By: Muhammed Akindele
Nigeria is a country known for its rich diversity of ethnic groups, with Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo being the major ones. Despite my clear Yoruba heritage, I’ve frequently encountered the misperception that I belong to the Fulani ethnic group.
This confusion isn’t entirely unexpected, given certain physical attributes that I possess, such as fair skin, average height, and a square jaw, which are often associated with some Fulani herders.
Growing up as a mild-mannered individual, I often found myself mistakenly assumed to be of Fulani descent, particularly by people who didn’t know me. On one occasion, during a journey home from school, I was asked to provide my national identity card to prove my Yoruba heritage because a man believed I resembled the President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum. He even accused me of being an illegal immigrant.
Another surprising incident occurred on campus when I visited a point-of-sale (POS) operator to withdraw my last 1,000 Naira. The operator questioned my identity upon seeing that someone named “Akindele” had sent me money, saying, “How can you be an Akindele when you don’t look like a typical Yoruba?”
You might wonder if I take pleasure in being mistaken for Fulani while having a different heritage. The truth is, while it can be amusing at times, it’s also disheartening because I cannot speak their language. Just imagine how different it would be if I could.
What is the most amusing case of mistaken ethnicity you have experienced?