Today's CultureQuiz: NIGERIA!
Nigeria is one of Africa's economic powerhouses, and if doing business in Africa is on your radar, you'll surely be doing business in Nigeria. So go ahead and answer this quiz!
All eyes are on Nigeria’s election results this week, because Nigerian politics is often an indicator of which way the political winds are blowing throughout all of Africa. But working in or with a country as large and complex as Nigeria requires an understanding of the culture that goes beyond economics and politics. So before you hop on that next plane to Lagos (the major commercial center) or Abujah (the capital and administrative center), test yourself on how well you know how to navigate Nigerian culture!
There are four major ethnic groups in Nigeria, each very different, each with their own major language. Match the group with their approximate geographic location within the country (NORTH, SOUTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, or CENTRAL):
a. YORUBA
b. IBO
c. FULANI
d. HAUSA (the largest group)
“DASH” refers to…
a. the daily commute between home and work in Lagos.
b. the exam all Nigerian students must take in order to graduate High School in Nigeria.
c. the systemic offical or unofficial “tip” that is paid in order for someone to do a service for you.
d. the ubiquitous Nigerian root vegetable that is part of most meals.
3. You see your Nigerian colleague across the street. She sees you and raises her hand as if to wave goodbye. But she just saw you, so why is she waving goodbye?
a. She is not, in fact, waving goodbye. She is, in fact, summoning you to come over to her.
b. She is gesturing that she is glad to see you, but very busy right now, and will try to contact you later.
c. She is gesturing that she is embarrassed to have encountered you unexpectedly on the street. You should return the gesture.
d. She is gesturing that she will be crossing the street to greet you in a few moments.
You made your best and fairest price offer at the negotiation table, and your Nigerian associate, with whom you have built what you thought was a trusting personal relationship, responds by acting insulted and countering with a price that is less than half of what you stated. You are shocked.
a. You should have set your price at more than twice what you were actually willing to settle for. Nigerians are known for hard bargaining.
b. You should not have made the first offer, without hearing first from the Nigerian team about what they were willing to pay.
c. You should always go into a Nigerian negotiation with bargaining chips that can enhance the deal based on their needs beyond what the Nigerians expected.
d. All of the above.
You invite your Nigerian associates and their team to a private party on Thursday night, but when the night arrives, only a handful of team delegates actually arrive.
a. Many Nigerians are practicing Muslims, and the Muslim sabbath begins Thursday night.
b. Most Nigerians will wait for instructions from their superior as to whether or not they are expected to attend the party.
c. If single women were on the team, they would likely not be comfortable at a social event with men, and would be expected to be at home with the family.
d. All of the above.
Hard? Easy? How did you do? Here are the answers below:
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