When Traditional Greetings Generate Memes!

Cat:

Related stories

Nigeria’s Banking and Financial Services Sector in 2030

Impact of AI and Emerging Technologies By Sonny Iroche Introduction Nigeria’s...

2027 Permutations: Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah Moves to APC Soon

Seals Deal With Party Hierarchy By Abiola Olawale Ahead of...

[PHOTOS] Akpabio Arrives in Rome, Pays Tribute at Pope Francis’s Lying-in-State

By Abiola Olawale The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill...

Drama As Ododo’s Government Shuts MTN Service in Kogi, Advises Residents On Other Networks

By Kolawole Ojebisi The Kogi State government's Utility Infrastructure Management...

The wedding of the son of former EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja on Saturday must have been an event for political reconciliation of some sorts in disguise after several nerves were strained during last year’s general elections.

As the creme de la creme of the country joined the roll call at the wedding,  Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to  President Muhammadu Buhari, was captured on camera kneeling down to greet his former boss, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.  Many see it as part of  the conventional tradition among younger persons gesture while greeting their seniors.

This tradition is quite prevalent in different parts of Nigeria. A case in 1980 when the late Chief Adeola Odutola, the famous industrialist popularly remembered for being the manufacturer of Odutola motor tyres, founder of chains of manufacturing companies across Nigeria, and West Africa, and then president of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) visited the Nigerian Senate best illustrate this tradition.

The venerable Chief Odutola was invited along with other MAN Executives to appear before the Senate to throw light on challenges facing local industries in Nigeria, and upon being sighted at the premises of the Senate, some influential Senators from the South- West immediately went down flat on the floor to greet him! In effect, the distinguished Senators lied down flat on the floor in reverence for one of the most accomplished industrialists in Nigeria at that time!

Indeed, all over Asia and Africa, showing respect through appropriate greeting to elders is believed to be given. This means greeting seniors and older folks by younger people always follow specific cultural patterns and go with certain dynamics.  In the Philippines, younger fellows  have   unique way of showing their reverence for their elders including their seniors, bosses, etc. They take an older person’s hand and press it gently to their foreheads.

In India, the young ones touch older people’s feet as a mark of respect. In Liberia, young people go down with one or both knees!  In Nigeria, in certain socio-cultural settings young people drop to one or both knees  on their feet to greet their elders out of sheer respect. It is therefore in line with African tradition for Malam  Garba Shehu, as captured on camera, greeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar going down on both knees.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

Latest News
Nigeria’s Banking and Financial Services Sector in 20302027 Permutations: Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah Moves to APC Soon[PHOTOS] Akpabio Arrives in Rome, Pays Tribute at Pope Francis’s Lying-in-StateUS and China holding talks on trade war, Trump says after Beijing rebuttalDrama As Ododo's Government Shuts MTN Service in Kogi, Advises Residents On Other NetworksAtiku Breaks Silence on Okowa, Oborevwori's Defection from PDP to APCTribunal Upholds FCCPC's $220m Fine Against Meta, WhatsApp And Additional $35,000APC Accuses Atiku Of Triggering PDP's Crisis By Ignoring Party's Zoning ArrangementNwoko To Oborevwori: Embrace New Politics, Shun Deals That Led To Decline Of Delta PDPWhy Tinubu Approved Aso Rock's Switch From National Grid To Solar, FG Explains"I'm Honoured" Says Dangote After Appointment To World Bank Investment LabRamaphosa, Trump Meet Soon Over Strained South Africa-US Relations After Ambassador Rasool's ExpulsionEminent Scholar- Diplomat, Ibrahim Gambari Showers Accolades On Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on His 85th BirthdayRelief As NiMet Workers Call Off Strike After FG’s Brokered Truce'No Comment'...Reps Decline Response As Ibas Shuns Panel On Rivers Emergency Rule Again
X whatsapp