makes you feel safe, and welcome in a country, and you have the comfort of knowing that no matter what, there are people who'd rally behind you for any cause.

Homesickness has never been a disease I've experienced because Nigeria has managed to impart herself, through her citizens in the rest of the world.

There's a small Nigeria in every country. There's a home in every country, and there's a people to identify with everywhere.