‘Lori Iro’: The slogan Nigeria needs for true change
By Ezinwanne Onwuka
From Stingy Men Association of Nigeria (SMAN) to Stingy Women Association of Nigeria (SWAN), the Nigerian social media space is ever buzzing with entertaining hashtags this new year.
The latest hashtag as of today is ‘#Lori Iro’ and the trend is currently spreading like wildfire on both Twitter and Instagram.
The trend first started from a video of a Nigerian evangelist using the term to preach on the street. In the viral video, the supposed prophet advises ladies against deceitful men he described as “lori iro”, a Yoruba phrase that translates to ‘deceits’ or ‘lies’.
It is used to tell people “it is a lie.” In the video, the preacher’s message and dance steps were captivating; thus, earning the video numerous likes/reactions and shares.
As at the time of publishing this post, the hashtag ‘#Lori Iro’ is one of the top trends on Twitter. And, as typical of Nigerians, many are making fun of it as it depicts what lovers usually say in relationships, the lies they tell each other.
It is not surprising that the slang surfaced few days to Valentine’s day, otherwise known as Lover’s day. This is because it is not uncommon for most people to start acting nice all of a sudden and heap one lie on top of the other because they want a gift for V-Day.
The video clip and the follow-up comments is hilarious but in the real sense, it is a reflection of what is actually happening in our society and inter-relationship with others.
In as much as it is a play word describing the harsh realities of today’s relationships, the term also applies to several other aspects of human living apart from relationships and dating. From a rich uncle promising to get you a job in a company once you graduate from the University to the catchy manifestoes of political parties during the election campaign in order to get the unflinching support and votes of the masses, all can be dubbed ‘lori iro’.
The fact that Nigerians are now using the trend to express their displeasure at the government shows that ‘lori iro’ is the slogan Nigeria needs for a true change.
