By Hamidah Adenihun
After spending 23 years in Northern Nigeria, I believed I understood my country and its people. However, relocating to the Southwest opened my eyes to how deeply misunderstood my roots truly were.
As a Yoruba woman born and raised in the North, I grew up surrounded by its people, culture, and everyday lifestyle. To me, the North was home, a place full of warmth, accommodating, resilience, and strong values. Yet, in the Southwest, I began to hear assumptions about Northerners (Arewas), ideas many people accepted as facts rather than misconceptions.
People casually claimed that Northerners are all from the same ethnic group, that the North is only Islamic, that Northerners are uneducated, and that the region is generally unsafe. Hearing these statements repeatedly made me question how a place I knew so well could be so poorly understood.
With my identity being culturally Yoruba and Northerner by upbringing, I found myself standing between two worlds, constantly explaining one to the other.
The Media and Public Perception
Broadcast journalist Oluwafemi Adeniyi of Fresh FM Osogbo explains that the media plays a major role in shaping how people view the North. According to him, many media narratives portray Northerners as uneducated, unambitious, and easily manipulated, especially during elections. Some reports also suggest that many Northerners depend on begging.
He notes that such portrayals influence public perception far beyond the actual realities on the ground.
Oluwafemi also points out that statistics from global agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) confirm that the region faces challenges like poverty, insecurity, terrorism, and high numbers of out-of-school children. However, he believes that these issues are often reported without proper context.
According to him, the media can help correct these stereotypes through unbiased reporting and solution-driven journalism that focuses on solutions rather than problems alone.
Living with Stereotypes
For Amammata Isah, a digital advocacy journalist based in the North, these stereotypes are not just media narratives; they are personal experiences.
She reveals that she has faced discrimination because many people assume Northerners are uneducated. “It makes me frustrated,” she says, “because you always have to work extra hard to prove your literacy and competence.”
Her experience reflects how stereotypes place unnecessary pressure on individuals even before they are given a chance to express themselves.
Amammata also believes that this narrative distorts outsiders’ perceptions of Northern lifestyles, often unfairly labelling the region as underdeveloped without recognizing its cultural richness, creativity, and resilience.
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Ayoola Yesirat Taiwo, a Mass Communication student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, arrived in 2020 expecting danger and insecurity. “I thought the North was very unsafe,” she recalls, remembering the frightening warnings she received before her arrival.
However, her experience proved otherwise. Although the culture was conservative and modest, she found the people welcoming and friendly. Many of the stereotypes she believed were untrue.
Yesirat explains that the North has had a deep impact on her life. Despite not having many Hausa friends initially, the relationships she built showed her how warm and accommodating people in the region are.
Similarly, Gabriel Oluwatayo Olumeh, a recent graduate of the same university, admits that he once saw the North as a “danger zone.” After living there for several years, he discovered a peaceful environment, affordable living conditions, and a culture that remains strong in everyday life, far from the negative image often portrayed in the media.
Breaking the Myths
There is a saying that goes thus: you cannot truly know a person by merely observing them from afar.
This saying perfectly captures the reality of how the North is perceived. From media professionals to students and residents, one truth remains constant: The North is far more beautiful, diverse, and complex than many people believe.
North is generally not made up of only Muslims. For instance, Kaduna State is home to many indigenous Christian ethnic groups, such as the Atyap (Kataf), Bajju (Kaje), Jaba (Ham), Adara, Gwong (Kagoma), Gbagyi, and Moro’a, among others. It is wholly ethnical and religiously diverse, with people of different faiths and cultural backgrounds living across its states. Also, many areas are safe and peaceful, just like other regions in the country.
From my own experience, Northerners are among the most welcoming people anyone can meet. They open their homes, share their meals, and treat strangers like family.
Having lived most of my life in the North, I believe that understanding comes from interaction, not assumption. Until more Nigerians are willing to look beyond stereotypes and truly engage with one another, these misconceptions will continue to exist.
But once we begin to listen, observe, and experience for ourselves, we may discover that the stories we believed were never the full truth.
