What's Up with Africa Man’s Time

When it comes to Nigerians and their timing system, it is always flexible and never rigid, in the sense that it could have multiple meanings, and you cannot simply take the face value of what it says. Now I am not talking about the traditional timing system where you tell the time with the long hand or short hand on an analog clock or use the numbers on a digital clock. Rather, I'm talking about some of the regarded norms around timing, especially the African man's timing.

_{Image From pixabay, Edited slightly.}

If you are new to the concept of African man time, this simply means that something does not start when it was scheduled to start. Like a party or even scheduled for 1 pm, will never start at that time if it is being organized by an African man, at least that's what it says. I have always wondered how this timing structure or word was coined. Who came up with this African man timing?

Look at it this way: when someone tells you I am on my way it can mean one of two things, especially if that person is Nigerian. It could mean they are actually on their way, which is rarely the case most times, or it could mean they are just taking their bath, or wear their phone, or better still, about to get ready in one way or another. Now this is where the African man's timing comes into play. You know they are not going to be there anytime soon,n so you burn some time doing something else just not to be theone whot gets theretooo early.

Well, there are some defending factors towards the African man's timing. One is Nigeria is a place where a lot can happen especially when you are finally in a hurry to get somewhere, like there could be some unexplained traffic jam that you did not account for in your planning and a place that usual takes you 15 minutes to get to is now a place that is taking 50 minutes to get. Another is that during ceremonies like weddings and other engagements make use of the rule that when many people show up, that is when the event starts. So if you attend a wedding scheduled for 10 am by 10 am, you might be signing up to be one of the organizers.

Personally, the idea of the African man timing is something I do not fancy at all no matter how it may present itself. This is because of a simple operation that is familiar with chess tournaments, which is that if you get to the tournament venue late, your opponent is given the right by the arbiter to start your clock, and after a while of the clock running down, and you are not yet in your seat, it becomes an automatic walkover for you, and your opponent gets the point. The fear of this happening to me during a chess tournament makes me prompt towards the proposed time set for the event.

I believe no matter what it may be, it says a lot when one shows up on time, as they say punctuality is a politicians best friend and it shows you respect the other person's time. So I respect Nigerians who are always on time and care less about the African man time.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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