Simi is the new Nigerian wave

Couple days back, I was scrolling through my timeline and saw a newspaper headline berating the poor showing of the first Nigerian, first African, first black woman in an Olympic skeleton event. I hurriedly went past it, as if to say that article never happened. I would chance on another post, then another post by someone of the same article and then it sunk in, this could get ugly pretty soon. Our darling Simi who had done nothing but bring shine to us at her own personal cost, energy and time will be ridiculed in such a manner.

In this click bait era, it is important to set the records straight. Simi and her peers in the bobsled are important on so many levels for so many reasons. They have in one singular act, broken the myth that “black men don’t sleigh or ski or any other winter thing out there to do”. It took a black woman to break the myth for us Nigerians.

They will inspire a new generation of sports people to look beyond football, boxing and the track and field events, to go out there and smash world records, win endorsements for sports wear and all other kind of goods and services.

This was the first time that I was seeing a group of women represent Nigeria in sports like Olympians, who were articulate, who were appareled right, who were storied right. This hasn’t happened in our much beloved soccer despite our first foray into the World Cup twenty four years ago. I f you choose to argue that, please show me one VISA, Nike or Apple endorsement since 1994. These girls are scoring adverts from the most unlikely places and companies.

For the first time in my life, I sought out to watch glimpses of the winter Olympics because of Simi and friends. This little step made by these ladies means that tomorrow an entire industry can be born from their capacity to dream and do. There will be new Nigerian medical teams, commentators, broadcasters, sports officials and apparel companies, television stations, sports federations, travel agencies, airlines, journalists, scholarships, scouts, Hollywood (or better Nollywood) sports movies. They just planted the seed of the industry that supports football in the twinkle of an eye, without even increasing the sports ministry’s budget.

People are telling our story and owning it. CNN conveniently referred to them as Americans and Canadians who chose Nigeria just to be able to compete or to become Olympians. These girls were already Olympians. Simi started sleighing for the first time on September 12 2017. Their qualification only acknowledged the Olympian spirit that was in them. Please let it be known Simi, Ngozi, Seun and Akuoma were always Nigerians first and we are proud of them. Now lets do the same for swimming, archery, gymnastics, squash, badminton, hockey and rugby.

Simi is the fresh dew

which drapes a new

a Savannah that no-one knew

She, Seun, Ngozi, Akuoma

new tide that raised Andela

in flutterin waves beating Kongas

shoutin luyah in yudala tongue

Simi is d new print of shoulder pads,

covering a people of vigor; of color

in new skin providing rapha from

s-hole manic commentaries,

sharing stories of Ori

of white ink of Ola Olu

whom we call Ben-Akin.

Simi is Susu is Kemi

with lenses of parties and MCs

of weddings, those scripted, those Non So.

at TIFFwith Cannes,

telling stories of Jollof or wolof,

finding views in a new tube of hale,

hearty Africans which no-one chose to see. To

Simi is the movies of gory

The beats in Wakanda and Luanda

sharing tales by apples

told for long by mama and dada

in Hollywood and Nollywood

a straight line of can she?

Is she US or is she hood?

Bringing glories to stories

The line is curved like Nike.

Simi is 2 brothers in Wilsons

whose stories of squeezed lemons

created a living 4 faces with onions

for farmers who lost hope

because we thought their choice

of a citrus on this earth

could bear no wealthy fruit.

Simi is the new run of FD

for an old office with a new purpose.

Simi is the new sport to

create a new job for a new crew

Of a girl whose new shoes

Mfactured by who is who

of a girl from a sunny place,

with lush greens and just dew.

Simi, the whisper of See Me,

who I cast away all my fears

on waters of slaves of a trade slewn,

who flew back with an ice tray,

giving life to hopes burnt,

in an ash tray,

with mutters only of Dada,

Ese, giving glory.