African Heritage | I AM A NIGERIAN | A Poem by Nkiru Asika
Channel: TVRay+
Date: 2017-07-05

A Poem by Nkiru Asika

I AM A NIGERIAN - BY NKIRU ASIKA

I am a Nigerian.
I am one in 5 Africans.
I am one in 8 Black people, anywhere in the world.
I am a Nobel Prize Winner.
An Olympic Gold Medallist.
A Grammy Award Winner.
A Soccer Champion.
A Prince of the Vatican.
An Oscar Nominee.
A Giant of Literature.
A Distinguished Scientist.
A Musical Icon.
My roots lie in the dusty Sahel of the North; in the rich rainforests of our Atlantic coast;
In the rocky hills of the West; In the oil-filled swamps of the Delta;
In the flat-lands of Mambilla; In the vast savannah plains;
In the warmth of our villages and the vibrance of our cities.
My strength flows from the waters of the Niger and the Benue.
My joy springs from the rush of Gurara Falls and the natural wonders of Yankari.
Nigeria is my rock.
Nigeria is my hope.
Nigeria is my home.
I am the voice of two hundred tribes, speaking three hundred languages.
I am the dance of the circle of life.
I am the laughter of the world’s happiest people.
I am nourished by the crop of the soil, fed by the bounty of the rivers.
I am your neighbor.
I am your friend.
I am a warrior, priest, king.
I am a mother, teacher, queen.
I am my brother’s keeper.
I am a sage from an ancient civilization.
I am a child in the youngest nation on earth.
I am the beauty, 
I am the sound,
I am the vision,
I am the spirit,
I am the passion,
I am the soul of a Continent.
I am a Nigerian.
I am the Heart of Africa.