On the balance of our stories. Words are powerful. Narrative is everything. I once asked a close friend living in Nigeria if he truly believed that a hundred churches are being burned down every month in Nigeria. He looked me dead in the eye and said, YES. He was not the only one. By my calculation, according to the stories, 300,000 churches had been burned down in the North alone. How many churches are there in all of Nigeria? That was terrifying, and I could almost understand why that lunatic buffoon in the White House would go burn down a parking lot in Sokoto with expired bombs. Something needed to be done. And of Tinubu wouldn't do it, Trump would save us. But then you come to Nigeria, stay a few months, and no one mentions burning churches and slaughtered Christians, you ask about them and Christians look at you askance, you who have been away too long. You hold their gaze long enough and they mumble something about killings in the north. And return to picking at their grilled croaker fish. And you wonder. Out in the West, enterprising Nigerians and their racist white leaders are making a killing creating spurious PowerPoints and NGOs, extracting millions from white racist ultra-right groups with deep pockets. In our stories, in our literature, in our politics, many have found ways to profit from our national trauma and anxieties. It has come at a cost. Two months I have been here, my safety has been on my mind, always. I have been everywhere, people generally leave you alone. People back in the US marvel when you tell them you walk freely in Nigeria, and then they pray for you to return home safe. It was never always like this. To be clear, there are many reasons why one has to be careful here. Nigeria is not child friendly, not elder-friendly. You are more likely to die from ingesting fake products, getting sick, or having an accident on the broken roads than being kidnapped. Just be careful. If you get sick or hurt, even their best hospitals will struggle to comfort you in the way you are used to. And yes, there are areas in the north where Christians are targeted. The government should work hard at countering the misinformation out there through effective mass communication and through actually working hard to protect citizens from kidnappers and terrorists. And one church burnt, one Christian slaughtered is one too many. But those of you lying for money, may your NGOs never see the light of day. I have enjoyed being in Nigeria. It has also been tough. Nigeria is a hard space. But once you figure out the method to her lunacy it's a fun space, more fun than America. I love it here. I can't wait to get back to America. Una dey try sha, una dey try! #MaximumRespectNigeria